Volume 30, No. 6 	   Editor: Bob Rupert 	     June, 2000.



		  Canada Research Chairs at Carleton



Boguslaw Jarosz, Incoming President-Elect





The Federal Government has created 2,000 Canada Research Chairs at

Canadian universities over the next 5 years.  In the first year Carleton will

receive seven of its anticipated 27 chairs. Two are in SSHRC areas and five

are in NSERC areas.  These chairs will be in priority areas identified by

universities in their strategic research plans. There are two types of

chairs, Tier I ($200,000 per year financial support) and Tier II ($100,000

per year financial support).



Recently CUASA initiated discussion with the administration on

implementation of the federal initiative. Our main goal was to make the

process as painless and transparent as possible.  Below is the summary of

our frank and open May 9th meeting.



CUASA raised several concerns--mainly about the selection of candidates and

their salaries. We suggested approaching this matter under three headings

1. Identification of strategic directions

2. Allocation of the chairs

3. Selections of candidates..

 

Identifying strategic directions is a management responsibility and they

plan to base their plan on two documents:  Steps Towards Renewal, and the

proposals developed in relation to the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Thus, the strategic plan used for purposes of the Research Chairs will be a

successor document to the CFI proposals and will identify the areas at

Carleton which will be designated for Chairs.



As to allocation of chairs, we said this should not be unilaterally

decided by Deans. We proposed greater collegiality, involving chairs and other

departmental representatives in the process. Management agreed to get back

to us on this. We have been given to understand that three of the five NSERC

chairs to be filled by January 1, 2001, have already been promised to

Faculty of Engineering with the other two  promised to Faculty of Science.

We sincerely hope the Administration heeds our suggestion that the process of

allocation involve more consultation with members of the Faculty.



At the May 9th meeting, CUASA asked how the Administration intends to

select candidates. We did not get an answer but management promised to address

this concern by the end of the month.



CUASA said future meetings should provide detailed information on such

items as workload and salaries, especially when and if the grant money

dries up.  Management said it would discuss these matters and bring a

proposal back.



When management informs us, we'll inform you. In the meantime we welcome

your comments and suggestions on the Canada Research Chairs.