Faculty at St. Jerome's University join OCUFA

TORONTO, March 3 /CNW/ - The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to welcome the St. Jerome's University Academic Staff Association (SJU-ASA) as its newest member. SJU-ASA's membership was ratified at OCUFA's Board of Director's meeting on February 13, 2010.

"We are very pleased to become members of OCUFA," said Prof. Kieran Bonner, Acting President of the SJU-ASA. "The faculty and librarian of St. Jerome's University look forward to working with our colleagues across Ontario to improve the working conditions of academic staff and preserve the quality of education offered by our institution." Bonner further noted that "OCUFA is a great resource for a small academic union like ours. We are in the midst of negotiating our first collective agreement and we have received invaluable advice and feedback from OCUFA staff and members."

St. Jerome's University was founded in 1865, and is now federated with the University of Waterloo. By joining OCUFA, the faculty and librarian of this storied institution will benefit from the experience and resources of academic staff across Ontario. They also add their voices to OCUFA's call for a university system characterized by robust public funding, high-quality education, and fair working conditions for every faculty member and academic librarian.

"By working together, Ontario's faculty and librarians amplify their ability to make positive change, both at their individual institutions and in the postsecondary education system as a whole," said Prof. Mark Langer, President of OCUFA. "OCUFA is proud to represent the interests of its members to university administrators, the provincial government, and the people of Ontario."

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents over 15,000 faculty and academic librarians in 26 faculty associations across Ontario. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at http://www.ocufa.on.ca.

For further information: Henry Mandelbaum, [phone] x229, [email protected]