Dr. Allison McCulloch of Brandon University to serve as new MOFA president
The Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations (MOFA) is pleased to announce a new and revitalized executive that will continue to build on the work of past executives in advancing the interests of our members and university post-secondary education in Manitoba. MOFA has been instrumental in pushing back against government cuts to higher education in Manitoba, as well as successfully pressuring the current government to abandon their reckless plan to implement performance-based funding, commonly known as the Tennessee model. Under the leadership of the outgoing executive and council, Manitoba became the first and only province to abandon plans for the Tennessee model.
Leading this new MOFA executive as President is Dr. Allison McCulloch, a professor of political science at Brandon University who previously served as MOFA’s vice president, with Dr. Patrick Noel, a professor of history at Universite de St. Boniface joining as vice president. Rounding out the executive in the role of secretary is Dr. Peter Ives, professor of political science at the University of Winnipeg, with Michael Shaw, a senior instructor of biology at the University of Manitoba continuing in his role as treasurer.
“It’s an honour to take on this new role as the MOFA president and to build on the hard work of my predecessor.” said new MOFA President Allison McCulloch. “I’m excited to work with the new executive and council members. We will continue speak with a united voice on crucial issues facing our members, including maintaining the autonomy of our institutions as well as pushing for stable and committed long-term funding for the post-secondary education sector.”
MOFA also thanks the outgoing members of the executive for their years of dedicated service. In particular, we wish to thank Dr. Scott Forbes, professor of biology at the University of Winnipeg for his years of service to the organization. Taking over the role in 2019, Dr. Forbes was exceptional in organizing MOFA against the directive from the Manitoba government to cut up to 30% of funding from our universities at the beginning of a global pandemic. MOFA was also able to unite faculty voices in Manitoba against the Tennessee model, which the provincial government dropped after MOFA assembled a wide-ranging coalition of Manitobans.
“It has been an absolute honour to work with an incredibly talented group of people during a period of tumult for our universities in Manitoba,” said Dr. Scott Forbes, outgoing MOFA president. “But all good things must come to an end, and I’m delighted that Allison McCulloch will take over the reins at MOFA. She is an accomplished, experienced, and politically savvy academic and I have every confidence in her ability to continue to advance the interests of higher education in our province.”
Additionally, MOFA wishes to thank two outgoing members of their council who have served a cumulative half-century in various capacities with MOFA. Dr. Robert Chernomas of the University of Manitoba and Dr. James (Jim) Clark of the University of Winnipeg. Chernomas and Clark brought a wealth of opinions and experience to the MOFA table, devoting many years of service to MOFA, and the broader cause of higher education in Manitoba.
The Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations (MOFA) is comprised of members of faculty associations from Brandon University, Université de Saint-Boniface, University of Manitoba, and University of Winnipeg representing over 1,600 individual academic staff. MOFA is a proud member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers. We are based on both Treaty 1 and Treaty 2 territories, and the homeland of the Métis Nation.