FAUW’s Academic Freedom & Tenure Committee (AF&T) helps individual faculty members with issues that affect the terms and conditions of employment. If you have questions or need assistance with workplace processes, policies, accommodations and/or disciplinary issues, please contact the AF&T Chair. AF&T works to ensure fair and equitable application of policy and procedures, and to help you understand and navigate those policies and procedures.
How it works
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Start by contacting the Chair of our Academic Freedom & Tenure Committee to briefly and confidentially discuss your concern. The Chair of AF&T will work with you to identify a committee member (also called an academic colleague) who can best support you. This committee member, with your permission, can help you navigate both informal and formal processes at University of Waterloo.
- Where issues beyond the committee's expertise arise, AF&T has access to the resources of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA).
If your concern is with a policy itself, rather than how it applies in a specific instance, please contact a member of the Board of Directors.
What we can help with
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annual performance review (APR) concerns
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renewal of appointments
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tenure and promotion (from the application process to final decision)
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discipline (from first notification onward)
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accommodations (broadly interpreted)
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leaves (e.g., sabbatical, medical, parental, etc.)
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academic misconduct & research ethics concerns
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intellectual property
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member-member disputes
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harassment
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salary anomalies
Confidentiality
All contact made with AF&T is strictly confidential. Your information stays between you and your AF&T colleague. If your academic colleague needs assistance from other AF&T members, discussion is done with your permission and anonymously. Aggregate information may be provided to FAUW (e.g., numbers of cases, types of cases, responses from administration). No issue will be taken further than you want, no information will be shared without your permission, and your identity is protected.
Academic colleagues
Some policies allow for an "academic colleague" to accompany faculty through particular processes (e.g. tenure). AF&T committee members often fill this role.
You're in control
Our faculty members have individual carriage. That means, you decide how to proceed after discussing options with your AF&T colleague. Your AF&T colleague will not take any action without your consent. They will provide information, advice, and options, but the decision on how to proceed with and resolve issues (e.g., informally or formally) is your own, within the limits of policy.
Member-to-member conflicts
In cases involving multiple FAUW members (including chairs/directors and associate deans), all members are entitled to support from AF&T. In member-to-member cases, faculty will be assigned separate AF&T Committee members who will not interact regarding the case.