President’s Message
Dear Members,
I’ve been reflecting on the different perspectives of TUFA members a good deal this year, as well as the importance of hearing these perspectives. Our bargaining consultations were very thorough across the membership and resulted in many positive gains. We have also heard member perspectives through research reports, emails, phone calls, zoom chats, and a wide variety of informal and formal meetings.
Another way that we have been supporting members to share their perspectives this year is through Senate. To this end, I arranged several pre-Senate caucus meetings this term to provide a space for Senators to share their views and determine speaking points and questions for Senate meetings. While the pre-Senate caucus meetings are not TUFA meetings—they are Senatorial in nature—they are important to our members. They support Senate engagement that strengthens academics and emphasizes the academic impacts of budgetary and other decisions at Trent. Active participation also strengthens the bicameral system of governance and the academic freedom that enables our work. I’m pleased to report, then, that the pre-Senate caucus is going strong and achieving results. Our members’ contributions at Senate are generating deeper discussions and the administration is hearing our concerns. Senators are also helping to mitigate the damage caused by provincial underfunding and set the stage for future advocacy and academic governance. So, I encourage Senators to continue meeting next fall. Our 30-minute zooms ahead of Senate have been both convenient for busy Senators and effective for strengthening academics at Trent.
To all of you who participated in charting TUFA’s direction this academic year—whether through attending meetings, debating, discussing, emailing, reading TUFA communications, commenting, researching the university budget, and/or negotiating—you made positive change happen. This is powerful work, and something to look forward to doing more of through the remainder of this academic year, and into 2026-2027.
So, please continue to share your perspectives, advocacy, and ideas for engaging as a membership: this helps TUFA understand its many-sidedness and develop its goals accordingly. Your voices and advocacy make all the difference.
In gratitude,
Moira
Advocacy
Advocacy Update: Federal and Provincial Context, and TUFA’s Ongoing Work
Advocacy remains a central part of the work of TUFA and of our national and provincial affiliates, particularly in a period of financial uncertainty and policy change across the post-secondary education sector. This semester, TUFA’s external advocacy took place within a broader landscape shaped by federal policy changes and the provincial budget.
At the federal level, lobbying had some positive results and the Government of Canada announced an extension of the temporary increase to student financial aid for the 2026–27 academic year. This includes maintaining the 40% increase to non-repayable Canada Student Grants and raising the weekly loan limit from $210 to $300. These measures, delivered through the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program, will go some of the way to mitigating the changes being wrought on the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
This extension provides some relief for students, but is still being framed as a temporary measure and does not address longer-term structural problems with post-secondary funding. TUFA was among the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) member associations that lobbied local MPs to revisit the Canada Student Grants program and we will continue to press for more generous support for students..
Provincially, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) and its members — TUFA included — lobbied aggressively to have the Ontario government address the systemic underfunding of our sector. The February 12th announcement of additional funding was a start, but even with these changes, per capita student funding in Ontario will remain well below the national average and we will, in fact, continue to rank last in the country.
As troubling as the insufficiency of the new dollars, perhaps, the Province also announced changes to OSAP that will dramatically shift support from grants and toward loans. Sector analysis suggests that over time a significant portion of the costs of the newly announced post-secondary funding will be offset by reductions in grant-based student aid. In addition to raising concerns about increased student debt and barriers to access, particularly for students from lower-income backgrounds, the change to OSAP threatens to reduce domestic student enrolment and will therefore likely exacerbate Trent’s financial woes in future years.
Prior to the February 12th announcement, TUFA officers met with MPP Dave Smith to discuss Trent University’s financial situation and the impacts of federal immigration policy changes on enrolment and institutional planning. TUFA emphasized the importance of avoiding short-term responses, such as cuts to academic programs, that would undermine the University’s long-term capacity to serve the province, particularly in light of anticipated demographic growth in the coming years.
TUFA has also been involved in cross-campus coordination, working with other campus unions to share information and align advocacy strategies. In addition to signing a joint Union statement to reinforce student advocacy around OSAP, TUFA’s Executive has endorsed the “All Out for Education” rally being planned for April 29th outside MPP Dave Smith’s office (11:00 am to 2:00 pm). Members interested in attending the rally should contact Kodie Trahan-Guay, TUFA’s Communications and Member Engagement Officer.
Community
Here is a video of “Extending Our Rafters: A Progress Report”, the talk given by David Newhouse on March 11th. The presentation explored the Indigenization of the Academy in the wake of the 2015 Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. As one might expect, David’s does not centre his own – quite significant — contributions to this process, but members interested in the larger project will find David’s assessment well worth watching.
Our Members in the News
Celebrating Excellence: TUFA Members Recognized for Teaching and Research Achievement
Trent University is celebrating outstanding teaching and research across disciplines, with several award recipients also contributing to the university community through their involvement with the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA).
This year’s honourees include: Nour Hammami (Child & Youth Studies) and Andrew Loeb (English), recognized for their engaging, student-centred teaching approaches, alongside Distinguished Research Award recipient, P. Whitney Lackenbauer (School for the Study of Canada), and Early Career Researcher Award winners, Kira Borden (Trent School of the Environment) and Josh Synenko (Cultural Studies). Stephanie Rutherford (Trent School of the Environment), a member of the TUFA Bargaining Team, was also recognized for faculty leadership in community-based research that connects academic work with real-world impact.
Together, these recipients reflect the strength of Trent’s academic community and the important role TUFA members play in advancing teaching excellence, research innovation, and student success.