Weekly Update – May 15 – Carleton University Academic Staff Association

Weekly Update – May 15

May 15, 2020

Weekly Update – May 15

Carleton’s Plans for the Fall

CUASA was disappointed to see Carleton University has released the Planning for Fall 2020 report of the Carleton University Scenario Planning (CUSP) Working Group prior to engaging in meaningful consultations with the Association, despite CUASA’s prior requests for such consultations to happen before any decisions are made. We are dismayed that our request for proper public consultation was set aside. The one PowerPoint presentation we received on this topic, deemed confidential, does not constitute “meaningful consultation”.

As noted below in this update, CAUT has issued guidelines on planning for the fall term, stressing that it is crucial that academic staff associations and academic governance bodies be actively involved in all discussions about planning for the 2020-21 academic year.

We have asked the University to meet with us next week so that we can engage in proper discussions on the fall term.

CUASA Files Grievances Related to COVID-19 Situation

This week, CUASA has filed several Association grievances against the University pertaining to the COVID-19 situation.

We filed a trilogy of workload grievances on teaching, research, and service. We have also initiated a grievance on the issue of sabbaticals in light of COVID-19.

More information will be made available on these grievances once we have met with the University.

CUASA Business and Events

Nominations for Steering Positions

We are still accepting nominations for the following Steering positions:

External Relations Officer
Communications Officer
Chair, Equity
Chair, Nominations and Elections
Chair, Internal Affairs
Instructor Representative

Information on the nominations process, and a list of open positions, can be found on our How to Volunteer page. Elections will take place at the May 21 Council meeting. If you are interested in any of the open positions, we strongly encourage you to consider running. The work of the Association continues, despite the current environment we find ourselves in. 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. Some of these positions come with a course release subject to the availability of funds.

Pension Committee Representatives

We are looking for two members to represent CUASA on the Carleton University Pension Committee. If you’re interested in one of these positions, please contact [email protected].

CUASA Confirmation and Promotion Workshops

Thank you to those who attended our Tenure and Promotion workshops this week. If you missed the workshops and would like the materials, please email [email protected].

We still have two workshops to go for Instructors and Librarians. The dates, times, and locations for the workshops are as follows:

Librarian Confirmation and Promotion – Tuesday, May 26, 9:30am-12:00pm
Instructor Confirmation and Promotion – Thursday, May 28, 9:30am-12:00pm

All workshops will be held virtually. If you plan to attend, please email [email protected] to RSVP.

Academic Community at Large

OCUFA Meets with Ministry of Colleges and Universities

OCUFA President Rahul Sapra and Executive Director Michael Conlon were part of a wide-ranging consultation with other campus unions (OPSEU, CUPE, PSAC, and OSSTF) this week with Minister Ross Romano and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. We were dismayed to learn of this consultation after the fact and are disappointed the Ministry did not see fit to give individual faculty associations the opportunity to participate. We thank OCUFA for expressing concerns with the ministry which CUASA shares, and we hope to be included in future consultations.

Post-secondary Students Reconsidering Fall Plans

A new survey commissioned by CAUT and Canadian Federation of Students shows a significant number of students are reconsidering their plans for university and college in the fall, citing lost income, limited support, and concerns about the quality of remote learning. Read more here.

CAUT Develops Guidelines for Re-opening Campuses

It is crucial that academic staff associations and academic governance bodies be actively involved in all discussions about planning for the 2020-21 academic year. To assist member associations in these planning discussions, CAUT has prepared guidelines on re-opening universities and colleges. For more details, click here.

Survey of Post-secondary Staff on the Impact of COVID-19

CAUT has launched a survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the working lives of staff at universities and colleges across the country. The survey is open until June 8 to those who were working at one or more Canadian post-secondary institution (universities, colleges, and polytechnics), in March of this year. It consists of approximately 30 questions—some multiple-choice and some open-ended—that should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. For the survey link, members should check their email or contact [email protected].

COVID-19 and the Impact on Research

You are invited to join an online forum discussion with the Tri-Councils on funding measures to address impact on research in the context of COVID-19, Thursday, May 21, 11:30 am to 1:00pm EDT.

For the Zoom link to register, members should check their email or contact [email protected].

Representatives of the Tri-Councils:

Dominique Bérubé, Vice-President, Research, SSHRC
Dr. Marc Fortin, Vice-President, Research Partnerships, NSERC
Dr. Danika Goosney, Vice-President, Research Grants and Scholarships Directorate, NSERC
Adrian Mota, Acting Associate Vice-President, Research, Knowledge Translation and Ethics, CIHR