President’s Message
Greetings TUFA Members,
Trent’s budget situation remains foremost in TUFA’s advocacy efforts this February. In this message, I’ll offer a brief overview of my request to the Board of Governors at their meeting on February 6, advocacy at the upcoming Senate, and recent changes to university funding in Ontario.
At the Board of Governors meeting, I urged the Board to approve a deficit budget for the 2026–2027 academic year to mitigate proposed cuts of eight to twelve percent to the instructional budget. Although the administration has indicated that cuts will be assessed and not made across the board, cuts on this scale in any academic departments could significantly affect the quality of education across the institution. I outlined many adverse outcomes for students that will result from such cuts, and emphasized that students in Ontario need high-quality education and solid support to meet the challenges ahead. I argued that a deficit budget is a responsible, strategic choice given the evolving funding landscape and the difficulty of reversing damage from deep cuts.
With thanks to Professor Paul Shaffer, the TUFA budget subcommittee, and other number-crunching faculty (thank you all!), I was also able to relay CAUBO data showing that Trent’s instructional spending as a proportion of its budget is near the bottom in Ontario, while administrative spending is above average relative to other Ontarian and Canadian universities. I emphasized that we have the third-worst faculty-student ratio in the province (second worst within our direct comparators) and explained what this means for educational quality at Trent. I also noted that humanities, Indigenous studies, and social science programs—central to Trent’s identity and interdisciplinary competitive advantage—risk bearing a disproportionate share of cuts due to the absence of provincial funding comparable to STEM support. I emphasized that there is no room for further cuts to the instructional budget and that we must direct any new provincial funding toward instruction.
Budget advocacy will continue at the next Senate meeting on Tuesday, February 24. I have arranged a pre-senate zoom for senators to organize our advocacy and I will be there as TUFA’s Official Visitor to Senate. Our aim at these meetings is to guide, strengthen, and sustain academics using the levers of the bicameral governance system.
Many of you will have now seen news about the provincial government’s recently announced increases in higher education funding in Ontario.
Although the changes provide some modest (very modest?) relief, I remain very concerned about provincial funding for two main reasons:
- The provincial funding increase does not come remotely close to helping Ontario universities reach the average expenditure per student in Canada. (And the average Canadian expenditure is not very good.)
- tuition increases and changes to the grant-to-loan ratio will further burden students financially
To see the heartening scale of funding advocacy, here is a link to the most recent statement about changes in provincial funding signed by the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) representing 435,000 public post-secondary faculty, staff, and students.
Advocacy
Meeting with MPP Dave Smith
Representatives of TUFA had a productive meeting with MPP Dave Smith last month to discuss Trent’s financial situation and the significant, unforeseen impact on the Post-Secondary Education sector of recent federal immigration policy changes. While Trent is managing these challenges better than many institutions, the scale of the impact was not anticipated in provincial budgeting and is creating real strain.
The TUFA representatives emphasized that it does not make sense for Trent to respond to a short-term policy shock by making cuts that permanently reduce instructional capacity. With a demographic uptick expected in the coming years, Ontario will require more university spaces, not fewer. Reducing capacity now would make Trent less able to meet the province’s future needs and undermine its ability to provide the full range of educational and social benefits universities offer, including sufficient spaces, housing demand, and local economic activity that benefit the province in the long run.
This conversation forms part of TUFA’s broader efforts to address the current financial crisis through advocacy and government relations, including making the case that funding and policy decisions should align with the province’s stated goals for postsecondary education.
Equity Committee
Learning, Naming, and Stopping Microaggressions
Online workshop for TUFA faculty
The TUFA Equity Committee, in conjunction with EHRO, invites faculty to an online workshop facilitated by May Lui on Friday, February 27, 2026, from 1:30–3:00 p.m.
This workshop will explore what racial microaggressions are, how they operate within university settings, and how individuals and institutions can identify, name, confront, and stop them. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of racial power and privilege from a systemic and institutional perspective, along with practical strategies that can be applied in everyday academic contexts.
Zoom link: https://trentu.zoom.us/j/98073106152?pwd=m9EfoBLaosT8VpvRa3y0uvaE9aQH7p.1
UPP
UPP Receives B+ in 2025 Canadian Pension Climate Report Card
The University Pension Plan (UPP), which serves TUFA members, has received an overall B+ in the 2025 Canadian Pension Climate Report Card released by Shift: Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health.
The annual report evaluates how major Canadian pension funds are managing climate-related financial risk, including exposure to fossil fuel investments, stewardship and engagement practices, and progress toward net-zero commitments.
Interested members can attend a free webinar to discuss the findings of the 2025 report:
Widening Divide: Canadian Pensions at a Crossroads on Climate Leadership
📅 February 26, 2026
⏰ 12:00–1:00 p.m. (ET)
The session will review the report’s key findings, compare pension funds’ approaches to climate risk, and explore implications for long-term retirement security. Click here to register.
CAUT
Fair Dealing Week | February 23–27, 2026
CAUT is marking Fair Dealing Week from February 23–27, 2026. Fair dealing is a key user right under the Copyright Act that supports teaching, learning, research, and access to knowledge in post-secondary education.
As part of the week, CAUT is hosting a virtual keynote by David Vaver, copyright expert and Professor Emeritus at Osgoode Hall Law School, titled User Rights Then and Now.
- Wednesday, February 25, 2026
- 4:00–5:00 p.m. (ET)
TUFA members are encouraged to attend. To participate please register by clicking here.
Survey on Academic Freedom in Canadian Postsecondary Education
Academic staff across Canada are invited to participate in a national Survey on Academic Freedom led by the France-Quebec Chair on Contemporary Issues in Freedom of Expression (COLIBEX).
The survey is open to professors, lecturers, and other academic staff working in Canadian postsecondary institutions and includes a dedicated section for colleagues who serve as academic staff association representatives.
TUFA encourages members to complete the survey and to share it with colleagues. CAUT has previously collaborated with COLIBEX, and the findings will help inform ongoing work on academic freedom in the postsecondary sector.
Participate by clicking here.
Deadline to participate: April 1, 2026
Community Events
Peterborough Performs VI – Thursday, Feb. 26 (7–11 PM)
Get ready for a night of great music with a purpose! Peterborough Performs VI: Musicians United to End Homelessness returns Thursday, February 26 from 7-11 PM at the Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough. This annual benefit concert brings together talented local artists to raise awareness and funds for homelessness supports through United Way Peterborough & District.
The 2026 lineup features 14 fantastic performers, including Jacques Graveline, Georgia Rose, The Weber Brothers Band, Sarah Jayne Riley, The Peterborough All-Star Band (with Rick & Gailie Young), Caitlin O’Connor & The Detention Club, and more.
Tickets are available by clicking here.
TUFA Takes on the Coldest Night of the Year
Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) is happening on Saturday, February 28, 2026. CNOY is a 2 km or 5 km winter walk that raises funds for local charities supporting people experiencing homelessness, hunger, and hurt.
Peterborough’s Labour community is a strong supporter of the event and TUFA accepted a fundraising challenge from OPSEU 351 at Fleming College. You can support the come-from-behind TUFA Trudgers by making a donation here or, better yet, strap on your hiking boots and join the Trudgers on this walk for the community! Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.