Solidarity. Not Austerity.
The mess that is the ideologically-motivated restructuring of the Faculty of Arts and Science continues apace. FAS teaches 70 percent of Queen’s students; it was long the source of the reputation for excellence that was seen to accrue to a Queen’s education. Disparaged by a populist provincial government that has refused to provide adequate funding, … Continue reading Newsletter #17 (6/26/2024)
Late Tuesday afternoon, employees in the Faculty of Arts and Science received a personalized email from Dean Barbara Crow titled “Update.” The vaguely worded message appears to have been written in a hurry, leading some panicked staff and faculty to believe they were receiving a layoff notice. That FAS was ill-prepared to communicate publicly about … Continue reading Seeking Clarity? What QCAA Knows about the June 25 Layoffs
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
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?
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
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 long weekend means a short newsletter this week! It is almost the end of May, and we still do not know what’s up in ArtSci in terms of staff layoffs. We know they are coming. But when exactly? And how many? It’s a few weeks since the VEI program applications were due. Many (all?) … Continue reading Newsletter #16 (5/24/2024)
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
Well, what to say this week, except that the ideological and political basis for the financial/employment/governance/morale/quality crisis at Queen’s keeps getting clearer. When we call something ideological, we are recognizing that while it might be presented as being true or factual or common sense, it actually arises from a particular set of beliefs and values, … Continue reading Newsletter #15 (5/10/2024)
Thanks for reading and sharing these newsletters, with special appreciation to those who have been sharing with staff, faculty and students in your departments. If you just found us recently, you can see the 13 previous editions of this newsletter on this website. Here you will also find recordings of the three teach-ins we have … Continue reading Newsletter #14 (4/26/2024)
Queen's Coalition Against Austerity 