Services

As well as representing our members in bargaining, AUFA provides several important services for our members.

Association Grievance Committee

The AGC also offers support to faculty members seeking to understand the language of the collective agreement. It is appropriate for any faculty member who has questions about contract language, who becomes aware of a possible violation of the collective agreement, or who feels that the way something is handled on campus may be a violation of their employment rights to contact the Senior Grievance Officer (SGO).

Senior Grievance Officer: Jennifer Tinkham (585-1898)
Junior Grievance Officer: Paul Abela (585-1279)
Junior Grievance Officer: Rachel Brickner (585-1349)
Junior Grievance Officer: Marc Ramsay (585-1261)
Interim Records Officer: Deanne Van Rooyen (585-1163)

(Updated February 6, 2026)

Who has a right to representation by the AGC?

AUFA is the sole bargaining agent for a bargaining unit consisting of all full-time and part-time academic staff employed at Acadia University, including those who provide instruction in at least one university degree credit course, but excluding academic administrators, members of AUPAT who act in a managerial capacity, Post-Doctoral Fellows engaged in teaching to the extent that such teaching is a requirement of their fellowship, graduate students engaged in teaching to the extent that such teaching is a requirement of a scholarship from an external source, Teaching Assistants, Coaches in sports programs, and employees of the Divinity College. All Academic Librarians, Archivists, Instructors, Lecteurs/Lectrices, Pädagogischen Austauschdienstes lecturers (PADs), and Professors, including those in probationary, continuing, tenured, and contractually limited appointments, are members of the bargaining unit and have the right to representation by the AGC, whether or not they have signed a union card.

Who can file a grievance?

AUFA has full carriage rights with respect to grievance. This means that it is the right and the responsibility of the association, rather than of any individual member, to determine whether and how grievance will proceed. The AGC is the committee of AUFA responsible for administrating the article of the collective agreement related to grievance, so it is the AGC that files grievance where appropriate.

What kinds of grievance can be filed by the AGC?

Grievance can be launched, at the discretion of the AGC, on behalf of a single member of the bargaining unit, on behalf of a group of members, or on behalf of the membership as a whole.

Can the AGC file a grievance on behalf of one faculty member against another faculty member?

The AGC cannot file grievance against any member of the bargaining unit. Only administrators, as representatives of the Board of Governors, can be grieved by the association.

Where can I find out more about the grievance process?

Follow this link to read more about the process of bringing a complaint to the AGC.

Can I appeal the decision of the AGC?

Members can appeal to the Grievance Appeal Committee.
Follow this link to read about the appeal process.

Current Grievance Appeal Committee members:

Alice Cohen

Erin Crandall

Stephanie Jones

Chelsea Gardner (ex-officio)

Stephen Ahern (Alternate)

Geoffrey Whitehall (Alternate)

Representatives of the Association

For information on the Representative of the Association role, including descriptions and parameters, please see this document.

Dossier Workshop

Dossier workshop – AUFA’s dossier workshops assist those members applying for renewal, tenure or promotion. Key to any successful application is a strong dossier, and this workshop will guide applicants in the technical and stylistic elements of preparing their dossiers. Recent successful dossiers at the renewal, tenure, associate and full professor levels will be used as models to help applicants put their own dossiers together.

Teaching employment opportunities

FACULTY OF ARTS

Economics
ECON 1013 FA03
ECON 2613 FA01

History and Classics
CLAS 2693 WI01
CLAS 2733 WI01
CREL 1223 WI01
HIST 1713 FA01
HIST 1913 FA01
HIST 2203 FA01
HIST 2593 WI01
HIST 2603 WI01
HIST 3733 FA01

FACULTY OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCE

Biology
BIOL 2563 FA

Mathematics and Statistics
MATH 1023 FA01 and MATH 1020L FA01
MATH 1250L FA09
MATH 1253 FA03
MATH 1253 FA06
MATH 1563 FA30
MATH 1603 FA01

Nutrition and Dietetics
NUTR 3553 WI01
NUTR 2023 WI01

INFORMATION FOR SHORT-LISTED JOB CANDIDATES

Many job candidates have questions about the role of a union and the collective agreement. Here you will find a list of some important articles contained in the 17^th Collective Agreement.

Equity Workshop

Equity training – As part of its long-standing and on-going commitment to equity in the workplace, AUFA secured annual workshops on departmental/library/university review committee procedures and equity training (12.01(b)). These workshops are jointly presented by the Board and AUFA and are required for anyone sitting on a DRC/LRC/URC or selection committee for the life of the collective agreement.

New Faculty Orientation

AUFA participates in the New Faculty Orientation organized by Human Resources every summer. We also hold a new faculty workshop every August specifically devoted to issues covered by the Collective Agreement. This hour-long workshop covers key topics such as:

workload
leaves of all kinds (sabbatical, parental, compassionate, sick, doctoral study, etc.)
applying for renewal, tenure and promotion
grievance and dispute resolution
discipline
professional development, travel and internal research funds

All faculty, new or not, are welcome to attend.

Acadia University is built on the traditional and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq Nation. We are all Treaty People.