Algoma University (AU), a public institution, has offered a Graduate Certificate in Project Management since 2021, with AU faculty designing and delivering the certificate’s courses. Beginning in Fall 2023, AU management has transferred course design and delivery responsibilities for this certificate to Yorkville University, a private, for-profit university with non-unionized faculty who will be paid much less to deliver the courses than AU faculty who are represented by OPSEU/SEFPO Local 685.
AU’s name will continue to appear on the graduation parchments students receive, and students will register and pay for the courses via AU.
For the following reasons, we the undersigned ask AU’s Senate to use their authority under the Algoma University Act to stop this arrangement with Yorkville University:
It’s bad for students.
Students registering for courses through the AU website will believe they are attending AU, when in fact they will be effectively attending Yorkville University and taught by Yorkville faculty.
The AU website does not make it clear that the Yorkville courses cannot be transferred as credits if students wish to pursue further studies at AU.
It’s bad for Algoma University and AU faculty.
AU’s name will appear on the graduation credential without AU faculty involvement in the course development, content, instruction and academic integrity.
The courses will be taught by non-unionized Yorkville University staff who will be paid considerably less per semester than the unionized AU staff.
AU’s Brampton campus, which taught the majority of Project Management students, was built through the hard work of AU faculty. If left unchallenged, the contracting out of the Project Management Certificate may become a model for more privatization of AU faculty-developed courses and certificates in future.
It’s bad for public post-secondary education in Ontario.
Transferring post-secondary education from public universities to private, for-profit institutions can lead to erosion of education quality. Public funding and student tuition should be spent entirely on providing quality post-secondary education, not private profits.
The working conditions bargained by unionized faculty at public universities, including AU faculty represented by OPSEU/SEFPO Local 685, directly contribute to improved educational quality for students, including preparation time, class sizes and professional development.
When it comes to post-secondary education, public is simply better. We call on the Algoma University Senate to do everything in their power to end this privatization scheme.
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Petition Signatures:
Ajmery Sultana, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Alex Maletich, Algoma U faculty, Course Lecturer – School of Business and Economics
Alice Ridout, Algoma U faculty, Associate Professor, Chair, Department of English and History
Allie Lang, Algoma U faculty
Amanda Zuke, Concerned citizen
Amandeep Patti, Algoma U faculty, Sessional Prof.
Andre Dukhia, Algoma U faculty, Adjunct Professor, Business and Economics
Andree-Ann Deschenes, Algoma U faculty
Andrew Judge, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor, Anishinaabe Studies
Andrew Keegan, Concerned citizen
Angela Verzosa, Algoma U faculty, Part-time Business Professor
Anna Kone, Concerned citizen
Anna Zaffina, Concerned citizen
Anne Vermeyden, Concerned citizen
Annie Jong, Concerned citizen
Anthony Fabiano, Algoma U faculty, Department of Philosophy
Anthony Pagnotta, Algoma U faculty, Sessional instructor, School of Computer Science and Technology
Anto Mathew, Algoma U faculty
Aqeela Tabassum, Algoma U faculty, PT Professor-Business and Economics
Arlene Proulx, Concerned citizen, Algoma U Alumni
Arthur Perlini, Algoma U faculty, Professor of Psychology
Azhda Mehrpoor, Algoma U faculty
Badar Yasin, Algoma U faculty
Balwinder Kaur, Algoma U faculty
Bob Beggs, Algoma U faculty
Brandon Schamp, Algoma U faculty, Professor, Biology
Brent Pusch, Algoma U faculty, Sessional Instructor, School of Business
Cameron Stott, Concerned citizen
Carmela Coccimiglio, Algoma U faculty
Carol Martin, Concerned citizen
Casey Burgess, Algoma U faculty, Adjunct prof (P/T)
Cathy Chen, Algoma U faculty
Cathy Denomme, Algoma U faculty, FoBE
Chantal Lemieux, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor – Psychology
Chelsea Bauer, Algoma U faculty
Chelsie Parayko, Algoma U faculty, Part-time Anishinaabe Studies
Christine Madliger, Algoma U faculty, Biology
Christine McLaughlin, Concerned citizen
Daneen Denomme, Algoma U faculty, Sessional
Dave Brodbeck, Algoma U faculty, Professor of Psychology
Dave Fraser, Concerned citizen
Dawne Johnson, Concerned citizen
Deborah Powell, Concerned citizen
Deborah Woodman, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Dhaval Patel, Algoma U staff
Don Jackson, Algoma U faculty, Professor Law and Politics, Shingwauk Project Founding Director
Edward Turgeon, Algoma U faculty, Professor
Elizabeth Davies, Algoma U student
Ella Dean, Concerned citizen
Faraz Zaidi, Algoma U faculty, Contractual Faculty
Francis Lapointe, Concerned citizen
Frank Deresti, Algoma U faculty
Geoffrey Hudson, Concerned citizen
George Vanoyen, Algoma U faculty, Part-Time Contract Faculty, School of Computer Science and Technology
Gerry Mahar, Algoma U faculty, Economics
Ginette Lagacé, Concerned citizen
Giuliana Walker, Concerned citizen
Gord Veldhoen, Concerned citizen
Hari Luitel, Algoma U faculty
Harsimran Kaur, Algoma U faculty
Hunter Breathat, Algoma U student
Isabel Molina, Algoma U faculty
J. B., Algoma U faculty
Jennifer Foote, Algoma U faculty, Professor, Biology
Jeremy Paquin, Concerned citizen
John Currie, Concerned citizen
Johnny Console, Algoma U faculty, Sessional Instructor, School of Computer Science and Technology
Jonathan Lavallee, Concerned citizen
Jordyn Perreault-Laird, Algoma U faculty,
Josh Norling, Algoma U faculty
Kanchan Sarker, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor
Kareem Roberts, Algoma U faculty
Kathryn Huckson, Algoma U faculty, sessional
Kathy Hall, Concerned citizen
Kella Loschiavo, Concerned citizen
Ken Piirtoniemi, Algoma U staff
Kimberly Nugent, Concerned citizen
Kirandeep Patti, Algoma U faculty, Sessional Prof
Kristin Kumpf, Concerned citizen
Kyle Gauthier, Algoma U faculty, Sessional instructor (School of Computer Science and Technologies)
Leslie Dafoe, Concerned citizen
Linda Bamber, Concerned citizen
Linda Burnett, Algoma U faculty, Associate Professor, Department of English & History
Linda Savory Gordon, Algoma U faculty, Professor Emerita, Social Work
Lise St. Hilaire, Concerned citizen
Lynn Kabaroff, Concerned citizen
Lynn Martin, Concerned citizen
Maddy Bifano, Algoma U staff
Mahbub Alam, Algoma U faculty
Maleka Begum, Algoma U faculty
Marisa Lauri, Algoma U faculty, PT faculty – Faculty of Business & Economics
Mark Defazio, Algoma U faculty
Martha Brant, Algoma U faculty, FB&E
Mary Anne Peters, Concerned citizen
Mary Tasz, Algoma U faculty, PT
Meagan Christou, Concerned citizen
Meagan Mckee, Algoma U student
Melis Muren, Algoma U faculty
Michael Graydon, Algoma U faculty
Michael Hocevar, Concerned citizen
Michael Kennedy, Algoma U faculty
Michael Saniga, Algoma U faculty, PTCF Business & Economics
Michael Savage, Concerned citizen
Michael Verzosa, Algoma U faculty, Part-time Business Professor, Department of Business
Michelle Langlois, Concerned citizen
Mike Eklund, Concerned citizen
Mona Chevalier, Concerned citizen
Nagma Nagma, Algoma U faculty
Nairne Cameron, Algoma U faculty
Natalia Pshenitsyna, Concerned citizen, Part-time, Brampton
Natalie Owl, Algoma U faculty, Sessional Lecturer
Nathan Murray, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor, Department of English and History
Nicola Shaw, Algoma U faculty, Professor, Biology
Nicole Bessette, Concerned citizen
Nicole Pyykonen, Concerned citizen
Nigmendra Narain, Concerned citizen
Norman Westbury, Concerned citizen
Omar Abou Kasm, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor
Patrick M Kent, Algoma U faculty, PT Sesional, CESD Lab Instructor
Paulette Steeves, Algoma U faculty
Pelham Matthews, Algoma U faculty, Faculty and Dept. Chair
Quincy Clark, Algoma U faculty
Robert Cooper, Algoma U faculty, Adjunct English
Robert Price, Concerned citizen
Robin Isard, Algoma U faculty
Robin Westland, Algoma U faculty, Sessional
Rose Cameron, Algoma U faculty
Sam Bodunrin, Algoma U faculty, Faculty Professor of Human Resources, Dept of Business and Economics.
Santoso Sugianto, Algoma U faculty, Contract Lecturer, Business
Sarah Pinder, Concerned citizen
Satyendra Narayan, Algoma U faculty, Department of Computer Science
Sean Meades, Algoma U faculty, Community Economic and Social Development
Setinder Rupra, Algoma U faculty
Seymour Stein, Algoma U faculty, Business & Economics
Shannon Rowell-Garvon, Algoma U faculty, PT sessional
Sharron Vallii, Algoma U faculty
Shawn Matadeen, Algoma U faculty, Part Time Faculty – Human Resources Management
Sheila Redmond, Algoma U faculty, Dept. English and History
Simonne Macchia, Concerned citizen
Sofia Silberberg, Algoma U faculty, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Business and Economics
Sonia Arscott-Ashman, Concerned citizen
Sridevi Srikanth, Algoma U faculty, Computer Science
Srikanth Balachandran, Algoma U faculty, Professor- PMGT
Stephanie Bangarth, Concerned citizen
Stephanie Purtill, Concerned citizen
Teryn Bruni, Algoma U faculty, Psychology
Tom McDowell, Algoma U faculty, Part-Time Instructor; Department of Law and Justice and Political Science
Tony Fabiano, Algoma U faculty, Contract Professor, Philosophy
Tony Robinson-Smith, Algoma U faculty, Assistant Professor, English & History
Trevor Beaudoin, Algoma U staff
Ushnish Sengupta, Algoma U faculty
Veronica Afonso, Concerned citizen
Vidya Narayan, Algoma U faculty, Part-time professor
Vinay Yarlagadda, Algoma U faculty, Part-Time and School of Business and Economics
Wai Tak Chan, Algoma U faculty, Social Work
Warren Johnston, Algoma U faculty, Professor of History