WUFA Ad Hoc Committees

November 12, 2024

From time to time, different ’ad hoc’ committees are formed to deal with various issues which affect the membership. Committees may be formed for a variety of purposes, such as to proof-reading important documents, surveying the membership, organizing special events or volunteering in the local labour community.

Palestine Solidarity Committee

At the 2024 WUFA Spring AGM meeting, the membership passed a motion regarding academic freedom, preservation of Palestinian education & solidarity with Palestine. The full motion can be viewed HERE

The motion directs that a committee be formed to help implement action (see below). WUFA’s Faculty Council determined a path forward to gather interested colleagues who will discuss, plan, and recommend to WUFA Council how to work towards implementing all parts of the motion passed at the Spring AGM. 

"We thus move WUFA to Establish a Committee to undertake work towards:

  1. Ending any University of Windsor’s involvement in the arms trade with Israel through complicit institutions and corporations:
  2. Ending the University of Windsor’s co-operation with Israeli academic and cultural institutions including exchange programs, research collaborations, partnerships, scholarships, and fellowships.
  3. Building academic links with Palestinian universities and academics: Explore collaborative initiatives such as twinnings, exchanges, joint projects, scholarship and exchange programmes, academic fellowships and partnerships that contribute positively to the Palestinian educational sector under extreme threat."

If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact the WUFA office by email (wufa@uwindsor.ca).

Committee Members, 2024-2025

Pierre Boulos, President (ex officio), Centre for Teaching & Learning
Abdul-Fattah Asfour, Environmental Engineering
Naved Bakali, Faculty of Education
Irina Ceric, Faculty of Law
Siham Elkassem, School of Social Work
Shafaq Khan, Computer Science
Claire Mumme, Faculty of Law
Jesse Ovadia, Political Science
Jillian Rogin, Faculty of Law
Juanita Stephen, Interdisciplinary & Critical Studies
John Trant, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Vasanthi Venkatesh, Faculty of Law
Vincent Wong, Faculty of Law

UPP Committee

The Mandate of the WUFA Ad Hoc University Pension Plan Committee is as follows: 

  1. The Committee shall investigate the desirability and feasibility of moving the faculty pension plan to the University Pension Plan (UPP).  
  2. The Committee shall consult widely with the WUFA membership, WURA, and any other unions on campus. The Committee may also consider consultations with other faculty associations that have joined or considered joining the UPP.
  3. The Committee shall engage with representatives of the UPP to obtain as much relevant material information that it deems to be of interest to the membership
  4. The Committee shall have the right to negotiate the terms of any possible move of the pension to the UPP with the UPP representatives on behalf of WUFA after being asked to do so by vote of the membership, however WUFA reserves the right to give its final approval and propose amendments before any agreement is formally signed. 
  5. The Committee will, from time to time, report to Executive on its discussions with the UPP, or any other progress by the Committee.

Committee Members, 2024-2025

  1. Ex officio members comprising of the WUFA President, Vice-President Internal and Vice-President External
    - Pierre Boulos, WUFA President
    - Meris Bray, VP Internal
    - Jennifer Soutter, VP External
  2. At least one WUFA rep from the D.2 Committee – both reps are welcome to join.
    - Ram Balachandar
    - Lydia Miljan
  3. Three WUFA members from the membership at large
    - Tom Grondin
    - Luis Rueda     
    - VACANT
  4. One representative from WURA
    -Adrian Van Den Hoven