TUFA is hosting an evening with David Newhouse on Wednesday March 11th (7:00 to 9:00 pm). The event will be open to the public, with most attendees expected to be faculty and academic administrators. David will give a version of his “Extending Our Rafters: A Progress Report” remarks and reflect on the trajectory of  Trent and other Canadian universities over the course of his career.

Canadian universities have responded to the 2015 TRC report. This presentation describes and analyzes these actions and provides comments, observations and prognostications for the next step.

Length: 30-35 minutes with time for questions and discussion

Date: Wednesday, March 11th at 7 p.m.

Location: Champlain College Council Chambers CC M2

Please let us know if you are able to attend.

Advocacy

Provincial Funding Announcement – Initial Update

The Province has announced new postsecondary funding, with further details to be refined with the employer in the coming weeks. Based on preliminary estimates, the 2% tuition increase and 6% base funding adjustment could represent approximately $7.5–$8 million for Trent, including targeted nursing funding. Additional changes to the funding formula and potential new funded seats may further increase that amount.

While this new investment is welcome, it does not eliminate Trent’s significant deficit. As more details become available, TUFA’s position remains clear: new provincial funding should be used to protect instruction and academic programming, with administrative operations appropriately right-sized rather than implementing across-the-board cuts.

In response to these developments, TUFA has been engaged in inter-union, cross-campus meetings to coordinate advocacy and share information. Working collaboratively with other campus unions, we are strengthening a unified approach to protecting academic integrity, supporting members, and ensuring that new funding is allocated in ways that prioritize teaching and learning.

Coldest Night of the Year

TUFA’s Trudgers and other members of Trent’s union community (pictured below) participated in the 2026 Coldest Night of the Year walk on February 28. The annual Coldest Night of the Year brings communities together across Canada to raise funds and awareness for organizations supporting people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness.

TUFA members joined fellow labour and community participants in braving the cold to show solidarity and help raise funds for vital local supports. Events like this are a reminder of the important role unions play not only on campus, but in the broader community. Thank you to everyone who walked, donated, and cheered participants on.

Photo credit: Peterborough & District Labour Council

Trent

President’s Task Force on Indigenous Strategy – Share Your Input

The President’s Task Force on Indigenous Strategy is seeking community input to help shape Trent University’s 10-year strategy in Indigenous education. This strategy will guide the University’s commitments to truth, reconciliation, and Indigenous-led learning across campuses and in partnership with Indigenous communities.

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to complete a short survey by March 9, 2026. Your input will help inform the Task Force’s recommendations and ensure the strategy reflects the voices of the Trent community.

Questions or additional feedback can be directed to [email protected].

Our Members in the News

TUFA Faculty Publication: Dr. Nadiya N. Ali on AI, Racism and Disinformation

Dr. Nadiya N. Ali, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Trent University, has published a timely new article in The Conversation exploring how AI-generated disinformation is reviving racist stereotypes and revealing the limits of fact-checking in the digital age. In “How AI resurrects racist stereotypes and disinformation and why fact-checking isn’t enough,” Dr. Ali examines recent examples of AI-enabled digital blackface and situates them within longer histories of anti-Black racism and misogynoir. Her work underscores the urgent need for critical engagement with the social and political consequences of artificial intelligence. Click here to read more.

CAUT

CAUT Bulletin – January/February 2026 (Vol. 73, No. 1)

The latest issue of the CAUT Bulletin focuses heavily on the growing impact of artificial intelligence in post-secondary education, academic freedom, and union responses in a shifting political climate.

Highlights include:

• Delivering guardrails in the era of AI: Hannah Johnston examines the role of academic staff unions as generative AI reshapes teaching and assessment.
  
• Make attacks on rights costly again: A President’s Message on the increasing use of the notwithstanding clause and threats to Charter protections.
  
• The ascendence of anti-science: A reflection on historical and contemporary attacks on scientific integrity.
  
• AI and the arms race in teaching and learning: A commentary on emerging Autonomous AI tools and their implications for academic integrity.
  
• Growing public support for post-secondary funding: New survey data showing increased support for public funding of colleges and universities.
  
• News updates on:
  
  • Charter challenge by the Laurentian University Faculty Association
  • Quebec unions mobilizing against Bill 3
  • Federal funding to support francophone research
    
• Interview with a geospatial data librarian at Queen’s University

Member Updates

Share Your News & Events

While not officially endorsed by TUFA, this section is here to help share your events, updates, and initiatives with fellow members. Have something coming up? Hosting a survey? Want to spread the word? Send the details to [email protected] to be included in an upcoming newsletter.