NEWSLETTER
December 2002
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Gathering
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The Faculty Club, Club Room
Informal gathering for USFA women focusing on Pay and Employment Equity, including information on what is pay equity and what is employment equity. CWI will be asking attendees: 'What would these mean in your area?' Please RSVP to the USFA office (5610) by Friday, January 24, 2003.
Special General Meeting
Thursday, January 16, 2003
12:30 p.m.
Health Sciences B6
Meeting for consideration of and ratification vote on the proposed Article 35.
Holiday Office Hours
The USFA office will be closed December 24, 2002 to January 5, 2003. Regular office hours will recommence on Monday, January 6, 2003.
CHAIR'S REPORT
The Executive and staff of the Faculty Association have been very busy in a variety of activities this fall. As you know we had two vacancies on the Executive. One because no one ran in that position in last spring's election and the other because of a resignation. To fill those vacancies the Executive appointed Jim Cheesman and Isobel Findlay to Executive. Thank you to each of them for agreeing to act. I want to thank all of our members who indicated an interest in serving on the executive committee. Please do not give up your interest in being on the Executive.
We currently have three full-time staff members in the Association office: Carol McGibney, Ardyss Johnston, and Johanne Brassard. We must salute them for the efficient, hard work that they perform on our behalf. I must add that their workload is very high, partly because of the level of activity that we are maintaining but also because we have consciously given them more responsibility. We expect this trend will continue in light of the demographics of our membership. Approximately one-third of our present membership will reach the mandatory retirement age within the next five years. While we will continue our efforts at member development in order to find new member volunteers, we also appreciate that a great deal of experience and knowledge will leave with our retiring members. It is entirely likely that the Association will have to increase its staffing level over the next few years in order to maintain the high level of service to our members.
In recent months, the Executive has become concerned about the state of our relations with the University administration. We devoted part of one of our Executive meetings to this topic. Very quickly, we were able to pinpoint at least 13-14 different contexts in which the relationship was not working as well as it might. Therefore, we sought and obtained a meeting with the President, Peter MacKinnon, to discuss this. Our meeting was a cordial one, with a wide range of topics discussed. We stated our view that a reasonable working relationship is a necessity, even though the two parties will frequently have different perspectives on certain issues. President MacKinnon agreed with that assessment. We also referred to the various contexts in which there appeared to be problems. Finally, we addressed certain other issues such as stress, workload, and morale problems among faculty, some of which is reflected in peer vs. peer disputes in some academic units, the integrated planning process, equity, and the importance of post-secondary education as a public good. We followed up this meeting with a letter requesting a meeting with the President each term and offering to participate with the University in promoting the importance of post-secondary education.
We have also begun the practice of monthly meetings between the Vice-President Academic and Associate Vice-President Academic and the USFA Chair and Vice-Chair. This is an opportunity for us to discuss matters of common interest and concern. We are hopeful that some of the blockages occurring at, for example, the Joint Committee for the Management of the Agreement will begin to alleviate as we pursue these efforts.
For some time, the membership has been telling us about workload, stress, and morale concerns. Much of the difficulty is related to the loss of approximately 120 faculty positions over the last decade but much is also related to the dramatic increase in administrative assignments, many of which are imposed from the central administration. Such ventures as the various planning exercises of recent years, Systemic Program Review, and, now, the Integrated Planning Process result in a heavy workload for, in particular, department heads but also for regular members.
Thank you to everyone that came out to our recent visits to academic units. We wanted to learn from you what issues concern you and in particular we wanted to know if, how and in what ways you workload has increased and what your faculty complement situation is. You will find a summary our findings on page 3 of this newsletter.
The process contained in The Provost's White Paper on Integrated Planning is causing a number of concerns for faculty. As a result, we have developed a strategy on Integrated Planning, which includes a series of informational bulletins on its various aspects. We contemplate a public meeting or meetings to discuss the issues that surface and we also expect to engage in discussions with other staff on campus, students, University Council, and administrators about these concerns. Ultimately, we hope to generate alternatives to the White Paper approach. Thus far, it seems clear to us that most people agree with the need for fair and transparent planning but the White Paper approach is not the appropriate one.
To assist us in these ventures and to provide research support for the negotiating team, we have hired various people on short-term contracts. Some of this work involves analyzing the University's fiscal and personnel situation, researching and writing some of our bulletins on Integrated Planning and workload/faculty complement, as well as developing and administering a survey of department heads on workload, faculty complement, and Integrated Planning issues.
I have reported in the past that the Executive is very committed to pursuing both pay equity and employment equity at this University. Up until now our efforts, centred on the memoranda of agreement on these issues at the back of the collective agreement, have not achieved the success we would have liked. We are taking these matters to the bargaining table in an effort to put new language in the agreement and to more quickly make gains in these areas. I want to particularly acknowledge the interest, advice, and support of the Committee on Women's Issues, which has shown an especially keen interest in pay equity.
Pension reform has been proceeding for several years. The Academic Pension Plan has now been officially divided into the new Defined Benefit Plan and the new Money Purchase Plan. Committees have been established to oversee each plan. Governance documents are being prepared at the moment and we expect that more information will be provided to you in the near future.
As you will know from our communications to you, the Association won its tax case with Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA). This means that parking is not a taxable benefit. Through the Joint Parking Committee, we are following up the court case in an effort to apply it in an ongoing way and to determine what costs were charged to members as a result of the previous CCRA ruling. We will report on these efforts as they are resolved. Similarly, we will report on any changes to parking, including scramble parking, which will only be implemented if there are advantages to our members and if disadvantages can be overcome.
We monitor and improve fringe benefits through the Joint Benefits Committee. In addition to changing carriers for the Voluntary Group Life Insurance plan, we are about to re-negotiate the Long Term Disability Plan. We have experienced a number of difficulties in the administration and interpretation of the plan and we have also discovered that, in the past, several changes were made to the Plan without required negotiations with the USFA.
I have previously reported on without term negotiations, which arise as a result of our success in an application to the Labour Relations Board. These negotiations have continued for some time but I am pleased to say that we appear to be close to reaching an agreement. The major stumbling block has been job security for these faculty members, who, up until now, have been subject to termination on three months notice.
It is common for unions to support their brothers and sisters in other unions when they are engaged in job action. We have provided letters of support to several faculty associations and support staff at universities across the country. Locally, we have provided letters of support and financial assistance to both the Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan (HSAS) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local representing library workers at the Saskatoon Public Library.
In closing, on behalf of the Faculty Association, I wish you and your families the very best of the season.
Tim Quigley, Chair, USFA
INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS
Over the summer, the Faculty Association hired a student to collect and compile data with respect to faculty complement. Graphs were prepared as a visual representation of the information collected.
A package of graphs has been created for each of the following units: the University of Saskatchewan as a whole, the Colleges of Agriculture, Arts and Science, Commerce, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Kinesiology, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Nutrition, Veterinary Medicine and the Library. All graph packages, with the exception of the Library, contain 6 basic graphs: Permanent and Non-Permanent Faculty FTE numbers, comparison of Permanent Faculty and Support Staff FTE numbers, comparison of Enrolment and the Student/Faculty Ratio, three graphs that are a breakdown of the numbers making up Permanent Faculty, Non-Permanent Faculty and Support Staff. The graphs for the University as a whole include graphs for comparison of support staff for instructional and non-instructional units. There are 3 graphs relating to the Library one that is a breakdown of the Total Library Staff and two that compare Permanent Faculty and Support Staff and Total Library Staff and a Student/Library Staff ratio.
If you are interested in receiving any of these graph packages, contact the Faculty Association office.
VISITS TO ACADEMIC UNITS
As you know, the Executive and members of our negotiating team have been meeting with faculty in the various academic units for the past several weeks. We completed the visits on December 13 and as promised here is a brief summary of what we learned.
There are common issues in all of our academic units:
Morale among faculty is low with workload and stress as contributing causes;
Many faculty are uncertain whether the University is still pursuing the teacher-scholar model or whether the drive to be research-intensive has superseded the balance between teaching and research;
At the same time that research is accentuated, administrative tasks, particularly those, such as integrated planning, that are centrally-mandated greatly increase the workload and prevent more time and energy from being directed towards research. The administrative workload is especially acute with department heads;
There is general agreement about the need for planning but the current integrated planning process is seen as being too rigid and centralized and lacking in transparency and accountability;
The loss of approximately 120 faculty and many support staff over the last decade has added to the workload pressures;
Basic research has suffered as the trend towards applied and targeted research has increased;
The humanities and social sciences, where most faculty and students are located, are suffering from a lack of resources.
Collective bargaining has been of interest in these meetings. Among the issues raised have been: tuition scholarships for dependents, salary, workload and faculty complement, pay and employment equity, faculty recruiting and retention, and the reduced appointment plan.
In addition to common concerns, we have heard more specific concerns in some units:
In the College of Nursing, pay equity is a major concern because of the historically lower placement on the salary grid that has occurred in that College. As a result, past pension contributions were lower than they should have been;
In the Library, changes to article 18 to make librarians much more like other faculty are desired;
In the College of Arts and Science, there is a strong feeling that the many planning exercises over the years have been to the detriment of the humanities and social sciences;
In the College of Agriculture, responding to declining enrolment, internationalization, and Aboriginal issues has increased workload for faculty members;
In the College of Dentistry, the ongoing uncertainty about whether the College will continue to exist, whether there will be amalgamation of the health sciences, the proposals for consolidating basic sciences in one unit, the abolition of departments, and very high tuition levels are matters of concern;
In the College of Medicine, there is also great uncertainty about the future of the College, including the possible consolidation of basic sciences and the formation of research units. As well, a shortage of support staff and library resources is of concern.
In the College of Commerce, market pressures and a lack of PhD graduates available to fill the number of vacant positions in the country are raising the level of concern with respect to recruiting new faculty. There was considerable discussion about the drawbacks to market supplements as opposed to other measures.
In Kinesiology and Education, devaluing of teaching is becoming more evident and the end result of the huge effort that goes into planning processes to justify existence isn't easily identifiable.
In Computer Science and Engineering, it was noted that instructional budgets over time have decreased and basics such as ergonomic chairs must be purchased by faculty. The recruiting and retention crunch here as well gave rise to a discussion respecting market supplements.
In the College of Veterinary Medicine, professional licensing that is a requirement of appointment is paid by some faculty members from expense accounts and the hiring freeze on faculty means that approval is being sought to hire people into other than faculty positions.
In Pharmacy and Nutrition and in the sciences in Arts and Science, it was suggested that Deans not Department Heads should be writing letters to external referees and be in charge of the collection of information for tenure and promotion. It was also expressed that budgetary allocation may be preventing proper placement of staff and that the library is in dire need of proper resources.
Settlement in Olivieri Case Hailed as
Victory for Academic Freedom
(Ottawa - November 13, 2002) The Canadian Association of University Teachers is calling the settlement in the dispute involving Dr. Nancy Olivieri, the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children a victory for academic freedom and scientific integrity.
"We see the settlement as vindication of Dr. Olivieri and her colleagues and a step forward for the University of Toronto and the Hospital for Sick Children," said CAUT executive director James Turk.
"This is one of the most important cases CAUT has supported in our 50 year history. We have played a very active role because researchers must have the right to publish their findings, patients and the public must have the right to be informed, and scholars and academics must have academic freedom to pursue truth and knowledge."
The case of University of Toronto clinician Dr. Nancy Olivieri has been the focus of international attention since Apotex, corporate sponsor of her clinical drug trials of its drug, attempted to suppress her findings of unexpected risks. The company abruptly terminated the trials and issued warnings of legal action against Dr. Olivieri should she inform her patients at the Hospital for Sick Children of the risks or publish her findings. An independent committee of inquiry into the matter concluded that neither the University nor the Hospital offered her appropriate support in her conflict with Apotex.
"I'm extremely pleased with the settlement we've reached," said Dr. Olivieri. "It's an important day not just for me and my colleagues, but for clinical faculty across Canada. It's taken seven long years, but we've reached a deal that sends a very clear message that our academic freedom and scientific integrity cannot be compromised."
Specific terms of the settlement are being kept confidential.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers is the national voice of 30,000 academic staff working in universities and colleges across the country and is committed to improving the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education.
Source: http://www.caut.ca/english/publications/news_releases/20021113olivieri.asp
THE GATHERING
On September 23rd, the Committee on Women's Issues held The Gathering. It was an informal reception for female members of USFA and an opportunity for CWI to gather input on bargaining issues and ideas for possible projects. It was also a way to raise awareness and cultivate participation in the committee. The Gathering was also a chance for female members of USFA to gather in a social atmosphere to meet each other outside of their respective academic units.
Those attending heard about the USFA, a little on what CWI is and some of its past and present work. There was also a presentation by Glenis Joyce that provided everyone with excellent information on pay and employment equity and its history at the U of S. Speakers were followed by a discussion in which participants commented on equity, peer versus peer harassment and how harassment complaints are handled on campus, and the need to address work/family issues particularly in regards to sabbaticals and promotion. Of note was that participants agreed that morale amongst female and male faculty on campus is very low and there seems to be a general apathy towards issues such as employment equity. When asked whether employment equity is working on campus the response was "No". Units are getting discouraged by what is not happening across campus. The University has an opportunity to do something and is sitting idle. There is no power available to equity committees.
Here are some of the suggestions made by participants:
Have another gathering of women in USFA. Those in attendance all felt strongly that The Gathering was a very good event and that CWI should have other similar opportunities for female USFA members to get together.
Where are we? CWI should review the recommendations made by the President's Advisory Committee on the Status of Women and see which, if any, recommendations have been implemented.
Push for review of the Harassment Office. Participants made comments that there is a feeling that the Discrimination and Harassment office is ineffective.
Work and Family The USFA needs to give serious consideration to current practices and the collective agreement should be reviewed with respect to possible revisions to address work and family issues particularly regarding sabbatical leaves and promotion.
Challenge The White Paper. How can CWI fit into what the USFA Executive may be working on? Are there ways that CWI can review the White Paper and develop a strategy that would complement what is being done.
Incorporate equity into integrated planning. How can units be encouraged to include equity issues in the integrated planning processes? This is a matter that needs to be properly addressed in integrated planning and strategic initiatives.
Bargaining. Let the USFA bargaining team know that pay and employment equity should be in the body of the agreement and that there needs to be strength in the language that addresses these issues.
CWI will be hosting another Gathering for USFA women on Wednesday, January 29, 2003. It too will be held in the Club Room at the Faculty Club starting at 2:30 p.m. The focus of this Gathering will be on Pay and Employment Equity, including information on what is pay equity and what is employment equity. CWI will be asking attendees: 'What would these mean in your area?'
The Committee on Women's Issues would like to thank everyone that attended our fall Gathering and also the USFA Executive for their support of the work undertaken by the committee.