November 1, 2004

To:        Ulrich Scheck, Dean, School of Graduate Studies & Research
From:    Constance Adamson, President, Queen’s University Faculty Association
 
RE:        QUFA response to SCAD Sub-Committee on Teaching Assistants at Queen’s University Draft Policy

Dean Scheck,
 
I am writing on behalf of the QUFA Executive in response to the SCAD Sub-Committee’s draft policy on teaching assistants at Queen’s University.
 
QUFA is concerned that while the report offers some of the benefits of a collective agreement, such as health care and a grievance procedure, as a policy document rather than a negotiated contract it offers none of the guarantees or protections that characterize formal labour/management relationships.
 
The language of the document, and specifically that of the “General Provisions” creates considerable confusion regarding the nature of teaching assistantships. With no mention of the employment conditions of these academic workers (the report focuses on “hiring and funding”), the report incorrectly identifies Teaching Assistantships as “awards” rather than as a "appointments." Moreover, in the “Valid Assessment of Students” section responsibilities properly belonging to Faculty members are assigned to teaching assistants.
 
The Teaching Assistant Agreement places the course supervisor and department head in the role of employer, whereas such responsibility in fact rests with the University Administration. Without the University assuming responsibility for this employment contract, the proposed agreement poses issues of liability for members of both our bargaining units. In addition, the procedure for accounting for TA hours of work is fundamentally flawed. While estimates of time required for assigned duties are useful, specifying the amount of time involved in each task in advance is impossible and thus binds the parties to an inevitably inaccurate workload standard.
 
This policy fails to adequately establish and protect the work of Teaching Assistants (both student and non-student TAs). Furthermore, the draft policy and the Teaching Assistant Agreement cause serious concerns about the proposed roles and responsibilities of our members (including training and evaluation of TAs as academic workers). At this time, QUFA would advise our members not to commit themselves to the policy or to sign the Teaching Assistant Agreement.