The Queen’s University Faculty Association has reached a tentative roll-over agreement with the university administration. If ratified, the roll-over would extend the current collective agreement for one year, until June 30, 2026. The administration wants this roll-over, claiming it sought the delay due to fatigue from a string of difficult negotiations with other campus unions … Continue reading QUFA’s Tentative Roll-Over Agreement: Concerns and Questions
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
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
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
Newsletter #14 (4/26/2024)
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)
Newsletter #10 (3/27/2024)
Not a lot has changed since last week. The provincial funding situation remains the same. There is still no coherent plan for how the work of the Faculty of Arts and Science will get done as we lose staff, adjuncts, and regular faculty. The Nous project is still wasting staff time. Students, staff, and faculty … Continue reading Newsletter #10 (3/27/2024)
Newsletter #9 (3/21/2024)
Here we are, moving into springtime, and we still do not know what the plan is to address the University’s projected deficit. Over the past three and a half months the deficit has been reduced from $62.8 million to $40.7 million. We continue to be told that the deficit is primarily the responsibility of the … Continue reading Newsletter #9 (3/21/2024)
Newsletter #7 (6/3/2024)
1. QCAA’s Week of Action Against Austerity started on Monday with an excellent teach-in on Consulting Firms, Benchmarking, and the Politics of Ratings, with a special focus on Nous. More than 100 people attended the event, which was co-sponsored by QUFA. Dr. Michael Savage, Senior Research Analyst at OCUFA and former Nous employee, warned us … Continue reading Newsletter #7 (6/3/2024)
Newsletter #6 (2/28/24)
This week in austerity and budget cut news #6 There is no shortage of material for these newsletters! We have been gathering a lot of information on austerity measures at other schools and on Nous. So far the big lessons from elsewhere are to pay attention, learn as much as you can, and build community … Continue reading Newsletter #6 (2/28/24)
Newsletter #5 (2/20/24)
This week in austerity and budget cut news #5 Thanks to everyone who has shared this newsletter with colleagues. One of the most frustrating aspects of the current employment situation at Queen’s is the uneven communication across units about what people should be expecting over the coming months. Given the inevitable anxiety many are feeling … Continue reading Newsletter #5 (2/20/24)
Queen's Coalition Against Austerity 