ATPUO Campaign
With every round of bargaining, the employer demands significant concessions from ATPUO members. There is no justification for such concessions: enrollment is at record highs, and the administration boasts about the university’s strong financial health. Yet this time, the employer wants the ability to terminate its Long-Term Appointment (LTA) Teaching Professors without valid reasons, despite their high qualifications and outstanding track records. ATPUO wants to remind the university community of the invaluable contributions these Teaching Professors make.
By sharing their stories, we aim to make their work more visible and help demonstrate the value they bring to our classrooms and beyond. Their work deserves recognition and protection.
Take a moment to get to know our members and discover the people who have made a lasting impact on many cohorts of students!
Click on the professor’s name below to find out more:
- Izabel Barsive;
- Cheikh B. Ndongo, Ph.D.;
- Martine Rhéaume, D.Ed.;
- André Perrier;
- Robert Rival, DMA;
- Stephanie Kain, Ph.D.;
- Émilie Bernier, Ph.D.;
- Nathalie Le Marec, Ph.D.
Izabel Barsive
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten her position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
Her Qualifications?
She holds a Master’s degree in Communication (M.A.), a certificate in Journalism, and two university degrees in Occupational Therapy. Izabel is also an expert in digital arts and the creator of several experimental works featured at international festivals. She has been actively involved in Ottawa’s cultural community for more than 25 years, including as a member of arts juries and as a mentor.
A Longstanding Commitment
She has been teaching for more than 21 years. Izabel primarily teaches multimedia and video in the Department of Communication, as well as at other institutions. She has shared her passion with hundreds of students, whether Francophone, Francophile, or Anglophone. Since receiving her Long-Term Appointment (LTA) in 2015, she has developed the curricula for Multimedia I and II, courses that are very popular with students.
Vital Contribution to the University and Her Impact on Students
As part of her Long-Term Appointment (LTA), she has also supervised more than 200 students completing their CMN3916 communication internships. This experience has helped students secure employment.
Her Professional Experience
In 2022, Izabel Barsive received the Faculty of Arts Award for Excellence in Teaching (Teaching Professors). She has also received recognition for her work as a radio journalist, photographer, media artist, and mentor.
And a Little Quirkiness!
Her cats, Gaspard and Colomba, are the famous mascots of her courses.
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!
Cheikh B. Ndongo, Ph.D.
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten his position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
His Qualifications?
He holds a Ph.D. and has published three papers during his doctoral studies. In 2014, he received the Department of Mathematics’ Teaching Assistant Award at the University of Ottawa.
A Longstanding Commitment
He has been teaching since 2017 and has held a Long-Term Appointment (LTA) since 2018. Over the course of his teaching career, he has taught more than 4,200 students.
Vital Contributions to the University
He dedicates eight hours each week to the Mathematics Help Centre, where he supports students in their learning, answers their questions, and helps them overcome challenges in mathematics.
The Centre plays an important role in supporting student success, and its operations rely heavily on the commitment of LTA professors.
His Impact on Students
For him, teaching is about more than explaining mathematical concepts, it is about helping students see that mathematics can be accessible and even enjoyable.
He is committed to finding simple, intuitive ways to explain concepts that may initially seem complex. His impact is clear when students who once struggled with mathematics begin to gain confidence and develop an appreciation for the subject.
Recognition that Matters
One of the greatest rewards of teaching, he says, is receiving a message from a parent thanking him for helping their child fall in love with mathematics.
A few years ago, he received such a message from a senior faculty leader, a particularly meaningful recognition of the impact he has on their students.
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!
Martine Rhéaume, Ph.D.
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten her position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
Her Qualifications?
She holds a Doctor of Education (D.Ed.) in Educational Leadership, a Master’s degree in Second Language Education, and two bachelor’s degrees. She is also a member in good standing of the Ontario College of Teachers.
A Longstanding Commitment
She has been teaching for more than 40 years and has contributed to the University of Ottawa since 1986. She has been teaching at the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) since 2003 and has held a long-term appointment since 2015.
Vital Contributions to the University
As a professor, researcher, and instructional designer, Martine contributes to innovation in language teaching, the development of hybrid and bimodal courses, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence. Since 2023, she has served as Coordinator of Technological Innovation and Artificial Intelligence in Language Teaching at OLBI.
Her Impact on Students
Throughout her career, she has supported thousands of students and future teachers, encouraging them to take linguistic risks, communicate with confidence, and learn through experimentation.
And a Little Bit of Quirkiness!
For Martine, the classroom is a living laboratory: podcasts, role-playing, conversation cafés, and intercultural exchanges. Her philosophy? Learning a language means daring, experimenting… and sometimes laughing in French!
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!
André Perrier
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten his position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
His Qualifications?
He holds a Master’s degree in Directing from the University of Ottawa. He has directed numerous theatre productions presented across Canada, served as Artistic Director of Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario in Sudbury, and founded his own theatre research company.
A Longstanding Commitment
He received his Long-Term Appointment (LTA) in 2016. A few years ago, the Department of Theatre celebrated his 20 years of teaching and his contributions to the department during World Theatre Day celebrations. Time flies!
Vital Contributions to the University
For André, supporting young performers after graduation by providing them with professional opportunities is essential. He developed a partnership with Théâtre de l’Île to create cabaret performances showcasing emerging talent, and his company is actively committed to supporting emerging artists. He is currently working with five graduates of the Department of Theatre’s conservatory acting program.
His Professional Experience
He has received numerous distinctions, including the King Charles III Coronation Medal, awarded in recognition of his contribution to the Franco-Ontarian theatre scene and to postsecondary education in French; the Faculty of Arts Award for Excellence in Teaching; two Masques for Best French-Canadian Production; the Théâtre Action Award of Excellence; two Trille Or awards from the Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique; and a gold medal at the Jeux de la Francophonie for a story he directed.
His Impact on Students
He has taught nearly 1,000 students and helped train the majority of performers and cultural workers in the region. It is practically impossible to attend a production without spotting former students in the cast!
And a Little Bit of Quirkiness!
At the end of every course, he organizes a knitwear scavenger hunt, where each student leaves with a knitted item made by his mother: a tuque, scarf, socks, slippers, mittens, and more!
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!
Robert Rival, DMA
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten his position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
His Qualifications?
He holds a DMA in Composition (U of Toronto) and MFA in Musical Theatre Writing (NYU). His music for orchestra, chamber ensemble and voice has been performed widely in Canada and abroad, including at Carnegie Hall, by leading orchestras, musicians, ensembles and choirs. His research on twentieth-century composers has been published in international scholarly journals.
A Longstanding Commitment
He has taught as a contract instructor since 2000—at NYU, U of Windsor, U of Toronto, U of Alberta, Queen’s, and since 2016, at uOttawa. He received a long-term appointment (LTA) in 2023.
Vital Contributions to the University
He has been the Coordinator of the Composition Sector since 2021 in which role he facilitates student concerts, professional workshops, the assignment of students to studios, awards, graduate program admission and oversight, a lively series of international guest lectures and events, and communication with key partners such as Chamberfest, the NAC Orchestra, a private donor, and the office of philanthropy.
His Professional Experience
He is also the former Resident Composer of the Edmonton Symphony (2011-2014). His award-winning compositions have been commissioned and performed by leading musicians across Canada with the support of grants from the Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council, among others. His debut solo album, Winter Songs, featuring uOttawa colleagues and recorded at uOttawa, was released on Centrediscs in August. He has presented research, often as an invited speaker, at international conferences in the UK, Denmark and France, and has co-edited a book.
His Impact on Students
At uOttawa he has taught well over a thousand students in dozens of courses in music theory and composition, in both English and French, at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has taught graduate seminars related to his research and supervises masters students.
And a Little Bit of Quirkiness!
He is an avid year-round recreational hockey player, including at the uOttawa arena, and an open-water swimmer, until the ice forms.
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!
Stephanie Kain, Ph.D.
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten her position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
Her Qualifications?
She holds an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, UK, specializing in creative nonfiction and historical fiction, respectively. She also holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Ottawa.
A Longstanding Commitment
She has held a Long-Term Appointment since 2023, teaching six courses annually across two terms. Her graduating students call her The Triple Threat (she hopes with affection!) because she teaches them across three different genres: creative nonfiction, fiction, and writing with visuals, which means that she is able to tailor the students’ final portfolios to their strengths in upper years. She also teaches English literature.
Vital Contribution to the University
She is an active member of the Creative Writing Committee and leads the School for Writing feasibility study, exploring future programming. She is also known for bringing experiential learning, student-led activities, and end-of-term showcases into her teaching.
Her Impact on Students
Due to the large class sizes in creative writing and literature, she teaches approximately 150 students per term, or around 300 students annually.
Among students, she is known for her commitment to experiential learning, student-led activities, and end-of-term showcases celebrating student work.
Her Research Profile
Her current research is supported by an Ontario Arts Grant and centres on a fictionalized account of a real Ontario institution, exploring issues like eugenic sterilization and queer history. Her novels have been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary and Golden Crown Literary awards.
And a Little Bit of Quirkiness!
She writes under several pen names and has been on a major media tour, including an appearance on The Social.
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!
Émilie Bernier, Ph.D.
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten her position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
Her Qualifications?
She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Ottawa and is the author of an award-winning dissertation from which she has published several articles in scholarly journals.
A Longstanding Commitment
She has been teaching and educating hundreds of students in both official languages since 2013. After years of precarity, she secured a long-term teaching position in 2020, a position that is now at risk.
Vital Contributions to the University
She manages the CO-OP program, supervises graduate students, and has co-hosted the very popular reading group on the works of Marx and Engels for the past five years.
Her Impact on Students
Émilie has taught more than 40 different courses and has educated more than 2,000 students at all levels!
And a Little Bit of Spiritedness!
She simply can’t resist breaking into the anthem of the Socialist Internationale during her classes. Consider yourself warned!
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!
Nathalie Le Marec, Ph.D.
The employer is demanding concessions that directly threaten her position. Here’s what our community risks losing:
Her Qualifications?
She holds a Ph.D. in Psychophysiology, specializing in behavioural neuroscience, from the University of Rouen in France. She completed two postdoctoral positions in Montreal, in neurology and neuroscience, studying the role of cerebellar disorders and their impact on learning abilities. She also conducted seven years of research in Montreal on memory, learning, and sleep. She has authored 24 scientific publications.
A Longstanding Commitment
She has dedicated more than 30 years to teaching in France, Montreal, Gatineau, and Ottawa. She has been teaching at the University of Ottawa for 23 years, developing a wide range of courses, including large-enrollment classes with up to 350 students! She received a Long-Term Appointment (LTA) in 2018, which was renewed in 2023 through 2028. Yet, after 23 years at the University, she still has no real job security!
Vital Contributions to the University
She has created optional workshops for first-year students and supports students in their personal projects, whether related to research, volunteering, or creating psychology-focused websites. She has also established a neuroscience camp for teenagers.
Her Impact on Students
Committed to supporting student success, she adapts her courses, PowerPoint presentations, and exams by incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. She also provides students with practical advice on how to better organize their studying and is always attentive to their needs.
Let’s not allow the administration’s demands to undermine the quality of our education and make our teaching professors more precarious. Support our demands and mobilize for quality education!