Contact FAUW
Offices: MC 4002–4004
Email: fauw@uwaterloo.ca
More: Staff directory
Mailing address
Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
Universities aren’t run like businesses. The University is collegially governed, which means that many decisions are made by faculty. In fact, faculty represented by FAUW have a stronger voice in governance than any other stakeholder group on campus.
Faculty members’ participation in collegial governance is essential. Since the University’s core mission is scholarly, it is scholars themselves who chart the institution’s course. Participation in collegial governance is often called “service,” but service is a misnomer. The work is a central part of the job of a faculty member, and we’re paid to do it.
Collegial governance is stronger in Canada than anywhere else in the world and we safeguard this system by participating in it.
The University has a bicameral system of governance: the Senate oversees academic matters, and the Board of Governors manages the University’s finances and operations.
Things are more bottom-up than they look. For example, FAUW (whose Board of Directors is elected by and from faculty members) has veto power over some policies through the Faculty Relations Committee.
You can learn a lot about governance at Waterloo from its organizational charts, but the org charts only tell you so much. Our deans have more power than is typical in the sector, but that isn’t obvious in the charts. Similarly, the charts don't make clear that the Vice-President Academic & Provost is the most senior, and the most powerful, of all the vice-presidents.
Faculty have many opportunities to participate in collegial governance, from guiding curriculum at the department level, to approving academic policies, to serving in senior administrative positions.
Any regular faculty member can run for Senate (see Senate Bylaw 3). Elections happen every Winter. Seven of the faculty members on Senate are then appointed to the Board of Governors (see Board of Governors Bylaw 1). The FAUW president has an ex-officio seat on Senate.
Portions of University Senate and Board of Governors meetings are open to the entire UW community; agendas and minutes are also posted online.
The Secretariat’s website, especially the pages on Senate and its bylaws/committees, the Board of Governors, and the organizational charts
University policies, especially Policy 1 – Initiation and Review of University Policies
The Memorandum of Agreement between FAUW and UW (combined with policies, this is roughly the equivalent of a Collective Agreement)
Our workshop on university governance (offered every couple of years)
You don’t need to understand how everything works before getting involved. There are lots of ways to get training and support along the way.
The Council of Representatives is a nice first foray into both collegial governance and getting involved with FAUW.
Tenured and continuing faculty have a particular responsibility to follow your conscience in collegial matters—that’s one reason we have tenure!
Sheila Ager’s presentation on service from our workshop for midcareer faculty
"Two misconceptions about 'collegial governance'" in University Affairs
Collegial governance at Ontario universities (PDF), a report of the OCUFA University Governance Committee
Related posts on the Daily Academic Freedom blog, particularly "What is collegial governance anyway?" and "Perspectives on collegial governance"
Our blog post on service opportunities for lecturers
“Challenges and Opportunities for Collegial Governance at Canadian Universities: Reflections on a Survey of Academic Senates” (PDF), from the Canadian Journal of Higher Education
Develop your sense of collegial governance: When a new policy or procedure is released, ask what body approved it and what the consultation process was. What role did faculty play?
Offices: MC 4002–4004
Email: fauw@uwaterloo.ca
More: Staff directory
Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1