Fifty-one years ago, 16 academic staff at United College in Winnipeg sacrificed themselves to defend the academic freedom of a colleague who had been fired for writing a letter critical of the president of the institution.

In early November, negotiators from the United States, Japan, the European Union, Canada and a select handful of other nations huddled together in a closed-door session in Seoul, South Korea. It was the latest in a continuing effort to hammer out an international agreement aimed at cracking down on the traffic in counterfeit goods.

There is widespread agreement that when it comes to academic work, teaching, research, professional activity, and service and professional development are part of the job.

Academic librarians and librarianship at Canadian universities and colleges are in trouble. Pointing to the need to cut budgets and making use of new technologies, library administrators are deskilling and eliminating the jobs of librarians.

More than half of Canadians say spending on post-secon­dary education should be increased even if it means paying higher taxes, according to a new poll.

Caut Council has unanimously endorsed a motion supporting the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université (FQPPU) in its fight to have the Quebec government’s proposed legislation on university governance withdrawn.

Sessional lecturers, music instructors and postdocs at McMaster University, and Concordia University College of Alberta Faculty Association (Unit 2 of CUPE Local 3906) were approved for CAUT membership at the association’s recent council meeting.

CAUT has added its voice to calls for a public inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees — the result of a decision made Nov. 28 at the association’s Council meeting.

The case of a former Acadia University professor has been settled. The settlement terms reached are confidential.

Wilfrid Laurier University professors Doug and Joyce Lori­mer have each been recognized by CAUT with the Donald C. Savage Award “for outstanding achievements in the promotion of collective bargaining in Canadian universities and colleges.”

Academic staff associations meeting in Ottawa for CAUT’s recent Council meeting voted unanimously in opposition to new grant programs at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

More than 80 Aboriginal scholars from across Canada parti­­ci­pated in CAUT’s Transforming the Academy conference in Sask­atoon.

What are universities good for? This question has generated intense debate and is often seen as a symptom of crises in society, politics and culture. Where radicals once critiqued univer­sities’ elitism, that argument has recently been turned on its head.

In the early 20th century, asbestos had a reputation as a lifesaver. In 1960, however, it became known that even relatively brief exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma, a virulent and lethal cancer.

North Americans have expressed themselves loud and clear on a wide range of issues — like the need for expanded and affordable health care — but it often feels like the politicians in power aren’t really listening.

Connect privacy and freedom? Since freedom matters, who makes it their business to fight for privacy? The author sets out to answer that precise question: “When surveillance practices emerge, who mobilizes against them, how and with what effect?”

Unions representing academic staff at Nipissing University, the University of Western Ontario and the University of Toronto have averted strikes and ratified new collective agreements.

CAUT has awarded Johanna Foster, an information services librarian at the University of Windsor, top honours for service and achievements of benefit to academic librarians.

The CAW-Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy at Ryerson University has been chosen as this year’s winner of CAUT’s Sarah Shorten Award.

Il y a 51 ans, seize membres du corps professoral du United College à Winnipeg se sacrifiaient pour défendre la liberté aca­démi­que d’un collègue qui avait été congédié après avoir écrit une lettre critique à l’égard du recteur de l’établissement.