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
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
A Contentious Senate Meeting
A contentious Senate meeting on Thursday, March 27, left many members of the Queen’s community reeling. Originally scheduled as a hybrid session, the meeting was moved online at the last minute. In response to a query by a faculty member, the administration said they chose to make this change because they had learned of a … Continue reading A Contentious Senate Meeting
Fair Deal Now! Letters to the Administration, Vol. 2
QCAA continues to receive letters from undergraduate students urging the Principal, the Provost, and the Board of Trustees to return to the table and negotiate a fair deal for PSAC 901 workers. You can read some of those letters below, and find a summary in the word cloud. As of this morning, more than 650 … Continue reading Fair Deal Now! Letters to the Administration, Vol. 2
Fair Deal Now! A Repository of Letters to the Queen’s Administration
QCAA has learned that department heads are being copied on numerous letters sent by undergraduate students to the Principal, the Provost, and the Board of Trustees urging them to return to the table and negotiate a fair deal for PSAC 901 workers. Please encourage students, as well as their parents, Queen’s alumni, faculty and staff … Continue reading Fair Deal Now! A Repository of Letters to the Queen’s Administration
Why and How to Support the PSAC Strike: A Guide for Faculty
WHY SUPPORT THE STRIKE Without graduate student labour, the university cannot function. Over 40 courses in FAS alone this semester are being taught by graduate students. These courses, and hundreds of labs and tutorials, are now on hold. Midterms are being cancelled, papers are being left ungraded, and students in practicums and accredited programs are … Continue reading Why and How to Support the PSAC Strike: A Guide for Faculty
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)
Keeping It Real: Fact-checking the Provost
On March 5th, the Provost sent a memorandum for “continuity planning” in the case of a USW and/or PSAC strike or lockout. As most people may now know, USW reached a tentative agreement in the early hours of Sunday. As we are posting this, late Sunday evening, we still do not know the outcome of … Continue reading Keeping It Real: Fact-checking the Provost
Newsletter #20 (01/31/25)
It’s been a while. Let’s just get into it! 1. Solidarity with CUPE members! Hundreds of people attended a rally outside Richardson Hall yesterday in a show of support for CUPE members, who will be in a legal strike position on Monday. Great to see Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario, here to support Queen’s … Continue reading Newsletter #20 (01/31/25)
Introducing the Austerity Gossip Box
The failure of the Principal, the Provost, and other members of the upper administration to inform and consult with faculty, staff, and students has made the rumour mill one of the more reliable sources of information about the rollout and impact of austerity measures here at Queen’s. Scholars have long understood gossip as a practice … Continue reading Introducing the Austerity Gossip Box
