Newsletter  DECEMBER  2001/JANUARY 2002 VOLUME 28.3 Tony Petric, EDITOR

in this issue:  MUFA Celebrates 50 Years MUFF Conference Support OCUFA Awards Retirement Tip  Smile New Members 2002/03 Executive Nominations Volunteers Needed

[Below is the text of a speech delivered by Henry Jacek at a luncheon in celebration of MUFA’s 50th Anniversary, November 18, 2001.]

Our President, Tom Davison, asked me to not give my usual OCUFA speech about crises, government underfunding of universities and other gloomy characterizations of the current state of Ontario higher education.  Rather he asked me to make my speech light and bright.  That is easy for me because I know we as past and present MUFA Executive committee members have a great deal to celebrate!

I will give my personal views of MUFA from three different perspectives that correspond to three different periods of my life at McMaster; first as a young lecturer/assistant professor, second as an Executive Committee member in my early 50s, and third as the current President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA).

As a young instructor and assistant professor in my 20s and 30s, I felt feelings of gratitude to those senior professors who gave so much time and effort without any financial compensation to improve the work life of the faculty here at McMaster.  Many of those senior professors are here at this luncheon so I can thank you all in a formal way.  You encouraged and protected junior faculty especially so they could establish themselves as good instructors and productive research scholars.  I remember my first general meeting of MUFA in either late 1967 or early 1968.  Togo Salmon, then 64 and a senior member of the Administration was in attendance to the dismay of a young economist.  We were discussing our remuneration demands and some thought Togo's presence was inappropriate.

After this period, I was little involved in MUFA's organizational life as I, a journeyman associate professor, struggled to complete my early career research projects and start new ones, not to mention performing the chair's duties in my department.  After I was promoted to full professor, I began to make more time for MUFA.  I served five years on the MUFA Executive, the last three as vice-president, president (1995/96) and then past-president.

It was only then that I began to appreciate the special characteristics of MUFA.  I was impressed by the very large numbers of faculty who performed their civic duty at McMaster by serving on the Executive, on MUFA committees and as MUFA appointees on University committees.  However we have constant turnover, a desirable condition that prevents the creation of a special faculty association leadership class, the bain of so many other faculty associations.  Especially prized is our one-year rotation of individuals through the offices of vice-president, president and past-president.

My five years on the Executive were among my happiest years at McMaster out of my 35 years here so far — not that I am not happy now.  I especially enjoyed negotiating with the Administration, even though many do not.  I marvelled at the support I and the MUFA Executive received from the rank and file faculty.  In any dispute with the Administration, just about everyone assumed we were correct.  Now it was my turn to fight for younger faculty by insisting, in the aftermath of Premier Bob Rae's inappropriately named "social contract", that the previously lost progress through the ranks/merit compensation be restored to the salary base of the faculty.

I was greatly pleased that Peter George and I were able to confirm McMaster's special faculty-administration relationship by instituting a modified Rand Formula.  From now on, all faculty members would either pay membership dues to MUFA or to a designated charity.  This put an end to faculty free riders who benefited from MUFA's activities but made no contribution to our common effort, a group that at times comprised a third of the faculty. I enjoyed going to the MUFA Office each day where I would get great support from Phyllis and Kelly.  I am also pleased that Joan Field, our Executive Assistant from 1975 to 1989 is here today.  Over the years, MUFA has had the best staff members any organization could possibly have (sustained applause).

Now I am the President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA).  I can see clearly how unique MUFA's characteristics are, especially as compared to other Ontario associations.  We are indeed fortunate to have such strong collegial relations with McMaster's administrators.

What we have here is the "McMaster Model".  It is a model we have had to develop, nurture, protect from the twin threats of administrative centralization and its obvious reaction to administrative insensitivity, a unionized faculty.  At times an administrator or two caused strains on the collegial process by trying to adopt an industrial managerial style, but the "McMaster Model" has survived to the envy of other Ontario university administrations and faculty associations.

A key aspect of the "McMaster Model" is the wonderful ambiguity between the academic administrators and administrative academics.  This ambiguity has helped to keep our Faculty Association as one of only four non-union associations in Ontario, the others being Toronto, Guelph and Waterloo.  Even administrators with a weak understanding of the advantages of faculty self-government quickly learn that the public interest of McMaster is advanced so long as the norms of the "McMaster Model" are adhered to.

Queen's University and the University of Western Ontario unionized recently because of administrators' mistakes.  The UWO faculty asked for the "McMaster Model" and the university president initially agreed.  However the then president of the University of Toronto talked him out of it.  Faculty unionization quickly followed.

We are unique among Ontario's universities.  McMaster is a great success because both faculty and administrators recognize that a vigorous defence of the key role of faculty and academic librarians is needed against those who would import industrial thinking into the life of the University.  McMaster's high quality as a major University depends on the continuation of the "McMaster Model" which keeps conflicts muted and civic participation in Administration widespread.  We have many reasons  to celebrate today.  We should all be proud of MUFA and McMaster University.  May the great success story of MUFA in its first 50 years continue on for at least the next half century.

 Henry Jacek
 Professor of Political Science
MUFA President, 1995/96

 

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Discontinuation of MUFF Conference Support

We have had a number of calls to the MUFA Office asking about the conference support that was funded by the McMaster University Futures Fund (MUFF).  During  negotiations regarding the Pension Surplus Distribution, it was agreed (Surplus Sharing Settlement Agreement, May 31, 2001, item 5) that the McMaster University Futures Fund would not be continued after April 30, 2001.  Money allocated to the MUFF prior to April 30, 2001 will remain in the MUFF until spent on already agreed upon initiatives, “as determined by the committee established to administer the MUFF”.  If you qualified for support for a conference which occurred between July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001 and have not already submitted an application for support, you can still do so.  However, no MUFF funding is available for conferences which occurred after June 30, 2001.
 

Retirement Tip

You have to apply 6 MONTHS IN ADVANCE to obtain Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) benefits.  Call 1-800-277-9914 for an application or drop into their office in the Standard Life Building.
 

 Teaching & Academic Librarianship Awards

NOMINATIONS are invited from individuals, informal groups of faculty or students, or both, and such organizations as local faculty associations, faculty or college councils, university committees concerned with teaching and learning, librarians, local student councils, departments, alumni, etc.

GUIDELINES to assist in organizing a nomination should be consulted by prospective nominators and are available on request from your Faculty Association Office or the Provincial Office of OCUFA.

NOMINATIONS must include a covering nomination form, a nominator's brief, and sufficient evidence, from as many sources as possible, to make it clear that outstanding work deserving of recognition has been done.

DEADLINE for receipt of nominations:  February 22, 2002.

The original and six copies of the submission should be sent to:

  OCUFA Teaching & Academic
  Librarianship Awards Committee
  27 Carlton Street, Suite 400
  Toronto, Ontario  M5B 1L2

INQUIRIES TO:  416-979-2117 or your Faculty Association Office (ext. 24682; mufa@mcmaster.ca)
 

We Have Our Own Winner!

Inspired by the article in the last MUFA Newsletter, “It was a dark and stormy night...”, Martin Dooley (Professor, Economics) submitted the following contribution, which is worthy of consideration as the “worst possible opening line of a book”:

Through the high-rise window, he surveyed a scene of naked trees, a moonless sky, barren sidewalks, and empty streets as the haunting voice of the Velvet Fog drifted across the room from his stereo speakers; it was a stark and Torme night.

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Welcome New Members

Christopher Anand  Pamela Baxter   Marshall Beier  Gian Luigi Botton  James Britten   Denise Bryant-Lukosius  Jennifer Cano  Sherry Carter   Catherine Chiappetta-Swanson  Ian Colquhoun   Bryan DeFrance  Richard Douglass-Chin  Margaret Erskine   Alan Flint  Cecile Fradin   Kathy Genge   Andrew Hathaway  Stephen Heathorn  Sally Hickson   Gordon R. Hopper  Donald Hughes  Andrew Irvine   Mukesh Jain   William Johnson   Murray Junop

Computing & Software Nursing Political Science Materials Sci & Eng Chemistry Nursing Rehabilitation Sciences Kinesiology Sociology Anthropology Obstetrics & Gynecology English Classics School of the Arts Physics & Astronomy Nursing Sociology History School of the Arts Geography & Geology Chemistry Divnity College Mechanical Engineering Human Resources Biochemistry

Lovaye Kajiura   Rashid Khan   Ryan Leduc   Patricia Liaw   Rosemary Luo   Michelle MacDonald   R. Lynn Martin   Kenneth Morgan   S. Mohammad Nejat   Joanne O’Meara   Margaret Owens   Walter G. Peace   Jiming Peng   Tracy Prowse   Davashish Pujari   Paul Rivers    Stephanie Ross   Barbara Russer   Sudipto Sarkar   Erik Sorensen   André Turcotte   Kartz Ucci   Susan Vajoczki   Maria Whiteman   Boris Zhorov

Biology Economics Computing & Software Medicine Fin & Bus Economics Biochemistry Nursing Divnity College Physics & Astronomy Medical Physics English Geography & Geology Computing & Software Anthropology Marketing School of the Arts Labour Studies Chemistry Fin & Bus Economics Physics & Astronomy Political Science School of the Arts Geography & Geology School of the Arts Biochemistry

 

If you are interested in serving on the Faculty Association Executive or know of someone who would make an excellent candidate, please contact us:  Hamilton Hall 103A;  Ext. 24682;  mufa@ mcmaster.ca).

DEADLINE — FEBRUARY 15, 2002.

olunteers Needed!

A voluntary organization such as the McMaster University Faculty Association can succeed in serving the interests of its membership only to the extent that the members participate in formulating and executing policy.  At any given time,  approximately two dozen individuals carry the burden for all of the members and after a few years most of them are exhausted by the tasks which they have voluntarily borne.  Their valuable experience and wisdom is then lost to us.  The best way to lessen this attrition of talent is for more of the membership to give some time and effort to the Association.  If you are not interested in putting your name forward for the Executive Committee, please use the form below to let us know if you would like to participate in MUFA’s efforts by serving on one of the following  committees.

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Yes, I am interested in working more closely with the Faculty Association.  My interests are:
 

MUFA Council ___	Pension ___	Ad Hoc Committees ___
Academic Affairs ___	Public Relations ___	Special Assignment ___
Human Rights ___	Remunerations ___	50th Anniversary Committee ___
Library ___	Grievances ___
Membership ___	Tenure ___

Are there other areas where the Faculty Association might be useful to its  members?

_____________________________________________________________________
 
 

NAME____________________________________________	EXTENSION______________________
DEPARTMENT____________________________________	E-MAIL___________________________

Return form to McMaster University Faculty Association, HH 103A
 
 

January 8, 2002
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