Greetings QCAA readers! It may be a new year, but Queen’s is still a hot mess. Here are some of the highlights from the first month of 2026. It’s not news that the provincial government and Queen’s administration are trying to shrink the arts, humanities, social sciences, and even some basic sciences in the post-secondary … Continue reading From Leaks to Geeks
Fair Deal Now! Parents’ Messages to the Administration
Since we posted about the undergraduate students' open letter on March 26th, the number of signatories has more than doubled to over 1600. Today, we write to to draw your attention to the bottom of that letter where more than 100 parents have added their names and reasons for signing. QCAA has provided a sample … Continue reading Fair Deal Now! Parents’ Messages to the Administration
Solidarity Picket with PSAC 901 – Join us!
Dear friends of QCAA, Shortly after we posted last night, our colleagues in PSAC 901 announced that they are on strike. The final proposal from the administration was shockingly inadequate in relation to what we believe are the reasonable demands put forward by PSAC. Once again, we declare our unwavering solidarity with PSAC 901 members, … Continue reading Solidarity Picket with PSAC 901 – Join us!
An Indictment of Leadership
One day prior to the Principal’s staff appreciation BBQ on July 4, and just five days after mass layoffs in FAS, QCAA learned that all members of the Queen’s Management and Professional Group (Grades 10-14) had been granted a pay increase of between 4.25 and 4.75%. Effective July 1, 2024, the salary range for members … Continue reading An Indictment of Leadership
Impact of layoffs and restructuring – a survey
As anticipated, layoffs have begun in the Faculty of Arts and Science - three days before a long weekend. As usual, senior administrators in FAS have refused to communicate with the community about how many positions will be lost, how many people will lose their jobs, and how the work is going to get done … Continue reading Impact of layoffs and restructuring – a survey
Layoff Week?
Four working days remain before the July 1 restructuring deadline that people in FAS have been hearing about for months. Yet, heads and department managers are still prohibited from giving staff any indication about whether they will have a job come July 1. The same injunction applies to communicating with workers who will remain at … Continue reading Layoff Week?
University finally releases budget model report
Two weeks ago the university quietly released Huron Consulting’s report on the Queen's Budget Model. When the report was completed in June 2022, senior administrators promised that it would be published online. However, despite numerous requests at Senate and elsewhere, it took the university almost two years to release the report publicly. That we now … Continue reading University finally releases budget model report
Cooking to Death?
At a “Strategy Session for Senior Leaders,” held on May 29 in a packed Ban Righ Dining Hall, Principal Patrick Deane likened Queen’s to a frog being slowly boiled alive. The Principal acknowledged that he had been caught by surprise by the depth of the university’s current budgetary problems. Previously, he had understood our challenges … Continue reading Cooking to Death?
A critical read: Providing context for the University’s budget announcement
On May 15th, the Gazette published a statement about the 2023-24 fiscal year and the upcoming 2024-25 budget for the university. In this statement, administrators outlined arguments regarding the university’s fiscal planning. Here, we address some points that are worth further discussion. Using investment income: A middle ground and something the university is doing The … Continue reading A critical read: Providing context for the University’s budget announcement
Notes on finances from the Board of Trustees’ meeting agenda
With the Board of Trustees meeting this week, the administration has provided a series of reports for the Board’s meeting. In this post we provide details of two interesting developments: the updated financial projections for the 2023-24 year; and, a review of the Investment Committee’s Terms of Reference. A lower deficit and a win for … Continue reading Notes on finances from the Board of Trustees’ meeting agenda
Queen's Coalition Against Austerity 