In Conversation with Catherine Jenkins
Insights on CUPE 3904 and the Power of Experience in Higher Education
Behind many of TMU’s dynamic classrooms are contract lecturers whose unique backgrounds and dedication shape student success every day. Catherine Jenkins, a veteran lecturer in TMU’s School of Professional Communication and President of CUPE 3904, brings both classroom insight and a strong voice for the contract academic staff she represents. In this conversation, she reflects on the rewards of teaching, the strengths CUPE members contribute to the university and the challenges—and opportunities—shaping the future of post-secondary education.
(Photo by Robert McGee, 2022)
Staying curious and building meaningful learning spaces
“What pulls me back to the classroom is my curiosity about what students are thinking. What is important to the next generation? What are their concerns? What are their goals? What skills as a Contract Lecturer, writer, and editor can I offer to help them towards their goals? I enjoy supporting students’ success.”
For Catherine, the classroom is a space of connection and mutual exchange, enriched by her own professional background and life experiences.
“I’ve taught some courses many times over many years. It always feels good to make a course my own by adding personal perspectives to the learning materials and examples. I worked in retail and on Bay Street before returning to school for my PhD and starting to teach at TMU, so I have lots of stories to share that provide relevant examples of work-life. Being transparent about my own experiences gives students permission to be more transparent about their own experiences.”
A particular highlight for her has been the development of a course that blends creativity with critical thinking.
“What I’m most proud of in my teaching is the CMN 231: Communicating with Comics course I developed a couple of years ago that is now available to students across campus as a lower-level liberal. The curriculum allows students to explore comics they’re interested in through a theoretical lens, introducing students to research, citations and references, and the application of theory. Readings and lectures include comics that explore challenging topics, like politics, gender, sexualities, race, ethnicity, disabilities and mental health. Showing that something as approachable as comics can be used to examine challenging topics gives students permission to open up when they create their final comic. Students have expressed that they find developing their comic both creative and cathartic.”
The strengths and expertise of CUPE members
Catherine’s classroom experience informs her leadership of CUPE 3904, where she advocates for a broad community of Contract Lecturers who enrich TMU well beyond individual courses.
“Many CUPE Unit 1 and Unit 2 members have PhDs; some Unit 3s are working on their PhDs as graduate students. Although we are required to provide evidence of professional and academic currency, we must do so while often teaching more courses than our TFA colleagues and with fewer research funding opportunities.”
Academic credentials, Catherine emphasizes, are only part of the picture.
“Additionally, many of us also have professional private and public sector work and creative experience in our chosen field, whether that’s business, nursing, architecture, engineering or any of the creative arts.
(Photo by Aiden Milroy, 2025)
Having a Contract Lecturer teaching in Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Film, Midwifery, Social Work, Professional Communication or another program who is professionally active in their field allows students a glimpse of the work and perseverance that they themselves will need to succeed professionally. This access may also offer opportunities for students to enter professional spaces even before they’re fully qualified.”
This unique combination of academic rigor and real-world experience, Catherine notes, speaks directly to TMU’s identity.
“Given the school’s origins as a polytechnic, TMU has always prided itself on supporting both theoretical and practical education. CUPE Contract Lecturers have the right combination of education and experience to offer both.”
Beyond professional diversity, CUPE 3904’s membership is also demographically varied, which Catherine sees as vital to student success.
“CUPE 3904 also has a very diverse membership in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, (dis)abilities, and ethnicity, allowing students access to instructors who may share their own backgrounds, face some of the same challenges, and can illustrate their success in spite of potential difficulties.”
(Photo by Lori-Ann Richards, 2023)
Navigating challenges and embracing adaptability
Despite their many strengths, CUPE members face ongoing challenges in a changing academic environment.
“One of the biggest challenges Contract Lecturers face is increasing class sizes, with growing numbers of students requiring accommodations. This combination means CUPE members are working harder than ever. The recently negotiated collective agreements offer reasonable increases in pay and benefits, which help make up for the intensity of work our members now undertake.”
Funding cuts to post-secondary institutions have also created significant strain.
“Due to post-secondary funding cuts by the current Provincial government, the whole sector is under a great deal of stress. This has made it much more challenging for some of our members to make a living in academe; many work at multiple universities and/or colleges just to make ends meet. CUPE members have learned to be flexible and say yes to whatever work comes their way. Although I’d like to see more stability for our members, I don’t think this will happen until additional investments are made in the sector. This is a problem well beyond CUPE or TMU, and permeates the entire post-secondary sector in Ontario.”
The rise of AI has also brought mixed reactions among educators, and Catherine stresses the importance of preparing students for a changing technological landscape.
“Over the last couple of years, AI has gotten a lot of attention in the media and in academe. I’ve heard members express both negative and positive opinions about using AI and understand both perspectives. The genie is out of the bottle; students who are graduating now will be working in a world where AI is another tool. As educators, I think it’s important that we prepare students for success, and at this point in history, part of that preparation means showing students how to use AI intelligently and transparently.”
She points out that concerns over new technology are not new.
“This isn’t the first time educators have felt anxious about a new technology; anxieties occurred when the Google search engine became available, and even when calculators were first allowed in classrooms. As instructors, we’ve always had to adapt to evolving technologies and predict how they might be used by students and in the workplace. We need to learn enough about AI so that we can teach students how to use it well in an evolving world.”
Supporting contract lecturers
Looking ahead, Catherine is optimistic about the supports available for Contract Lecturers.
“In my experience, CUPE members are very supportive of each other’s success and willing to share insights. The union’s executive, especially the unit VPs, work very hard to ensure our members are hired according to the negotiated collective agreements in place with TMU. We offer advice, track hiring, and can grieve in the event of unfair appointments.
“The revamped CUPE 3904 website provides a lot of information about who we are and what we do, including access to the Collective Agreements, regular news updates and newsletters, online forms for professional development and health benefit forms, and contact information.
The Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) also provides evolving content to support instructors in all three units, including sessions for online teaching, course development, academic integrity, EDI and most recently pedagogical applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The CELT is very responsive to requests for new workshops as the post-secondary environment continues to evolve.”
For new contract lecturers, Catherine offers practical advice and encouragement.
“If you’re a new contract lecturer or academic assistant at TMU, you automatically become a member of CUPE Local 3904. We represent over 3000 full-time and part-time members. The union ensures the appropriate collective agreement has been exercised in your hiring. If you have doubts or questions, please contact your Unit VP. Unit 1 represents day-school instructors; Unit 2 represents Chang School Continuing Education instructors; and Unit 3 represents Academic Assistants.”
She encourages new members to engage with the Union community.
“Starting in September, our office in KHW 373 will be open on Tuesdays. In addition to the fall and winter socials at Oakham House, we plan to reboot the CUPE Coffee Club this fall, with informal monthly office drop-ins. Stay tuned for announcements! In addition to formal requests for advice or representation, these social events offer opportunities for members to meet and chat with the executive and seek input from the appropriate Executive member.
It’s also helpful to meet other CUPE members in your department, school and/or faculty. Stewards for each department are listed on the CUPE 3904 website under the appropriate unit webpage. As CUPEs, our experiences can be quite different from those of the TFA, so it can be helpful to know who to turn to in your own department or school.”
(Photo by Aiden Milroy, 2025)