Consultation and Lobbying

SFUFA advocates on behalf of its members on a wide variety of issues and in a wide variety of venues.

At SFU

The Faculty Association, either on our own or in cooperation with other unions, employee and student groups, advocates for faculty members’ rights and interests with the administration on a range of issues covering everything from intellectual property to collegial governance. We do so through a variety of channels including regular meetings with other employee groups and unions on campus, numerous committees, and monthly meetings with SFU’s senior administration.

If you have an issue you’d like us to raise with the university administration at one of our regular consultations, please do let us know at [email protected].

Provincially

SFUFA is a member of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC (CUFA/BC), which acts as a provincial lobbying association for faculty at SFU, UBC, UVic, UNBC and Royal Roads. CUFA/BC played a major role in bringing an end to mandatory retirement in the province, regularly lobbies for public post-secondary education in Victoria, and works with students, university administrators and the public to fight budget cuts and political interference in university governance. It organizes bargaining workshops, produces provincial advisories, tracks provincial legislation and spending, and liaises with others (students, universities, colleges) in the public post-secondary sector. Through its council meetings twice per year, CUFA/BC also provides a forum for the sharing of information and coordination of strategies on issues of common concern.

Federally

The Canadian Association of University Teachers, or CAUT, is our national organization, representing faculty associations and academic staff unions across the country. CAUT provides invaluable lobbying support on the federal and international levels and assistance with collective bargaining, grievances and arbitrations. On matters ranging from health and safety to equity to academic freedom and intellectual property, CAUT has extensive experience and information to assist member organizations such as SFUFA.