Advocacy

The Faculty Association advocates on behalf of its members on a wide variety of issues:

On Campus

The Faculty Association, either on our own or in cooperation with other unions, employee and student groups, advocates for faculty members’ rights and interests with the administration on a range of issues covering everything from privacy to day care to student evaluations. We do so through a variety of channels including meeting with the President, Provost, Senate & Board of Governors representatives, and other administrators. We also meet with or are represented on various university institutions and committees such as the:

  • Joint Consultation Committee (a committee established under our Collective Agreement)
  • Academic Leadership Development Program Advisory Committee
  • Pre-tenure Faculty Teaching Development Program Advisory Committee
  • President’s Advisory Committee on Naming of Facilities
  • University Health & Safety Committee
  • Senior Appointments Committee
  • Transportation Planning Advisory Committee

We also meet regularly with the AMS, GSS, and other unions on campus.

In addition to written correspondence and meeting with the University, we have a voice on campus through campus media and our own communication tools (newsletters, website, etc.).

If you have an issue you’d like us to raise with the University administration, please let us know!.

Provincially

CUFA BC (Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC) is our provincial lobbying association. CUFA-BC has played a major role in bringing an end to mandatory retirement in the province; has worked provincially for a “universities work” election campaign; and has organized students and university administrators to fight budget cuts and provincial interference in university governance. CUFA BC organizes bargaining workshops, produces provincial advisories, tracks provincial legislation and spending, and liaises with other stakeholders (students, universities, colleges) in the post-secondary public sector. CUFA BC also provides media-training and support as well as advocacy support and workshops on local campuses.

Federally

CAUT (Canadian Association of University Teachers) is our national organization, representing faculty associations across the country. CAUT provides invaluable lobbying support on the federal and international level. They also supply in-house training on collective bargaining; arbitrations and grievance-handling; health, safety, and equity; salaries and economic benefits; academic freedom; communications; and intellectual property. CAUT has an extensive data-base resource for collective bargaining and policy issues and a legal department for assistance in major cases. We are members of CAUT Council, the governing body, and have representatives on several national standing committees.