The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is a national organization representing 70,000 academic staff across Canada, including you! All faculty at Waterloo who are represented by FAUW are part of CAUT.
CAUT serves as a resource for faculty associations and members through research, legal support, workshops, and conferences, and lobbies governments on behalf of Canadian academic staff. It also provides ways for individual members to take action on issues affecting academic work.
This month, CAUT is asking members to participate in two major campaigns: Get Science Right, and the Fair Copyright campaign. Read on to find out how you can support these initiatives.
Get Science Right
Thanks to a concerted push by the academic community, the government is hearing the importance of acting on the Advisory Panel on Federal Support for Fundamental Science recommendation to deepen federal investment in basic research.
We need to keep up the pressure.
Here are some simple actions you can take to help propel fundamental research to the top of the government’s agenda for Budget 2018.
1. Meet your Member of Parliament.
Kick off the winter semester by meeting with your Member of Parliament (MP) to talk about important research underway or that could be at your institution, and the role this research will have in improving Canadians’ lives. MPs will be in their ridings until January 26, 2018.
CAUT has prepared some tips and templates to support you as reach out to your MP. Bring this flyer with you to leave with the MP.
2. Write letters to Cabinet Ministers.
Cabinet is where government priorities are set and funding decisions are made. In order to prioritize fundamental science, Honourable Kirsty Duncan, the Minister of Science, needs support at the Cabinet table.
Write letters to Cabinet Ministers to share how increased federal investment in fundamental research is essential to fulfilling their mandate. Use CAUT’s letter template to get started.
3. Sign and share CAUT’s petition.
Add your name to CAUT’s petition calling on the government to increase base funding to research granting councils by $1.3 billion over four years.
Once you sign it, share the petition on social media or via email.
4. Tell the federal government what’s in #YourBudget2018.
Visit #YourBudget2018 to take four short surveys and send an email to the Finance Committee with your priority for the upcoming federal budget – funding for fundamental research. Join the conversation online using the hashtag #YourBudget2018.
Fair Copyright
The federal Copyright Act is under legislative review. The review may roll back important rights, including fair dealing that the education community fought for decades to achieve.
Here are some things you can do right now to help defend these past victories, and advance new rights.
1. Read a Public Service Announcement in class on the importance of fair copyright.
2. Take a selfie with your publications or other creations and share it on social media using the message: I am a creator and I support fair dealing. #fairdealingworks #faircopyright
3. Encourage students to take a picture of their textbook receipts and share on social media with the message using the hashtags #fairdealingworks #faircopyright
4. Show this video at a meeting and in the classroom, put up a poster, and distribute information to colleagues and students to help them learn more about what is at stake.
5. Encourage everyone you know to sign CAUT’s petition calling for the protection of the fair dealing rights of academic staff and students.
To learn more about the Copyright Act review and what it means for academic staff, read our latest Education Review.
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