Updates

The following letter was shared with the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) President from President Kim Brooks following the conclusion of bargaining on Monday, August 11. It can also be viewed as a PDF.

August 11, 2025

David Westwood
President
Dalhousie Faculty Association

I am writing to share the Board of Governors’ final offer [PDF] in the current round of collective bargaining.

I know these have not been easy negotiations, and that tough times can result in tough discussions. But I believe we share common ground in the belief that it’s the people who make Dalhousie what it is, and that faculty are at the heart of our university — shaping ideas, advancing research, and helping students learn and thrive. They are joined in support of this work by dedicated staff, administrators, and academic leaders whose daily efforts sustain our community and advance our mission.

In this spirit, the Board is offering a final proposal that tries to balance fair compensation for faculty with our responsibility to ensure Dalhousie’s long-term financial health. We have withdrawn our proposal regarding the 90/10 rule in the attached modified proposals. We continue to believe Dalhousie must reimagine academic staffing models to meet changing needs, but it is in our collective best interests to face our current challenges together. We look forward to working with the DFA on strategies to build and sustain an academic community that supports learners and scholars now and into the future.

The enclosed offer [PDF] includes IMC increases of 2% per year across a three-year agreement, along with ongoing eligibility for Career Development Increments and promotion increases. While the proposed IMC increases are in line with current inflation rates, we acknowledge that this offer does not reflect the higher inflation rates of previous years. We know many faculty (and staff) face financial pressures. We also know the challenges faculty members have weathered in recent years, including adapting to a pandemic, supporting students experiencing increased mental health challenges, and navigating geopolitical tensions. We truly wish we could offer more. Our priority with this offer is to protect core academic activity and minimize further significant layoffs in the years ahead. This is the most we can responsibly commit to at this time.

We hope faculty will recognize the effort to find common ground, including the withdrawal of 90/10 proposal — a decision made in the spirit of partnership and longer-term collaboration. In the full context of the university’s financial realities and future responsibilities, we believe this offer represents a serious and principled path forward.

We know many in our Dal community are anxious about seeing a resolution to these negotiations, particularly our faculty and students who are looking forward to the start of term. For this reason, I would like to request that you bring this final offer to the DFA membership for a vote that would conclude by the end of this week. Please note that I will be sharing this letter with the Dal community following the conclusion of today’s bargaining session.

I am grateful for the hard work of our bargaining teams over the past year.  I hope this offer will be acceptable to our DFA faculty and that we can continue our work to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and excellent university for the decades to come.

Sincerely,

Kim Brooks
President

Cc:  Wanda Costen, Provost and Vice-President, Academic
      Grace Jefferies, Vice-President, People and Culture
      Gitta Kulczycki, Vice-President, Finance and Administration
      Laura Neals, Assistant Vice-President, People and Culture

Link: Board final offer, August 11, 2025