Canadian Association of University Teachers

 
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Issues & Campaigns

Governance

Post-secondary educational institutions are governed by a dual system in which a board of governors is responsible for financial and administrative matters and a senate with a strong majority of academic staff is responsible for educational matters.

Where we stand

CAUT believes that academic staff must play a decisive role in making educational decisions and setting educational policy if post-secondary institutions are to fulfill their purposes. Systems of "collegial governance" were meant to ensure academic staff can play their proper role is making educational decisions and setting educational policy. CAUT's experience is that academic senates have frequently failed to give academic staff their proper voice in academic governance on a consistent basis. Over the last thirty-five years, academic staff associations have negotiated collective agreement provisions that help ensure academic staff rights in governance are protected.

Resources

CAUT Policy Statements and Resolutions
Policy Statement on Governance
Policy Statement on Academic Status and Governance for Librarians at Canadian Universities and Colleges
   
CAUT Reports
Report of the CAUT Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Governance (2009)
   
Statements & Letters
CAUT announces independent commission on governance of Canada’s Royal Military College
   
Discussion Papers (password protected)
Governance: Where we have been and where we should go (Nov 2004)
Governance and Librarians (Mar 2000)