Francine Berish is the geospatial data librarian at Queen’s University. She is a member of the Queen’s Coalition Against Austerity (QCAA), a grassroots alliance that challenges cuts, demands budget transparency, and aims to revitalize collegial governance.
Tell us about the formation of QCAA.
After Queen’s administration made clear that the university is facing budget pressures based on decisions made at the provincial level, among other factors, our colleagues took a closer look at Queen's budget. They published a detailed report, which revealed notable discrepancies between projected deficits and actual financial figures.
Our interpretation of the administration’s planned cuts and policy changes aligned with what some have described as a “shock doctrine” approach: using alarming news to push through disruptive changes.
The scale, speed and unnuanced way the administration made budgetary decisions brought members of the campus community together to form QCAA. We aimed to challenge the administration’s narrative of imminent collapse. The early efforts of the Queen’s Students vs Cuts group and collaboration inspired our coalition.
In the spring of 2024, Provost Matthew Evans claimed that Queen’s might face bankruptcy due to provincial funding decisions, sending shockwaves through our community and causing concern and confusion.
The media had a field day with this dire forecast, but many academic staff pointed out that Queen’s financial position was strong compared to other Ontario universities. Independent bond rating agencies had also given the university favourable assessments.
Academic staff felt that the administration’s framing of a looming deficit was being used to justify austerity measures that would disproportionately affect them, students and other groups.
How does QCAA spread its message?
We’re experimenting with creative ways to offer a compelling counter-narrative and build community. We’re here to show that resistance to fear-based decision-making can be both serious and imaginative.
We kicked things off by launching a website and organizing a week of anti-austerity events. One of the highlights was a well-attended online teach-in that the campus radio station broadcast live.
Throughout the week, we hosted sign-making drop-ins to support various demonstrations. We wanted to make it easy for people to show up and speak out. First, we organized to oppose cuts to the Queen’s Graduate Award, a crucial part of graduate funding packages, providing an average of $4,100 per student. Later, we organized in support of striking PSAC 901 workers, the union of graduate teaching assistants, teaching fellows and postdoctoral scholars.
To make financial data more accessible, we turned to data visualization. We’ve been mapping trends such as the growth of the university’s Pooled Investment Fund. It’s striking how the administration isn’t reinvesting those gains in education or staffing.
Our tactics are not all spreadsheets and charts. We also use humour and art to challenge the administration. We published Deane vs Deane, a satirical piece, which exposed the administration’s habit of saying one thing while doing another. We created a parody of the university’s effectiveness survey by consultancy Nous, named the Senior Administration Effectiveness Survey. We recently followed up with a piece titled Still a Trap: How to Respond to the Second “Service Effectiveness Survey,” in line with the latest round of Nous benchmarking surveys.
How do you ensure grassroots participation?
Our coalition started informally. We mostly communicated through a chat app, which was great for privacy but tough for accessibility and continuity, especially as people came and went.
As our group expanded, new challenges appeared. We had to start thinking seriously about what membership meant, how to build trust, and how to share leadership. With people cycling in and out — some graduating, others going on sabbatical or retiring — we needed a structure that could adapt.
To address this, the coalition began developing clearer working groups and layered participation models. We’re trying to move away from relying on a single communication channel. We want to build flexibility and resilience.
QCAA’s membership includes individuals with varying levels of job security, so safety and anonymity are key concerns. One of the tools we use is a “gossip box” that allows people to share sensitive information anonymously. It’s been vital for surfacing changes that the administration hasn’t announced.
We also focus on holding space for academic staff and students to come together, challenge austerity narratives, and push back against misinformation. We use humour not just in our creative work, but to cope. It helps us get through tense meetings and troubling communications with a bit of levity.
What lessons have you learned?
We’ve learned how opaque university budget reporting has become over the past decade. It’s become harder to compare financial data year over year. This reinforces the need to question financial claims, especially when the numbers don’t line up with past presentations.
Another challenge is the shift to online and hybrid meeting formats. It’s made decision-making less participatory. Administrations push budgets through quickly, often without meaningful discussion or debate.
Despite these hurdles, we see promise in grassroots engagement for faculty associations. Informal platforms like QCAA, digital forums and even department meetings are helping normalize skepticism. They are encouraging academic staff to take a more active role in university governance and to feel empowered to ask tough questions.
What's next?
To mark two years since the provost’s bankruptcy warning, we’re hoping to plan a “Not Bankrupt” celebration. It’s our way of highlighting the resilience of the campus community and poking fun at the alarmist messaging we’ve been resisting.
The event will showcase QCAA’s signature blend of pointed critique and playful resistance. One idea we’re excited about is the “Anti-Austerity Awards,” where folks from across Queen’s can nominate contenders for categories like “Most Administrative Spending.” We’re leaning into creativity. It’s satire with a purpose.
We want to challenge austerity narratives in ways that are funny and deeply rooted in solidarity and community.
