February 2014 Court upholds researchers' right to protect confidential information Researchers across Canada won a major victory when police efforts to seize confidential research records were quashed in a precedent-setting Quebec court decision last month. Harper’s history museum betrays First Nations When the Harper government’s “new” Canadian Museum of History (CMH), announced a $1 million sponsorship from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), it risked placing the world-renowned museum in conflict with Canada’s First Nations — those whose cultural heritage still forms the heart of the CMH’s collections. Academic prioritization — an attack on tenure The University of Guelph recently went through a “program prioritization process.” The prioritization exercise was reported in the Oct. 4, 2013 edition of the Guelph Mercury. Science policy criticized at BC town hall CAUT’s Get Science Right town hall in Vancouver in late January drew a crowd to discuss with four eminent researchers the damage being done by the federal government’s science policy. UNB strike ends A three-week strike by the Association of University of New Brunswick Teachers has ended with members voting overwhelmingly to accept a tentative deal hammered out with administrators in the last days of January. Contract agreement averts strike at Cape Breton University Cape Breton University officials and the faculty association reached a tentative contract agreement Jan. 21, averting a strike by faculty, librarians, lab instructors and nursing practice educators that could have started as early as three days later. CAUT co-sponsors union building workshop for academics in Ghana Thirty national and regional officers of the graduate teaching union in Ghana took part in a first ever training workshop organized by CAUT in Accra last month. Lack of investment for post-secondary sector in New Brunswick budget New Brunswick’s financial picture is not looking any brighter, and Finance Minister Blaine Higgs says the original four-year plan to balance the budget is now a seven-year plan. UVic academic staff unionize After a long ground campaign, academic staff at the University of Victoria returned to campus last month for a new semester and a new union. CAUT submits view of federal S&T strategy Canada is in dire need of a new science policy and strategy, says CAUT in response to Industry Canada’s consultation paper “Seizing Canada’s Moment: Moving Forward in Science, Technology and Innovation.” CAUT says the current direction of the federal government is threatening to impede scientific progress.