Acronyms and glossaries

Key FAUW acronyms

AF&T – Academic Freedom & Tenure Committee

The Academic Freedom & Tenure (AF&T) Committee provides confidential support to individual members with workplace issues of all kinds (not just academic freedom and tenure).

FRC – Faculty Relations Committee

FRC is made up of five representatives each from the FAUW Board and the University administration. It is co-chaired by the FAUW president and the vice president academic & provost. It meets every two weeks, and is where MoA and policy changes are approved before going to the University's Board of Governors. It also discusses and often resolves a lot of non-policy issues.

MoA – Memorandum of Agreement

The Memorandum of Agreement provides a framework governing all aspects of the relationship between the University and faculty members, including salary structure, academic freedom, discipline, and grievances. It differs from a collective agreement mainly in its (lack of) comprehensiveness. Much of what is typically covered in a collective agreement at other universities is covered in policy at Waterloo.

UWaterloo acronyms likely to come up in FAUW communications

Related organizations

CAUT – Canadian Association of University Teachers

The national organization representing university faculty, of which FAUW is a member. A portion of FAUW dues go to CAUT.

COU – Council of Ontario Universities

The COU provides a forum for Ontario’s universities to collaborate and advocate. It's like OCUFA, but for the universities themselves.

CUPE – Canadian Union of Public Employees (Local 793)

Unionized staff members in the Food Services and Plant Operations departments are represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 793. The membership covers a range of positions from kitchen porters, cooks and bakers to custodians, grounds staff, trades and maintenance staff and stationary engineers.

HEQCO – Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

HEQCO is an agency of the Government of Ontario that evaluates the postsecondary sector and provides policy recommendations to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

LAAUW – Librarians' and Archivists' Association of the University of Waterloo

Librarians at UW are represented by the UWSA, but LAAUW also supports, promotes, and creates opportunities for professional librarians.

OCUFA – Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations

The provincial organization representing university faculty, of which FAUW is a member. A portion of FAUW dues go to OCUFA.

RAAS – Renison Association of Academic Staff

RAAS represents faculty at Renison University College. The association was formed in 2018 and is currently negotiating a memorandum of agreement and policies with Renison.

SJU ASA – St. Jerome’s University Academic Staff Association

The SJU ASA is the certified bargaining agent for all faculty and professional librarians at St. Jerome’s University. The SJU-ASA is unionized.

UWSA – University of Waterloo Staff Association

Our counterpart at Waterloo representing staff.