Gaslighting, the politics of budgets, concerns about surveillance, and more

On Thursday, April 17, Queen's Senate had a meeting that dealt with budgetary issues, fallout from the PSAC 901 strike, the shrinking of the Bachelor of Arts program, and how Deans are appointed. A win, and a note about gaslighting and the politics of budgets The Provost’s budget update largely focused on scapegoating the Faculty … Continue reading Gaslighting, the politics of budgets, concerns about surveillance, and more

Reminder: FAS Faculty Board Meeting Today!

Monday, April 14, 10:30 am, on Zoom At this meeting, FAS members will vote on the Motion Regarding the Removal of Seats from the Faculty of Arts and Science. Our discussion of the April 7 meeting, where this motion was brought from the floor, explains the issues at stake. The motion reads as follows: “Faculty Board … Continue reading Reminder: FAS Faculty Board Meeting Today!

FAS Faculty Board Special Meeting Update: Some Answers and Many Outstanding Questions

With less than 48 hours' notice, 150 members of the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) logged into a meeting to discuss the Provost’s plan for seat transfers at Queen’s. The Provost’s announcement at the March 27 Senate meeting that he would move a further 200 seats from BA/BAH programs in FAS to the Faculty … Continue reading FAS Faculty Board Special Meeting Update: Some Answers and Many Outstanding Questions

Newsletter #21 (03/13/2025)

Let’s call this the “University Admin Causes More Chaos with a Strike” edition If understaffing, over-filled classes, and digital surveillance weren’t enough of a challenge in our workdays, the university has now forced our grad student workers into a strike. This first-ever academic strike at Queen’s is one more thing to add to the legacy … Continue reading Newsletter #21 (03/13/2025)

Reader Responses to the Principal’s Bicentennial Vision, #3

This is the third in our series of posts featuring readers’ responses to the Principal’s Bicentennial Vision.  A big thanks to all those who have copied us on their correspondence and a reminder to keep sharing your answers by cutting and pasting them into this anonymous form. Today’s posts raise a new set of problems … Continue reading Reader Responses to the Principal’s Bicentennial Vision, #3

Deane vs Deane: Will the Real Principal Please Stand Up?

In our last post, we outlined some of our concerns with Principal Deane’s Bicentennial Vision, giving him a failing grade for his analysis. But perhaps we were being too harsh? We know that in the past, the Principal has demonstrated a keen sense of critical analysis, including in an interview with University World News published … Continue reading Deane vs Deane: Will the Real Principal Please Stand Up?

Queen’s Bicentennial Vision: From Liberal Arts University to Technical School

The murky process guiding the administration’s drive to restructure Queen’s got a bit more concrete last week when Principal Deane released a discussion paper, Queen’s Bicentennial Vision, in an email to all members of the university community.  Readers who attended the December Senate meeting, where the Principal faced pressure to reveal the administration’s plans, will … Continue reading Queen’s Bicentennial Vision: From Liberal Arts University to Technical School