A union drive at the University of Guelph has been embraced by a majority of academic staff members. The Ontario Labour Relations Board, which tallied the votes May 16, reported that 65 per cent of people casting ballots voted to be represented by the University of Guelph Faculty Association. Voter turnout was 68 per cent of the proposed bargaining unit and included a “flying poll” conducted by a board official at Guelph’s satellite campuses in Kemptville, Ridgetown, Toronto, Simcoe and Vineland Station.

CAUT’s Academic Freedom Fund has donated $100,000 to the University of Regina Faculty Association to help the association protect academic freedom and academic staff rights at First Nations University of Canada.

Canada’s Communications Security Establishment commissioner, Antonio Lamer, has been asking tough questions recently of the agency about trespassing in Canadian communications.

CAUT has been invited to join a meeting of ministers of education from OECD countries in Athens later this month to discuss how to promote quality, equity and efficiency in higher education.

The University of Waterloo’s board of governors voted June 6 to end mandatory retirement, six months ahead of the deadline set by the Ontario government.

The spring chiefs assembly of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations has rejected the advice of its own task force on depoliticizing the governance of First Nations University of Canada, which has its main campus in Regina.

Greg Allain, professor of sociology at Université de Moncton, was elected president of CAUT at the April Council meeting. Allain succeeds Loretta Czernis, who continues as past president.

The University of Windsor Faculty Association is calling on the university’s administration to reconsider its decision to force 13 faculty members to retire this summer.

Sixteen individuals have received Dedicated Service Awards from CAUT. Now in its fourth year, the award recognizes people for exceptional service to their academic staff associations. Recipients are nominated by their associations and receive certificates of appreciation and CAUT lapel pins. The award winners are listed below.

University professors in Greece have staged a nationwide strike protesting a series of proposed changes to higher education in the country, including a constitutional amendment to allow private and for-profit institutions to be built.

Michael Conlon joined the staff of CAUT in May as a professional officer in its policy and research division

A report released last month by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission warns that student debt in the Maritimes has exploded in recent years.

Stephen LaRose and Philip Koch are the 2005 winners of CAUT’s award for excellence in post-secondary education journalism.

Academic staff members at British Columbia’s newest university ratified their first collective agreement in April.