YORK
Allegations of Academic Fraud Revisited: Released Documents Fuel Doubts About Shoukri's Spin
David Noble
Documents just disclosed under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act show that the false description of newly-appointed FLAPS Dean Martin Singer as a "renowned scholar” originated in President Shoukri’s own office, which had closely overseen the decanel search process.
Precipitous Settlement ???
Marcia Macaulay
What members should fear in the case of a precipitous settlement is a trading off of the bargaining positions ratified by the membership during the last General Membership meeting. Advances in workload could in fact be clawed back, leaving York as a university without the benchmark of 2+2 which is in keeping with other universities in Canada. And although the Executive's language on carriage rights was withdrawn from the bargaining proposals, this language could return, to the detriment of the members.
Appendix T (formerly U) -YUFA'S President Proposes Faculty Salary Freeze
Richard Wellen
YUFA has been very ‘cooperative’ in the last decade of negotiations. In consequence, we have won very few improvements in pay and working conditions over those years. In the meantime, we have seen faculty unions at Carleton, Brock and Wilfred Laurier win teaching load reductions that have been refused by our own employer. Now is not the time to fall further behind and make our own members pay the price for the misguided policies of both the employer and the government.
Appendix T -Another Perspective
The author prefers to remain anonymous
Appendix T, a primary negotiating position proposed by YUFA Executive, should be of grave concern to YUFA members. They need to be informed about it. Appendix T (formerly U) in effect suggests that all YUFA members (irrespective of salary) forego a 4% salary increase in the first year of the new contract. Appendix T can only be defeated if people come out and vote against it.
No More Publish or Perish Confirmed
David Noble
FLAPS Dean has been appointed a Full Professor in the Department of History.
York Administration Intensifies e-Mail Surveillance
Hello,
Google Inc. has received notice of application for an order to disclose information related to your Gmail account yfcfyu@gmail.com in a case entitled York University v. John Doe.
Report on YUFA Executive Meeting of Dec. 8 2008
The YUFA Democracy Caucus
These minutes were initially withheld as a gesture of good will -to see if the presence of witnesses would lead to greater openness, transparency, and accountability in the transactions of YUFA Executive. The minutes are now being posted.
Start a Letter Campaign to the Premier!
Jody Berland
As faculty members we care for the quality of education we are able to offer our students. Write to the Premier, and cc. your letter to your MPP and to OCUFA.
Sample letter:
OCUFA Report on Declining Quality of University Education
A major report released on March 23 sounds the alarm about declining quality of university education in Ontario. University faculty and librarians expressed concern over larger classes, fewer full-time faculty hires and deteriorating quality.
York's CURIE Policy Made Public
David Noble
For years York University has kept its liability insurance policy confidential, preventing faculty, staff, and students from knowing that they are covered. Thanks to the interventions of the Financial Services Commission of Ontario and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario the policy has now been made public.
No More Publish or Perish: The Silver Lining of Singer's Appointment
David Noble
York University's appointment of Martin Singer as first Dean of the new, merged Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies signals the institution's de facto abandonment of scholarly achievement as a criterion of evaluation.
Response to Shoukri's Senate Speech of Feb. 26
On behalf of the York Democratic Forum
Paul Baxter, Jody Berland, Malcolm Blincow, Ricardo Grinspun, Nick Lary, Marcia Macaulay, Arun Mukherjee, Ester Reiter, Nicola Short
In his address to Senate on 26 February –available at http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/Release.php?Release=1623 –President Shoukri delivered his first speech after provincial back-to-work legislation led to a long-delayed return to class and a chaotic end-of-term schedule for students and faculty.
Free Speech (?) Symposium at York
Stanley Jeffers
On March 17 a symposium will be held at york on free speech at universities. Please see below for details. Notably absent from the programme is any specific discussion of free speech issues at York, the unpublished CAUT report and the reasons why this report has been suppressed.
In Defense of the CUPE Conversion Program
Richard Wellen
In his Excalibur editorial of Feb. 18, Prof. Gerrard Naddaf questions the very legitimacy of conversions or SRC-type appointments demanded by CUPE 3903 during the strike. The basic thrust of his letter is that there is only one good way to make a 'real' academic appointment.
Cash-Strapped York?
Linda Briskin
Today [Feb. 25]in the Globe and Mail I was shocked to find a 62 page glossy magazine promoting York's 50th anniversary. I would imagine that the cost of this magazine would far exceed the cost of the demands that the contract faculty and graduate students had on the table during the strike. Combine this with the cost of the external anti-union lawyer to front the negotiations for three months, the branded wine, the cost of President Shoukri's mortgage...
