Can my class sizes be increased?

Your unit may decide to increase your class sizes in response to rationalisations from the Employer about budget cuts and the like, but you can resist in four ways:

1. Don't agree to increases in the sizes of your own classes. Use the contractual protection offered in clause 18.13 as your justification. In brief, this clause says that class sizes are to be frozen until a certain committee reports; to date, it has not.
2. Copy YUFA on any increases that are nonetheless implemented.
3. Should you feel compelled to agree to increases, write to your Dean / Principal stating that you're doing so 'without prejudice to your rights under the Collective Agreement'.
4. Consider grieving any increases.

Can my 'normal teaching load' be increased?

Like class sizes, 'normal teaching loads' are frozen under clause 18.13. The Collective Agreement does provide three ways for them to increase:

1. 'Minor year-to-year fluctuations in an individual's teaching load, these fluctuations balancing out over time', e.g., if your 'normal teaching load' is 2.5 FCEs, you could teach two courses in one year and three in the next.
2. An entire unit's 'normal teaching load' can be permanently increased only with YUFA's consent.
3. In exceptional cases, the Employer could increase your teaching load without your consent, subject to many conditions. If this befalls you, you can grieve.

What are my rights regarding exam scheduling?

You may request exam scheduling accommodations on the following grounds: religious reasons, child care and elder care responsibilities, medical reasons, conference travel, or reasons relating to the unavailability of public transit and lack of alternative transportation to York. Make sure you get your request in early. For more information, click here.

What can I do about extra work created by make-up exams?

Ensure that you handle all student requests formally, i.e., by completing a Deferred Standing Agreement form; otherwise, deferrals won't be recorded and their impact on your workload will be invisible.

What about the additional work related to students who have disability-related needs for accommodation?

Under the Human Rights Code you have a responsibility to accommodate such students, so long as they have registered with one of the programs for students with disabilities. The program will provide a formal letter for the student and recommend accommodations. For privacy reasons, you won't have access to other information about the student's disability.

Can a colleague use my course materials without my permission?

You have copyright of all of your written, artistic and recorded works, including materials such as lectures, videos, computer programs, choreography, cartographic materials, bibliographic materials, correspondence and Internet course packages, interactive textbooks ... and more. See clause 23.02 for further examples.

Your materials cannot be used or altered by anyone else without your written permission.

Service

Do I have to do service?

Service to the University, along with teaching and research, scholarly or creative activity, is part of your professional obligations and responsibilities. The Collective Agreement says that the pattern of these duties may vary between streams (Professorial, Alternate, and Librarian) and from individual to individual.

For information about service in relation to tenure, see the Tenure FAQs.

What counts as service?

Click here for the list. Note in particular that it includes YUFA service and - new in the 2009-2012 Collective Agreement - service to the external community (e.g., service to Aboriginal communities) that is demonstrably relevant to the University's academic priorities.

What are the stipends and minimum teaching releases associated with academic and YUFA administrative positions?

Click here for the answer for various Chair, Coordinator, Director, Head, and other positions.

Click here for information regarding YUFA positions, such as President, Vice President, Chief Steward, Communications Officer, and Equity Officer.

Limiting your workload

Am I entitled to teaching assistance?

The Employer must provide at least marker / grader assistance for classes with over 50 students.

Are there limits to how many days a week or hours a day I can be required to teach?

Yes. Normally, you can't be required to teach:

• more than five days a week;
• more than ten hours in a day;
• sooner than 11 hours after you've completed your teaching for the day. This helps if you finish teaching at 10 p.m. on Monday and don't want to teach at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

What does the contract say about summer teaching?

YUFA has bargained protections of members' traditional uninterrupted free time in the summer so that they may pursue their research. Accordingly, the Collective Agreement says that, without your consent, you cannot be assigned:

• more than 1.0 FCE of summer teaching;
• more than two consecutive summers of teaching;
• two consecutive summers of teaching, if you're probationary (pre-tenured), except in extraordinary circumstances;
• more than three consecutive terms - including summer terms - of teaching, under normal circumstances;
• more than ten consecutive months of teaching, except in extraordinary circumstances.

That said, you can agree to teach more than the above in the summer, if you like.

Can I work part-time and still keep my position?

Yes. There are two relevant sections of the contract:

1. According to clauses 18.25 and 18.26, you can apply to your Dean / Principal / University Librarian to reduce your load by up to 1/3. In your application, specify the period and amount of the reduction. If it's approved, normally your salary, pension contributions, years of service toward tenure, pension, and sabbatical will be reduced proportionally.

However, you can choose to top-up your pension contributions and LTD premiums. You can also request that the Employer do the same, which it may do, depending on whether your reduction is also in the interests of the University.

2. Tenured members 55 and up who have at least five years of active service at York can use clause 14.02 (b) to elect to go on 'irrevocable reduced load'. This is a workload and salary reduction of up to 80% of what's normal, while the Employer maintains all benefits, including making both your and its pension contributions, at 100%, i.e., as if you were on full load.

You can then further reduce (but not increase) your workload and salary, by up to 80% of what's normal, with 9 months' notice and the agreement of your Dean / Principal / University Librarian.

You can stay on irrevocable reduced load for up to ten years or till the 30th of June in the year that your pension payments must, by law, begin - whichever comes sooner.

Whatever you arrange, get it in writing from the get-go! And remember, it's not just your teaching load that's reduced, but also your service and research.

How much vacation do I get and what are my holidays?

Almost everyone gets one month of vacation per year. You can take this any time you wish, so long as:

• you aren't teaching a course at the time,

• you inform your Dean / Principal / University Librarian or designate (i.e., your Chair),

• you're back on campus one week before the beginning of classes in the session in which you're teaching.

If you hold a CLA for less than 12 months, click here.

In addition to the regular statutory holidays, you also get several days around Christmas and the New Year. Check clause 18.02 of the Collective Agreement to find out this year's days.

Especially for librarians

What workload protections are there for professional librarians?

If you are a librarian, three rules govern your workload:

1. The 35-hour rule - your workload is 35 hours per week. The University Librarian or designates (usually department heads) must assign your professional responsibilities consistent with this limit, taking into account all aspects of librarians' responsibilities. Your 35 hours must be scheduled fairly and cannot include consecutive weekends or more than one evening per week.
2. The research rule - professional development, research, and scholarship are integral to - not additional to - your workload and must be taken into account when your other responsibilities are assigned. If you require time away from the Library to pursue professional development, research, and scholarship, the University Librarian, through the department head, should provide release time upon request. You are also entitled to 22 'research days' and can apply for a half course-equivalent release - more on these below.
3. The complement rule - the Employer cannot reduce the number of librarians in YUFA. Retirees and terminations must be replaced promptly. The Employer must provide a reasonable amount of part-time assistance for peak periods and to replace members on leave, including those on sick leaves of over one month.

What are librarians' 'research days'?

You are entitled to 22 'research days' - improved in the 2009-2012 Collective Agreement from the former 20 days. During which you pursue professional development, research, and scholarship, as they see fit. To use one of these days, inform your department head a week in advance. Unused days can be carried into the next year.

What about the half course-equivalent releases?

New in the 2009-2012 Collective Agreement, up to six of these releases (the equivalent of one day per week over six months) are available annually to support research projects. The Research and Awards Committee reviews applications, which include a detailed proposal, and makes recommendations to the University Librarian / Dean of Law.

More info?

• Your Collective Agreement, clause 14.02 (b) (irrevocable reduced load), Article 18 (terms & conditions), clauses 19.19 (educational leave), 19.28 (external release time fellowships), 19.32 & 19.33 (internal fellowships), 23.02 (copyright) and Appendix I (librarians' workload) & Appendix P (stipends for academic administrative positions).
• Memo to YUFA President re 18.08.2 (unit teaching load reduction)
• Weekend Exam Settlement document
• Workload documents by department

Version: September 2010