Canadian Association of University Teachers
| Full name | Canadian Association of University Teachers Association canadienne des professeures et professeurs d'université |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1951 |
| Members | 68,000 |
| Affiliation | Education International |
| Key people | Robin Vose, president David Robinson, executive director |
| Office location | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Country | Canada |
| Website | www.caut.ca |
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is a federation of independent associations and trade unions representing approximately 68,000 teachers, librarians, researchers and other academic professionals and general staff at 120 universities and colleges across Canada.
The principal objectives of CAUT, as defined in its general by-law, are the following::
In November 1949, the Association of Teaching Staff of the University of Alberta first began exploring the idea of creating a national association of faculty to deal with issues of "salaries and pensions, sabbatical leave and academic freedom."
A poll of professors across the country found strong support for the initiative.
When the Learned Societies, now Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences held their annual session in 1950 at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, an organizing committee was established and a decision was made to establish a national organization of university teachers.
Membership grew quickly. By 1957, CAUT represented about 78 percent of Canadian university teachers with 26 member associations and 3,400 full-time faculty. However, the organization struggled financially. It continued to operate without a national office and was staffed entirely by volunteers.
In 1958, CAUT was confronted with one of the most prominent academic freedom cases in Canada. The Board of Regents of Winnipeg's United College, a Presbyterian institution that is today the University of Winnipeg, dismissed Professor Harry S. Crowe for a letter he wrote to a colleague. The letter, obtained by the Principal of the college, was critical of the administration and made disparaging comments about the religious influence over the institution. CAUT was asked to investigate the matter and appointed a committee that included V.C. Fowke of the University of Saskatchewan and Bora Laskin of the University of Toronto. In its final report, the committee concluded that Crowe's dismissal violated due process, natural justice and academic freedom. The committee recommended that Crowe be reinstated. Following the release of the report, three of Crowe's colleagues stated they planned to resign unless Crowe was re-hired. The Board of Regents eventually agreed to reinstate Crowe, but refused to reconsider the three resignations. In protest, Crowe and 13 other professors left the college.
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