Dear Colleagues,
Please note the following:
1. General Membership Meeting (reminder) Tuesday April 11th starting at 2:00 pm
This year’s Spring General Membership Meeting (GMM) will be held in a hybrid format. For those joining us remotely, the Zoom link has been sent by email to TUFA members. Please contact the TUFA office if you did not receive the link. The in-person meeting will be held at the Event Space (Room 1.07) in the Student Centre on Symons Campus (host bar). We will begin at 2:00 pm on and is scheduled for two hours with an opportunity to socialize after.
The Agenda was circulated previously and other documents will be emailed to members over the long weekend. Alternative formats for TUFA documents are available on request. Per the Association’s “Policy on Payment for Care of Dependents,” individual members anticipating any such expenses related to participation in the GMM should contact the TUFA office to arrange for reimbursement.
2. Durham Social Tuesday April 25th (4:00 pm to 5:30 pm).
We had thought to hold an event on the 13th, but that proved unworkable and so, in consultation with our Member-at-Large (Durham) we hit on the 25th – thanks Alba! Durham-based members and anyone wanting to join them are invited to a TUFA social in the Atrium of the Trent-Durham campus for catered snacks and a host bar.
3. TUFA’s New Collective Agreement has been posted to our website
Updated Salary Scales for each year of the Agreement have been posted to the page as well.
4. Call for 2023/24 Equity Committee
TUFA’s Executive invites members to consider joining the Association’s internal equity subcommittee. Our goal is to recruit a diverse committee, drawing from different parts of the Trent campuses. Appointments are for one year with the option of renewal. Members from equity-seeking/equity-deserving groups are encouraged to participate. The Equity Committee’s Terms of Reference are posted on the website and questions or expressions of interest should be sent to the Executive Director.
5. Solidarity support – UPEI-FA
Our colleagues in the UPEI Faculty Association have been on strike since March 20 with no sign of movement from the UPEI Board of Governors. Consistent with TUFA’s Solidarity Policy, the Executive Committee has passed a motion to increase our support to the UPEI-FA from the $1,000 already sent to $5,000. We will also send a collective statement of support/solidarity on behalf of the whole membership. Meantime, individual TUFA members are urged to send messages of their own to friends and colleagues at UPEI
These are the primary demands for which UPEI-FA is striking:
• A minimum number of faculty to keep class sizes reasonable and ensure students can get the courses they need to graduate,
• Reasonable workloads so faculty can focus on student success instead of just surviving the school year,
• Additional supports for researchers so they can provide the learning experiences our students need, and contribute to scholarship at a local, national, and international level,
• Pay equity and job security for sessional instructors so our students can be sure that their professors are focused on them, not on figuring out how to put food on their table,
• Office, classroom, and lab spaces are maintained in good repair so we can teach and learn without worrying about leaky roofs, dirty classrooms, or adequate ventilation.
More details and the latest updates on the strike from the UPEI-FA can be found here.
In Solidarity,
Moira and Marcus
—
Dr. Moira Howes
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy
President, Trent University Faculty Association
Dr. Marcus Harvey
Executive Director, Trent University Faculty Association