QUFA Digest: September 2026

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Hello QUFA Members,

Please see the September 2026 edition of Digest below.

Collective Agreement

  • Please see the QUFA Collective Agreement page for updates on the recently ratified Tentative Agreement.

Get Involved

  • UPP Divestment Committee: At the Dec. 18 2025 Fall General Meeting, the membership called on QUFA to form an ad hoc committee to advocate for divestment of UPP investments from entities producing weapons that support violations of human rights. If you are interested in joining this committee, please send a statement of interest noting your relevant expertise and/or background to QUFA Executive Director Leslie Jermyn at qufaed@queensu.ca and QUFA Vice President Melissa Houghtaling at m.houghtaling@queensu.ca. The Terms of Reference for the committee is included in the May issue of QUFA Voices (p. 3).
  • QUFA Committees: Please reach out if you are interested in joining any of QUFA’s committees. See a full list of committees on the QUFA website.
  • QUFA Caucuses:
    • BIPOC Caucus: Supports and advocates for members who are Black, Indigenous, or racialized and/or visible minorities. It is organized to collectively discuss workplace matters specific to QUFA’s BIPOC members and work towards racial equity in our workplace. Contact Co-Chairs Ayca Tomac (ayca.tomac@queensu.ca) or Norma Möllers (norma.mollers@queensu.ca) for more info.
    • Caregivers Caucus: Connects members involved in care responsibilities (e.g., young children, seniors, family members with disabilities) to share experiences, concerns, and resources. Contact QUFA Political Action and Communications Committee (PACC) Chair Vanessa Thompson (vt25@queensu.ca) for more info.
    • New Faculty Caucus: Connects recently appointed faculty (up to 5 years) to share experiences and concerns pertinent to new faculty. Contact QUFA PACC Chair Vanessa Thompson (vt25@queensu.ca) for more info.

Grievance Update

  • An Association grievance was filed on August 14, 2026, claiming that the Administration is in breach of the QUFA Collective Agreement via assigning work to “Academic Assistants” in a manner that conflicts with restrictions respecting the assignment of the work found within the Agreement. The conduct of the Administration causes harm to the integrity of QUFA Bargaining Unit, QUFA’s role as the exclusive bargaining agent and the capacity of QUFA members to enjoy the benefits and protections afforded to them under the terms of the QUFA Collective Agreement. Any QUFA member with questions or information relevant to this grievance are invited to contact QUFA’s Grievance Officer directly. Karen can be reached by email at ks233@queensu.ca. 

Deadlines

  • Annual Reports are normally due on October 2 per Article 28 of the Collective Agreement, but there has been a one-time deadline extension to Friday October 30 this year (this is a new extension). The Annual Reports cover the 2025-2026 academic year (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026). Please note the different processes for Full-Time Faculty and Term Adjuncts.
    • Term Adjuncts need to fill out Appendix F in the Collective Agreement. These reviews are important not only as an annual review, but they are requirements for General Right of Reappointment (GRoR) and Continuing Adjunct conversion applications. See Article 32 of the Collective Agreement for details.
    • The 2025-26 Annual Report covers teaching, service and research work during the following terms: 2025 Summer Term (July/August 2025); 2025 Fall Term (September-December 2025); 2026 Winter Term (January-April 2026); 2026 Spring Term (May-June 2026).
    • For questions on Annual Reports, please contact QUFA Member Services Officer, Doug Nesbitt, (d.nesbitt@queensu.ca).
  • The Fund for Scholarly Research and Creative Work and Professional Development (Adjuncts): The Fall term deadline is October 5, 2026. The application form is available here. We will continue to send reminder email messages over the next several days.
  • Tuition Support Plan: The fall submission window will be September 1 to November 1, 2026. See Appendix N of the Collective Agreement and click here for the application.
  • Childcare Support Plan: The annual submission window will be January 1 to February 1, 2027. Please see Appendix M of the Collective Agreement and click here for the application.

For Your Information

  • New Members: If you are a recent hire at Queen’s, you can fill out an Association Membership form here. To learn more about being a Member of the union Bargaining Unit and a Member of the Association, click here.
  • Please see QUFA Voices, Governance Watch, and Campus Conversations for updates on recent business and important issues.
  • Check our News & Events feed on the bottom of the website homepage for updates: www.qufa.ca
  • Visit QUFA on Facebook and Instagram.

Sincerely,

QUFA Staff