• Approved: Model Clause on Openness and Transparency. An initiative of the Collective Bargaining & Economic Benefits Committee, the model clause was derived from the CAUT policy approved in 1995. The purpose of the clause is to acknowledge the understanding of both parties to the agreement that openness and transparency are essential to encourage collegiality and academic freedom, to foster accountability and responsibility and to serve as a safeguard to fairness and due process. Associations that are or will be bargaining are encouraged to propose this clause for their collective agreements.
  
  
• Approved: Contribution of $6,230 to CHO!CES. CHO!CES is a "coalition for social justice" and annually develops an alternative federal budget. CAUT's contribution is primarily directed to the development of the post-secondary education section of the alternative budget, a section co-chaired by Errol Black of the Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations. The donation was based on 25 cents per individual member in CAUT.
  
  
• Approved: CAUT Award in Honour of Former CAUT Executive Director, Donald Savage. The Collective Bargaining & Economic Benefits Committee has established the Donald C. Savage Award to recognize individual contributions and achievements in promoting collective bargaining in Canadian universities.
  
  
• Tabled: Treasurer's Report. The audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1997 show that revenue exceeded expenses by $27,022 for 1996-97, on revenues of $3.2 million.
  

Council Resolution - Ontario's Bill 160

WHEREAS Bill 160 centralizes the control over the management of education in Ontario in the hands of the Ontario Cabinet; and

WHEREAS Bill 160 directly undermines one of the fundamental democratic rights, free collective bargaining, by removing the right of Ontario's teachers to bargain collectively significant contractual matters; and by frustrating the free collective bargaining relationship between the teachers' democratically election unions and the democratically elected school boards; and

WHEREAS Bill 160 directly threatens the quality of education in Ontario by cutting yet another $700 million from the school budgets and by eliminating up to 10,000 teaching positions; and

WHEREAS Bill 160 gives the Ontario government the power to levy more than $6 billion in property taxes without seeking the legislature's approval,

THEREFORE the Canadian Association of University Teachers calls upon the Premier of Ontario and his government to withdraw Bill 160 forthwith.

Search for Executive Director Continues

The search for a new Executive Director for CAUT continues. CAUT President Bill Bruneau reported to Council that the executive search firm of Ray & Berndtson Inc. has been retained to assist the search committee in the process. Advertisements for the position had recently been posted in the Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Citizen and La Presse. The former executive director, Donald Savage, has retired after over 25 years of service to the association. Claude Dionne of the Université de Moncton is serving as acting executive director for a one year period.

Council Astounded by Actions of Carleton U. President

Council delegates were astounded to hear that Carleton University president Richard van Loon had held a press conference on Thursday, November 20 to which no faculty were invited to announce that "some 20 to 30 academic jobs" would be lost by means of program redundancy at Carleton. Although unauthorized to do so by senate decision, van Loon then went on to name specific programs.

Mike Fox, President of the Carleton University Academic Staff Association, reported on these events to the assembly. He noted that when a university contemplates such drastic action, prudence would require several months of sober reflection and study by senate. But Carleton's administrators have other plans. They are attempting to strong-arm senate into making "academic decisions that are not driven by academic imperatives, but by financial ones."

In response to this report, Council unanimously adopted the following two resolutions. These resolutions have been forwarded to the president and chair of the board of governors of Carleton University:

1. CAUT strongly urges the president and administration of Carleton University to share all relevant information with all interested parties of the university in order to permit an open, informed and unhurried debate which will enable the university senate to make a considered decision on academic grounds about program closures, should they prove necessary.
   
2. CAUT strongly urges the senate of Carleton University to undertake an unhurried, informed, and open debate regarding program redundancy based on academic merit.
   

CAUT Defence Fund Report

Robert Rosebrugh, chairperson of the CAUT Defence Fund, reported to Council that the fund's board of trustees approved two changes to the rules of the fund at its October AGM, both of which result in an extension of the mandate of the fund.

After considering a proposal from its policy and planning committee, the trustees approved a change which will normalize the sending of strike support delegations. During recent strikes, representatives of the fund have made visits to their colleagues' picket lines (usually in the abysmal weather that seems to be a necessary part of Canadian faculty strikes). This had been done on an ad hoc basis, requiring special approval by the board of trustees each time. The effect of these visits on picket line morale was judged to be very positive and the visits were seen to be a help in providing the resolve that ends strikes.

The second change approved by the trustees now also explicitly allows the fund to help associations with the costs of strike-ending mediation.

The settlements of both of the strikes last year in Ontario (Trent and York) required the services of a mediator. Although an expensive route, especially for small associations, there was consensus that it was helpful, and indeed to have reduced the strike benefit obligations of the defence fund.

Although it preceded the inception of the new rule, an application from the Trent association for assistance with mediation costs was approved at the October meeting.

In other news, professor Rosebrugh reported that the defence fund was happy to welcome a third new association in the past 12 months. The Brock University Faculty Association is the newest member of the fund, and is continuing to negotiate a first collective agreement. Other recent additions to membership in the fund are Concordia and Queen's. There are now about 11,500 faculty and librarians in defence fund member associations from Brandon to St. John's.

Also at the AGM trustees thanked Jim Clair of UNB for four years of service as treasurer, and elected Bill Schrank of Memorial to the position.

Sarah Shorten Award Winner

Dr. Susan Jackel from the University of Alberta was presented with the 1997 Sarah Shorten Award at the November Council meeting. Dr. Jackel's efforts and accomplishments on behalf of women at the University of Alberta embody the goals and qualities sought in the recipient of the Sarah Shorten Award. Dr. Jackel has devoted a great deal of her academic life to improving the status of women at Canadian universities, most particularly at the University of Alberta. Her teaching, her research, and her tireless institutional service and networking have all focussed on issues facing women in academe. Letters of support for Dr. Jackel's nomination praise her efforts and accomplishments without reservation.

Librarians' Service Award

At the November Council meeting the 1997 Academic Librarians' Distinguished Service Award was presented to Ms. Gwendolyn Ebbett from the University of Windsor. Ms. Ebbett has an outstanding record of contributions to the advancement of the status and working conditions of academic librarians over the course of her career at Mount Allison University. She has made a difference to this quest both in the specific local context and at the regional and national levels. For over 15 years she has fought effectively for rights parallel to those of faculty, including tenure, promotion, sabbatical leaves, and salaries. The Mount Allison collective agreement is now a model for librarians across the country.