Weekly Update – July 30, 2021
July 30, 2021
Weekly Update – July 30, 2021
CUASA Office Closure
Please note the virtual CUASA Office will close at noon today for the long weekend. The office will reopen on Tuesday, August 3, at 9:00am.
Vaccinations at Carleton
Last week we shared information we had received from the Carleton administration on questions surrounding mandatory vaccinations at Carleton. As mentioned, at this time, vaccination is not mandatory for the campus community. The University has said decisions on mandatory vaccination will be made in compliance with recommendations and guidelines from the province and Ottawa Public Health officials. While CUASA is awaiting another meeting regarding this matter on August 12 with University General Counsel, Steve Levitt, CUASA decided to take a more pro-active approach.
As a result, CUASA’s External Relations Officer, Raj Singh, has written to Dr. Etches, Medical Officer of Health for Ottawa Public Health, to encourage OPH to issue updated recommendations for student vaccinations, COVID testing, and contact tracing in advance of the Fall-term return to campus. You can read that letter here.
As always, updates will be passed along as they become available.
Vote Results: Constitutional Amendments
In case you missed it, here are the results of the vote on the amendments to the CUASA Constitution. The results were as follows:
- Revision 1: 97.2% in favour; 2.8% against. APPROVED.
- Revision 2: 97.5% in favour; 2.5% against. APPROVED.
- Revision 3: 97.1% in favour; 2.9% against. APPROVED.
The CUASA Constitution has now been officially amended and we can now proceed with the electronic ratification vote on the tentative agreement. More information on that can be found below.
Final Info Session and Ratification Vote Details
We will be holding one final information session to present the details of the tentative agreement on Tuesday, August 3, from 1:00-3:00pm. Zoom details will be sent to bargaining unit members on Monday.
The ratification vote will be administered electronically from Monday, August 9, at 12:00pm to Wednesday, August 11, at 12:00pm. Voting information will be distributed via email to members of the bargaining unit prior to the opening of the polls.
CUASA Business
Vacant Steering Positions
We are still seeking volunteers for the following Steering positions (click on the title below to see the position description):
* The Steering committee has allocated a 0.5 course release for the Vice President position.
Information on the nominations process can be found on our How to Volunteer page. Remember that our Association is only as strong as its membership, so we count on the time and commitment of our members to achieve our goals. If you are interested in one of these positions and would like some information, or wish to nominate yourself or a colleague, please CUASA’s Chair, Nominations and Elections, Marylynn Steckley, at [email protected].
Call for Volunteers: JHSC
We are seeking a CUASA member to volunteer to be one of the Association’s representatives on the University’s Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC). If you are interested, please contact Marylynn Steckley at [email protected].
2021 Carleton University Teaching Award Winners
CUASA extends sincere congratulations to our members who were announced as Carleton University Teaching Award winners this week. For more information on this year’s winners, click here.
Academic Community Updates
OCUFA raises concerns about safety of fall 2021 university reopenings
OCUFA President Sue Wurtele has written to Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities and Minister of Labour to express concern with the government’s plan for universities to fully reopen this fall. The plan was developed without consulting sector stakeholders, including faculty. As a result, it does not address some of the main concerns of those working and studying at Ontario’s postsecondary institutions.
To keep reading, click here.
One in three universities/colleges will embrace a blended learning approach
CAUT has released the Fall 2021 semester back-to-school plans for 120 universities and colleges as part of its ongoing efforts to track how post-secondary institutions are managing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fall 2021 semester re-opening plans database includes course delivery modes, institutional health and safety plans and information on hybrid teaching and vaccination requirements, where available.
For more details, including key trends, click here.
OUCC opposes Bill 307 and Ford’s attempt to silence workers and students
The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), of which OCUFA is a member, has put out a statement strongly opposing the new provincial election spending rules outlined and enforced by Bill 307, Protecting Elections and Defending Democracy Act. With the use of the Notwithstanding Clause, the government has imposed Bill 307 despite a court decision declaring the law unconstitutional based on the harm that this kind of legislation would cause.
To keep reading, click here.
