Setting agreements for alliance & space

The process of setting alliance agreements

Moving forward, how the NOUA becomes more formal, then its current informal nature, is a key conversation. Senior Teaching and Learning Leadership from Lakehead and Nipissing Universities met to discuss “what’s next?”

As one might expect this led to more questions than answers:

Considerations for Faculty members

• Where does this faculty development sit – voluntary or mandatory?
• If voluntary, is there potential it could create a two tiered system among faculty? What impact might this have on tenure and promotion or merit evaluations?
• If mandatory, what are the implications for systems such as tenure and promotion, merit, collective agreements, etc?
• Would the passport be viewed/used as a “carrot” or a “stick” in encouraging and supporting better instructors in the university sphere?

Institutional Considerations

• Are there levels of congruency amongst some of the alliance partners, but not others? Is that OK?
• How do we make this alliance sustainable given all the universities’ different financial and priority constraints, sizes of T&L Centre teams, etc.? Given the variability amongst institutions, we are open to varied participation across the institutions, over time.
• What might a larger and more formalized alliance look like – is NOUA on a trajectory towards the Maple League (https://www.mapleleague.ca/)?

Discussion has led to standardized agreement elements being set up. If you are looking to implement a similar alliance, NOUA suggests that your agreement include;