Some of you have contacted us regarding two communications received by the membership from the Provost during the ratification process. The first, at about the same time as we sent out the voting announcement, urging academic staff to vote on the retirement incentive proposal, and a second memo confirming clarification of age eligibility. For further details, please see the letter I sent to the Provost regarding these communications. The Faculty Association has now filed a grievance on this matter, as mentioned in the letter. This text of this letter is included below (click here for a .PDF of the letter).

Thank you to all those who emailed, voted and in one way or another made your voice heard.

Eileen Lohka, Principal Negotiator

—–

March 27, 2012

Dr. Dru Marshall
Provost & Vice-President (Academic)

Dear Dr. Marshall,

I am writing to you as Principal Negotiator for the Faculty Association.

I am deeply concerned about the two recent emails you sent out to the membership of the Association.  I am sure you are fully aware that it is extremely inappropriate for a member of the Senior Administration to contact our members directly on bargaining matters while a ratification is in process.  This alone is a violation of the Association’s rights as the exclusive bargaining agent.

In addition to that breach, you have also provided the membership with misleading if not downright false information.  You have stated that “…while offering such a package is a management right that is not required to be bargaining, the university invited TUCFA to negotiate as a collaborative process.”  This is simply not true.   Let me remind you of what the Faculty Association received from the Director of Faculty and Employee Relations, on March 2, 2012, which was cc’d to you:  “…the UofC is recognizing TUCFA as the authorized bargaining agent for purposes of negotiating this One Time Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program.”

Regardless of the outcome of the current vote, please be advised that the Faculty Association will be filing a formal grievance on this matter.

Sincerely,

Eileen Lohka,
Principal Negotiator

>> CAFA Distinguished Academic Awards

<< Dues are Tax Deductible

Two Awards are available. The CAFA Distinguished Academic Award  recognizes an academic staff member, or group of staff members, who through their research and/or other scholarly, creative or professional activities have made an outstanding contribution to the wider community beyond the university. The second is the CAFA Distinguished Academic Early Career Award that recognizes an academic staff member at an early stage of his or her career, who through his or her research and/or other scholarly, creative or professional activity has made an outstanding contribution to the wider community beyond the university.

More information and nomination forms can be found through the CAFA website at www.ualberta.ca/CAFA or by contacting the Faculty Association office.

CAFA Distinguished Academic Awards Poster

>> Provincial Election 2012 – Resources for Academic Staff

<< Retirement Incentive Ratification Interference

>> CAUT Call for Papers – Contract Academic Staff

<< CAFA Distinguished Academic Awards

YES   167 votes (34.0%)
NO     324 votes (66.0%)

Total votes cast:   491
Spoiled votes:   0
Not counted:   1

Total ballots issued: 1767 (by email to ongoing members)

The Election Committee hereby declares that the ongoing membership has rejected the offer from the Board of Governors regarding the one-time voluntary retirement incentive.

Click here for information on ratification interference.

>> Board of Directors Election Results

<< CAUT Call for Papers – Contract Academic Staff

As you prepare your taxes, remember that your TUCFA dues (which include CAFA dues) and your CAUT dues are tax deductible. You can find these dues on your pay stub and in box 44 of your 2011 U of C T4.

>> Retirement Incentive Ratification Interference

<< Board of Directors Election Results

If you have research or reflections on this issue, please send an abstract of 500 words or less, an estimate of the length of the finished piece (3,000-4,000 words for reflections, 5,000-6,000 words for original research) and your full contact details to Robert Johnson, CAUT Professional Officer, (johnson AT caut.ca) by June 30, 2012. Authors of accepted proposals will be contacted with details and deadlines.

>> Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program Ratification Results

<< Provincial Election 2012 – Resources for Academic Staff

• Don Fujita (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Janice Kinch (Nursing)
• Ki-Young Lee (Cell Biology and Anatomy)
• Eileen Lohka (French, Italian and Spanish)
• Liza McCoy (Sociology)
• Peggy Patterson (Education)
• Georgette Paré (Drama) in the designated sessional seat

>> Dues are Tax Deductible

<< Voluntary Retirement Incentive Plan Ratification Results

I must begin by apologizing for the time that has elapsed since I published my most recent Academic Views article in December. I hope to atone for this delay by making available some data in which I think you’ll be interested, these being the results from last spring’s engagement survey for salaried academic staff. I had wanted to be able to share this information with you much earlier in the 2011-12 academic year, but the Association was not able to gain access to the results until 21^st March.

You may recall that I raised the issue of the engagement survey in my December 2011 article (it was one of four “significant” items I wanted to bring to your attention), but at the time I knew almost nothing about how academic staff had responded to the 80 questions constituting the survey.  The availability of the engagement survey results has been discussed at a number of meetings of both the Faculty Ass

ociation’s Executive Committee and its Board of Directors, with concerns expressed relating initially to how long it took for any information on the survey results to be shared, and then regarding the “thin gruel” that was eventually shared with U of C staff in mid-November 2011.

We had been hoping that the U of C administration would voluntarily share additional details on the survey results with the university community, but once it became clear to the Association that nothing beyond what was released on 16^th November was going to be made available, we determined that we would have to take action.  Consequently, on the 21^st February a formal access to information request was submitted to the office of the University’s Access and Privacy Coordinator requesting full details on the engagement survey results.  The response to this request, including the requested data, was provided to us on 21^st March.

A preliminary analysis of the results provided by the Access and Privacy Coordinator has now been completed and I am writing to share this analysis with you.  Posted here is a 10-page document summarizing the responses of members of the academic staff to each of the 80 questions, together with some additional summary information that may be of interest (a link to the document is also posted at the bottom of this page).  The response to the access to information request presented separate results for each of two categories of academic staff, those with tenure and those without tenure.  The posted summary document presents the aggregated results for all academic staff who responded to the survey.

Before describing the results, here is some background information on the survey questions (based on the information provided by the Access and Privacy Coordinator):

-  There were 80 questions in the survey, organized under 16 categories as specified by the Hay Group,  the designer of the survey.

-  Results for each question are reported in terms of the percentage of respondents answering “Favourably”, “Neutrally”, or “Unfavourably”.  There were two main types of question as follows:

-  43 questions were of the form “How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement” with responses restricted to the five point scale:

-  1=Strongly Disagree; 2=Tend to Disagree; 3=Hard to Decide; 4=Tend to Agree; 5=Strongly Agree
-  A response of 1 or 2 is counted as unfavourable while a 4 or 5 is counted as favourable.

-  35 questions were of the form “Rate the University in terms of some dimension” with responses restricted to the five point scale:

-  1=Very Poor; 2=Poor; 3=Average; 4=Good; 5=Very Good
-  Again, a response of 1 or 2 is counted as unfavourable while a 4 or 5 is counted as favourable.

-  There were two questions, each of which had a unique response scale:

-  Question 79, “Overall, how would you rate your satisfaction working at the University at the present time”:

-  1=Very Dissatisfied; 2=Dissatisfied; 3=Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied; 4=Satisfied; 5=Very Satisfied.
-  Again, a response of 1 or 2 is counted as unfavourable while a 4 or 5 is counted as favourable.

-  Question 80, “Based on your career plans, how long are you likely to continue working at the University”:

-  1=Will retire in the next 1-2 yrs; 2=Will probably leave, but not retire, within the next year; 3=Will probably stay 1-2 more years; 4=No plans to leave the University at present
-  A response of 4 was counted as favourable, a 3 was deemed neutral, a 2 was counted as unfavourable, and a 1 was excluded from the results.

Here’s a summary of the survey results that are provided in the 10-page summary document:

-  Overall 711 academic staff responded to the survey, a rate of around 34% (468 with tenure {a 45% response rate} and 243 without tenure {a 23% response rate}).

-  The first page highlights the results for the “top-10” and “bottom-10” questions (from any category) where the ranking is based on the percentage of respondents answering favourably minus the percentage answering unfavourably.  For example, focusing on just the top and bottom questions:

-  86% of the academic staff responding to the survey agree (or strongly agree) with the statement “I have the opportunity to do challenging and interesting work”, while only 8.7% disagree (or strongly disagree).
-  Only 11% of academic staff responding to the survey rate the University as good (or very good) in terms of “Providing the funding to support my department’s needs”, while 65% rate it as poor (or very poor).

-  The next 8 pages present the results for all 80 questions, with the questions grouped according to the 16 categories, and presented at two categories per page.  E.g. there are 6 questions in the “Engagement” category, 4 in the “Enablement” category, and 10 in the “Resources” category.

-  Finally, a single page summarizing the average results for the questions in each category is presented.  On this page, the categories are sorted from best score to worst score (using the same ranking scheme as for the first page).

If you wish to look at the full, 86-page, response from the U of C’s Access and Privacy Coordinator, this is also available from the Association’s website here (a link to the document is also posted at the bottom of this page).  As previously noted, this document presents results separately for academic staff with and without tenure whereas the 10-page summary document (again, found here) presents results for the academic staff in aggregate.  Please note that both of the posted documents use colour so some of their content may be hard to read if a hard-copy is printed in monochrome.

If you see anything of particular interest in this article or either of the posted documents that you’d like to discuss with me further, please let me know.  I can be reached via email at my Faculty Association address (paul.rogers@tucfa.com).

Summary – U of C Engagement Survey 2011

U of C Engagement Survey 2011 – full response

Individuals who would like to submit their case directly to the Provost (i.e. where the Dean has refused) can get a copy of the template of the application from Human Resources on the web at www.ucalgary.ca/hr/forms/academic_staff.

For more information on salary anomalies, click here to consult Article 15 of the Collective Agreement or contact the Faculty Association office.

We are almost half way through the academic year and I’m confident that the prediction at the end of my September Academic Views article that this would be a busy year for all of us is valid.  Of course, this prediction took no great clairvoyance on my part, as anyone who’s been at the University of Calgary for a few years is cognizant of the increasingly unsustainable workload academic staff members are facing.  I say almost half way as I know that at the time of writing this article, most of you still have final exams to invigilate and then grade, so you still have much to do before the end of semester.  I too am not quite done with the first quarter of my two-year term as President of the Association as one major task stands between me and the holiday break, this being serving as a member (non-voting) of the General Promotions Committee during its December sessions.

The staff and officers of the Association are also facing extremely heavy workloads this year in a number of areas: (i) cases in the general area of grievances; (ii) bargaining activities on a number of topics, stemming from the recently ratified collective agreement; (iii) dealing with process problems at a number of this year’s Faculty Promotion Committees.  Please bear this office staff workload in mind if the Association does not respond to your enquiries as quickly as you would like.

There have been many developments of significance to the Faculty Association over the past months, only a few of which I have space to highlight in this article.  Some of the more salient are summarized below:

1)  The University launched “Eyes High” in late September, following the approval by both GFC and the Board of Governors of the Strategy Summary Document in June 2011.  This document is intended to provide a broad statement of direction for the institution and guidance for the development of planning documents.  While the specific measures on which the University is aiming to be top five are as yet undefined, the document has significant implications for resource reallocation, and acquisition of new resources.  E.g. if the intent is to be top five in sponsored research income, this would need to increase by 66 per cent (assuming that the current top five stay still), based on the latest information from ResearchInfoSource (released November 2011).

2)  Two of the University’s Vice-Presidents, Dru Marshall and Ed McCauley, are leading the development of an academic plan, building upon “Eyes High” (this will form one chapter of the University’s 2012 Comprehensive Institutional Plan, a requirement of the Alberta Government).  An early step in the consultation process on the academic plan was asking the Deans to submit faculty responses to a number of questions.  Deans were asked to be consultative in developing responses, but it is not clear to the Faculty Association which Deans have sought input from the academic staff in their units.  I’d be interested to hear from you concerning whether or not you were given a chance to have some input into developing the responses from your faculty as there are a number of interesting questions in the list given to the Deans (e.g. two where I am sure you would be interested were “What programs will you delete?  Why?”).

3) After a six-month delay, selected results from the University’s engagement survey of salaried faculty and staff were released in mid-November.  While we do not know what the response rate to the survey was for academic staff (the overall response rate was 47%), some of the areas of concern highlighted in the survey results come as no surprise given previously documented issues such as lack of collegial governance.  I am sure that many will be pleased to see that the number one priority of the executive leadership team of the University is to regain the trust of the academy.

4) The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), to which the U of C belongs, has approved a revised version of its Statement on Academic Freedom.   The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has been very critical of the revisions as they “undo many of the advances that have been achieved in the understanding of academic freedom over the past 100 years”.

If you have any thoughts that you wish to share with me on the above topics, or on any others that you think ought to be concerns of the Faculty Association, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Finally, on behalf of the Association, I wish you peace and joy for the imminent holiday season and the new year.

>> Annual Holiday Donation

<< Season’s Greetings

In order to maintain effective communication, both from and to members, the Association has established regular Department Representative meetings. Through these meetings, discussion can take place on the current issues facing the Association, its members, and the University community.

The Association encourages Department Representatives to be diligent in gathering and relaying information in both directions. Department Representatives communicate their academic colleagues’ views to the Association, and reciprocally inform faculty in their area of the Board of Directors’ priorities, positions and activities. The Department Representatives are encouraged to attend the scheduled meetings whenever possible.

After each meeting, Department Representatives are urged to provide a summary to their colleagues by email. To facilitate this, the Association produces a Bulletin which includes the main points discussed at the meeting. The Bulletins are also posted on the Faculty Association’s website. Department Representatives can of course provide and solicit feedback in whatever form best fits their area. 

Academic staff are encouraged to send their comments or feedback to their Department Representative or to forward it directly to the Faculty Association office.  Department Representatives are asked throughout the year to gather input from their colleagues and provide it to the Association.

Department Representatives are often approached by members of their departments or units with questions or problems in relation to academic staff matters and asked for advice. Since answers to many such questions and problems have complexities, ramifications, and implications legal and otherwise of which the Department Representative may not be aware, the Department Representative is asked to always refer such questions, problems and requests for advice to the Faculty Association office.

For similar reasons, if a Department Representative is approached by a colleague for advice and assistance on FPC matters, they should refer the colleague to the Faculty Association office.

The following is a list of Department Representatives, by department, for the 2011-2012 academic year:

•  Anaesthesia – Gary Dobson
• Anthropology – Saulesh Yessenova
• Archaeology – Mary McDonald
• Art – Clyde McConnell
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – Randal Johnston
• Biological Sciences – Robert Edwards
• Cell Biology and Anatomy – Robert Newton
• Chemical and Petroleum Engineering – Matthew Clarke
• Communication and Culture – Geoff Cragg
• Community Health Sciences – Bonnie Lashewicz
• Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine – Jason Anderson
• Computer Science – Majid Ghaderi Dehkordi
• Critical Care Medicine – Brent Winston
• Dance – Anna Mouat
• Drama – Valerie Campbell
• Economics – Christopher Bruce
• Ecosystems and Public Health – Faizal Careem
• Education – Peggy Patterson
• Electrical and Computer Engineering – Abu Sesay
• English – Pamela Banting (2011)/ Jason Wiens (2012)
• Environmental Design – Denis Gadbois
• Family Medicine – Kevin Hafez
• French, Italian and Spanish – Fresia Sanchez
• Geography – Gwendolyn Blue
• Geomatics Engineering – Michael Barry
• Geoscience – Charles Henderson
• Germanic, Slavic and East Asian Studies*
• Greek and Roman Studies – Noreen Humble
• Haskayne School of Business – Chad Saunders
• History – David Wright
• Kinesiology – Nicole Culos-Reed
• Law – Jassmine Girgis
• Libraries and Cultural Resources – Melanie Boyd
• Linguistics – Karsten Koch
• Mathematics and Statistics – Wenyuan Liao
• Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering – Jeff Pieper
• Medicine – Steven Edworthy
• Music – Kenneth DeLong
• Nursing – Kathleen Davidson
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology – Ian Lange
• Oncology – Barbara Walley
• Paediatrics – Mark Anselmo
• Pathology and Laboratory Medicine – Martin Trotter
• Philosophy – Reid Buchanan
• Physiology and Pharmacology – Ebba Kurz
• Production Animal Health – Michel Levy
• Psychology – Tavis Campbell
• Radiology – Jeffrey Dunn
• Religious Studies – Anne White
• Sexual Harrassment Office – Shirley Voyna Wilson
• Social Work – Margaret Williams
• Social Work – Lethbridge – Barry Hall
• Sociology – Bruce Arnold
• Student and Enrolment Services – Jan Crook
• Surgery – Gail Thornton
• Teaching and Learning Centre – Loretta Teng
• Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Science – Erin Fierheller

The following departments have not provided a representative to the Association:

• Cardiac Sciences    
• Chemistry    
• Civil Engineering    
• Clinical Neurosciences    
• Community Rehab Disability Study
• Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy    
• Medical Genetics  
• Microbiology and Infectious Diseases    
• Physics and Astronomy    
• Political Science    
• Psychiatry  
• Social Work – Edmonton    

 *The role of Department Representative in German, Slavic and East Asian Studies will be shared by individuals in the department for 2011-2012.

>> Board of Directors Election

<< Financial Statements 2010-2011

There are five (5) three-year terms, one (1) two-year term and one (1) one-year term open for election on the Board of Directors. The designated sessional seat, a one-year term, is also open for election. Nominees must be current members of the Association, or have held a sessional position at some point since May 1, 2011.

The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. Nominations must be received at the Faculty Association office by that time.

Nominations must be received in writing. Also required on the nomination form are the signatures of at least three members of the Association, as well as the written consent of the nominee. Nominations should be accompanied by a statement from the nominee of a maximum 100 words, which will be circulated along with the ballots. No member may nominate more than two candidates.

Potential candidates should be aware that the Board of Directors meetings are regularly scheduled on Tuesday afternoons, approximately once per month from September to June. Additional meetings are scheduled as required. Directors are also regularly appointed to a variety of other Association, University, and external committees as representatives of the Association.

Click here to download a nomination form. More information on these positions is available by contacting the Faculty Association by email, faculty.association@tucfa.com, or by phone, (403) 220-5722.

>> CAUT nominations open

<< Department Representatives 2011-2012

The financial statements for the fiscal year 2010-2011 will be available on our website early in the new year. If you have any questions, please contact the office by email, faculty.association@tucfa.com, or by phone, (403) 220-5722.

>> Department Representatives 2011-2012

<< Annual Holiday Donation

Nominations are also being sought for election to positions on three CAUT Standing Committees: Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee (two vacancies, dependent on whether an incumbent member of the committee is elected Chair); Collective Bargaining and Economic Benefits Committee (two or three vacancies dependent on whether an incumbent member of the committee is elected Chair); Librarians’ Committee (one or two vacancies dependent on whether an incumbent member of the committee is elected Chair). The deadline for these nominations is February 1, 2012.

Those seeking endorsement for their candidacy by the local Association Board of Directors should file their nomination forms with our office no later than January 18, 2012. For further information on any of the above positions, or for a nomination package, please contact the Faculty Association.

More information on CAUT Executive Positions and Standing Committee nominations can be found online at www.caut.ca.

>> Appointment to the Board of Directors

<< Board of Directors Election

>> Holiday Closure

<< CAUT nominations open

Have a safe and happy holiday!

>> Season’s Greetings

<< Appointment to the Board of Directors

>> Busy semester in review

<< Holiday Closure

In lieu of holiday gifts, the Faculty Association has a tradition of donating to local food banks. This year a total of $5,000 has been donated to Calgary food banks including the Campus Food Bank. This donation is in support of the valuable contributions these organizations make to our community during the holiday season and throughout the year.

(Pictured) Faculty Association President Paul Rogers presents a cheque to volunteer Katie Anker at the U of C’s Campus Food Bank.

>> Financial Statements 2010-2011

<< Busy semester in review

Contract academics, specifically sessional members, are often on the front lines of the attacks on academic freedom, quality, fair treatment, and the value of research.  The Association has always recognized that the concerns of contract academic staff should be the concerns of us all. 

Fair Employment Week (FEW) is a national event that raises awareness of the difficulties inherent in being a member of the contract academic staff. The event this year runs from October 24 to 28 and is coordinated in part by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

Normally, term certain (sessional) instructors at the University are contract academics who are hired to teach individual courses; they are not expected to do research and they are not offered long- or short-term commitments beyond the individual courses. These academics often work for low pay, and with the uncertainty of whether or not another short-term contract will be extended to them.

It is interesting to note that there are 47 sessional members employed in 2002 that are still employed as a sessional nine years later in 2011, according to information provided through the University’s Data Mart.  Also, there are 131 sessionals employed in 2011 that also had contracts in 2006. The Association is aware of a number of sessionals who have been working longer than nine or ten years from contract to contract.

It is certainly possible in some parts of the campus for students to complete a degree with most of their courses taught by these part-time “temporary” instructors to whom the University has not made a long-term commitment, and who are not involved in any research. The Faculty Association is concerned that we are increasingly creating a have and have-not campus where some academics receive much of the resources and security, while others are treated poorly. It is important to also emphasize the incredible dedication of these individuals to their jobs.  Sessionals are highly qualified extraordinary individuals who care deeply for the University and their students. 

Below is a link to statistics on the rank, faculty and gender of sessionals. You will find that sessional academics compose nearly one-quarter of all academics at the University, an amount almost equal to the number of Associate Professors. In addition, over half of sessionals are female which in contrast to statistics for ongoing academics. Finally, it is important to note that there are sessional instructors employed in every corner of the University.

The Faculty Association is currently engaged in negotiations with the Governors regarding sessional instructors. These negotiations are still in their early stages but the Association is optimistic that the situation for our sessional members can be somewhat improved.

Let your colleagues and administrators know that the unfair treatment of Sessionals at the U of C needs to be resolved.

Sessional Academics by the numbers >>

Academic Staff by Rank (Chart)

Gender of Academic Staff (Chart)

 FEW Campaign in your unit >>

<< Fair Employment a campus concern

The Faculty Association has provided academic units with posters informing campus stakeholders about Fair Employment Week. Each academic staff member will also be receiving a magnet that includes words you can use to make your own statement of support for sessionals. It’s up to all of us through respect and self-education, to play a critical role in countering the unfair treatment of sessional instructors.

Click here to visit our Fair Employment Week webpage.

FEW Magnet

FEW Poster

Fair Employment a campus concern >>

<< Sessional Academics by the numbers

It gives me great pleasure to bring you my greetings as the new President of the Faculty Association.  I have been a faculty member at the University of Calgary since 1991 and I have served the Association in a variety of capacities during that time, including six years on its Board of Directors, and most recently, one year as its nominee on the University’s Board of Governors.  I have also served on numerous other University committees during my career, some on behalf of the Association, this experience has increased my understanding of how the institution operates, though I’m sure I have more to learn, especially regarding those units on campus with which I am less familiar.

One of my main objectives as President is to consult widely with you and listen to you carefully regarding the issues that are important to you as members of the academic staff. I wish to represent your collective interests faithfully, especially in fundamental areas such as the protection of academic freedom and the pursuit of true collegial governance of the institution.  In order to achieve this goal, I need to have your support and input, so I encourage you to share with me your thoughts on matters of concern to you over the next two years.  The better I understand your views, the better job I’ll be able to do, so I am counting on you to continue my education as President of your Faculty Association!

There are a number of issues the Association will be dealing with over the academic year. These include the conclusion of negotiations with the Board of Governors on placing the tenure and promotion processes into the Collective Agreement, and negotiation of a process for Assessment for inclusion in the Collective Agreement.  Last but not least, the Association is currently negotiating proposed changes for Sessional Instructors to improve these types of appointments.  The Association will be bringing you more information on these negotiations and on any proposals to be ratified over the next year.

As part of the most recent settlement ratified in June 2011, the Association will work as part of a Joint Committee on Workload established to collect and review data regarding academic workloads at this University and others, and clarify a process to follow when implementing Collective Agreement, Article 12: Assignment of Duties. We will be bringing you more information from this Joint Committee as it proceeds with its work.

There have been a number of changes to the Senior Administrative team at the U of C recently, including the appointment of a new Provost, Dr. Dru Marshall.  We are hopeful that Senior Administrators will work in a way that recognizes the critical role that academic staff members play in the collegial governance of the University via its key decision-making bodies.

I am pleased to be President of the Faculty Association because I believe it to be an important and effective organization.  The Board and Executive continue to be composed of committed members of the academic staff, willing to share their experience and wisdom to inform our discussions on the issues of the day.  The Association’s staff is highly professional and competent, devoting tremendous amounts of time to the pursuit of issues that affect you (often without your even knowing).  When an academic staff member contacts the Faculty Association (and this is very important), they will reach a staff member who will treat the call with the utmost confidentiality.  The elected officers of the Association (including me) are not informed of any confidential personal information without the member’s consent.

We all have a busy year ahead of us and I look forward to a fruitful year of dialogue with the campus community and most importantly, you, the members of the Faculty Association.

 >> Merit – What is average?

The merit pool is established based on 1.2 increments per full-time equivalent academic staff member in the Faculty, and the Deans must fully distribute the entire increment allocation to academic staff in their respective Faculty or unit. This means that the arithmetic average for merit increments is 1.2. (As an aside, the Deans often hold back a small number of increments to deal with appeals and FPC discussions, so the amounts given to the Heads may not equal 1.2 per member.) However, receiving the arithmetic average increment does not necessarily reflect that average work has been performed.

The definition of what merit increments represent is set out by the General Promotions Committee (GPC). Notably, the awarded increments are interpreted by GPC as a 0.0 increment rating “unsatisfactory”, 0.4 increment rating “Satisfactory Career Progress (CPA)” and anything above a 0.4 increment rating “Meritorious”. Technically, it is true that anything above 0.4 is meritorious. That being said, the use of the word “meritorious” in this context would mean anything above the minimum requirement of the position.

There are also instances where a Head indicates that the “average increment” in the unit is 1.0. However, the word “average” is imprecise. The problem, of course, is that so many academic staff members are performing above what would be a normal expectation. So, if a Head is recommending a 1.0 increment for individuals who are performing at an “average” level, it may be true that this is a 1.0. Certainly a 1.0 increment reflects good performance.

If an academic staff member decides to appeal his or her assessed increment it is important to remember that an increment can only be appealed at GPC if it was first appealed at the Faculty Promotions Committee (FPC) level or if the FPC changed the increment amount. Also, the Department Head (or equivalent) is required to provide the appellant a copy of the assessment and an opportunity to meet. Any assessed increment amount can be appealed to the FPC.

Finally, any Department Committee (or the like) that is involved in the assessment process is only advisory to the Department Head. Recommendations regarding assessment are required to be made by the Department Head (or equivalent).

For more information please consult the APT Manual and Faculty Guidelines. If you require further information or assistance please do not hesitate to contact our office by email, faculty.association AT tucfa.com, or by phone, (403) 220-5722.

(Note that references to “Head” above means the person who prepares the initial assessment of your performance report – it could be an Associate Dean, area chair, or some other individual.)

Click on the graph below to see an analysis of the distribution of increments for 2007 provided to the Faculty Association by Human Resources.

Note:  The assessment process is currently established by the General Faculties Council through the Appointment Promotion and Tenure (APT) Manual. The above answers are the Faculty Association’s interpretation of how the process works based on our reading of the rules and the precedents established over the years.

>> Graduate Student sessional instructor limitations

<< Consulting with members a main objective

>> Collective Agreement Ratification Results

<< International Travel and Security Policy

The University of Calgary administration has been alerted to irregularities whereby graduate students are teaching more than the allotted two courses and have agreed to send correspondence to those responsible for the hiring of these positions outlining how Article 23.2(l) should be applied.

>> International Travel and Security Policy

<< Merit – What is average?

Faculty members travelling abroad for the University (research or teaching obligations) probably have their favourite story about encountering The International Travel and Security Policy: for some, confusion and frustration in understanding the policy or for others getting through the ‘registration system’ required of all faculty, staff and students traveling abroad.

The key, as in most cases in life, is preparation – not leaving things until the last minute.

There is an obligation on the part of the university to the people it sends abroad as part of their employment or study at the University and the ‘Travel Policy’ is intended to satisfy some of those safety concerns and responsibilities.

First, we need to know where people are when they are working or studying abroad. Aside from legal and insurance questions, there is a concern for us to be able to check if people are alright in case of a natural disaster or other catastrophic event. The University also wants to provide assistance or advice if needed. Most countries are not rated ‘high’ or ‘extreme’ risk when someone starts their travels. In 2011, neither Christchurch NZ nor the north east coast of Japan was a risk concern prior to the earthquakes. Circumstances change quickly and in an emergency, the university does try to ensure that faculty/staff and students are accounted for and safe.

Second, there are resources available on the registration website;  simple information sharing or a highlighting of pertinent information during the travel registration process. Resources available on the risk web site include-:

 - Country ratings and links to DFAIT for additional information. Traveling to a country for which DFAIT (Dept. of Foreign Affairs & International Trade) has issued a travel advisory may result in loss of travel or flight insurance, etc.

- Insurance questions such as; are faculty/staff covered by their university medical insurance? What insurance policies may be at risk depending on the country of travel such as disability or mortgage insurance may become invalid if they travel to a country which may categorized as extreme risk.

- Info sheet on ‘Steps to complete prior to going abroad’.

- A link to DFAIT registration in case assistance is required from the Canadian government offices while abroad.

- Links to International Travel and Security Policy and procedures.

Finally, in the case of ‘extreme risk’ countries,  the registration process has a system of checks so that the person going abroad may state their reason for having to go at this time  and that more than one person must consider the request and potentially approve the travel.

In the past 12 months, the UofC has more closely aligned its risk system to the advisories from DFAIT. While not a perfect system, the change allows the UofC to align our cautions with Canadian government policies. Some may argue that the tool is not tuned finely enough to consider all the information about a particular region within a country and what the situation may be. That may be true, but the system does allow for the traveller to explain their plans or include extra information to justify travel at this time – ‘to make their case’.

Very few of us are required to get on a plane to an extreme risk country with just a few hours notice, yet there are cases of people waiting until the day of departure to register on the system and then wondering why they cannot obtain immediate approval for their travel.

The registration process for faculty wishing to go to extreme risk countries is pretty straight forward. The important thing to remember is that there is a sequence of approvals which need to be obtained. The main problems occur when a registration is submitted with not enough time for review.  In short;

1.      Faculty enter their personal and travel information onto the ‘on line’ registration form.  During the process, if the country is determined to be ‘extreme risk’, the faculty member must check off either:  a) My work must be conducted in that place and at that point in time and the output is critical to my professional success or ; b) My work must be conducted in that place and at that point in time and it is required to fulfill the University’s obligation under contract.

2.     Registration requires a short explanation as to why the work must be conducted in that area and either why it is critical to their success or to supply the details of the University’s contractual obligation.

3.     It requires specific travel details and contingency arrangements. The process then requires the registrant to check agreement with; “I understand that, regardless of an area’s rating (which can change without notice), it is my responsibility to be informed about inherent risks in international travel and to take appropriate precautions to avoid undue risks and dangers.”

4.     The traveller is required to enter their Dean’s name and email.  The registration then goes electronically to the Dean for approval.  If the Dean approves, then it goes to Vice Provost International (currently the Deputy Provost) for approval and the registrant receives an email that their travel is approved.

Because travel to an extreme risk country may require some discussion and review, registration should never be left until the last minute. If, there is a shortage of time in completing the registration, the faculty member should notify the Dean and Deputy Provost that this request is in process and there is a time issue.

The UofC Travel Registration is found at http://www.ucalgary.ca/riskmgmt/international

Note: The International Travel and Security Policy is slated for review and revision during the Fall 2011. Comments may be sent to: uci@ucalgary.ca

>> Workshop: Tenure/Renewal of Initial Term

<< Graduate Student sessional instructor limitations

• 2% across-the-board increase to salaries and salary scales in each of the two years;
• 2% increase for sessional salaries and pay rates in each of the two years;
• Letter of Understanding to set up a joint committee on workload;
• A suspension of the increased workload for Instructors in the Faculty of Arts.

The Association also saw some movement on the issue of workload and a joint Association/Board of Governors committee will be struck to look further at this issue. In addition, the Association approved a Memorandum of Agreement, as part of this ratification, that the grievance and decision to increase the workload for Instructors in the Faculty of Arts will be put on hold for a year while the administration tries to sort out what a proper process and decision would be. This stems from the Dean of the Faculty of Arts unilateral decision to increase the number of courses for Instructors (who have limited research expectations as compared to Professors) in the Faculty from six courses to eight courses starting in the 2011‐12 academic year. The increase was done without consultation and, in the Association’s opinion, without understanding what was involved in teaching courses in all of the areas of Arts. As noted, with this ratification the workload increases will be suspended. The Association will be invited to make submissions regarding the “Assignment of Duties” prior to the completion of the review. If the Association is unhappy with the result, it can grieve and also open bargaining early.

The complete results of the Ratification Ballot are as follows:

Yes: 699 votes
No: 33 votes
Total votes cast: 732 votes
Total ballots issued: 1,970

>> CAUT dues changes

<< Workshop: Tenure/Renewal of Initial Term

The monthly amounts are as follows:

CAUT Membership Fees 2011-12 (2010-11)

Professor  $16.96 ($16.87)
Associate  $13.29 ($13.35)
Assistant  $10.72 ($10.76)
Others   $10.22 ($10.40)
Part-time  $3.47 ($3.47)

>> Consulting with members a main objective

<< Collective Agreement ratification results

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15.2    The vote on a Resolution to Enact, Amend or Repeal By-laws shall require a two-thirds majority of those voting, and shall be conducted by mail ballot of the membership conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 4.6 and 4.7 of the By-laws.

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11.1.1  The Executive Committee

11.1.2  The Joint Liaison Committee

11.1.3  The Elections Committee

11.1.4  The Personnel Committee

11.2     The membership of each of these Committees shall be determined by the Board of Directors after the Annual Elections each year, with each Committee assuming office for a period of one (1) year on July 1.

11.3     The President of the Association shall be a member of all Standing Committees ex officio, except the Elections Committee.

11.4     The Officers of the Association shall be members of the Executive Committee.

11.5     The terms of reference, duties, responsibilities and authority of each committee shall be as established by the Board of Directors.

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9.2      The sessional member elected pursuant to Article 6.1.4, or her/his delegate, shall also be a member of the Department Representatives group and may, at her/his discretion, appoint a second sessional member as a Department Representative.

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8.2      The President and Chair of the Board has the authority to call additional meetings, as required, and to cancel any meeting by reason of lack of business.

8.3      The President shall call a meeting of the Board of Directors to be held at least one week prior to the date of any General Meeting.

8.4      Other meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called upon the request of any three Board members, given in writing to the President and Chair of the Board. The request shall contain the proposed agenda for such a meeting.

8.5      Upon the incapacitation of the President and Chair of the Board, the Vice-President and Treasurer shall be authorised to call a meeting of the Board of Directors for the purpose of appointing an Acting President and Chair of the Board to serve for the duration of the President’s incapacitation or until the end of the current term of office, whichever occurs first.

8.6      At any meeting of the Board of Directors, seven members present shall constitute a quorum.

8.7      Members of the Board of Directors may exercise a right to vote by proxy at meetings of the Board of Directors by signing a letter naming a member of the Board of Directors to whom the proxy is granted, specifying the matter on which the proxy is to be voted and including the member’s instructions (if any) with respect to the manner in which the proxy be voted.

8.8      At its discretion, the Board of Directors may provide for urgent votes between Board meetings using telephone, electronic mail or other means. In the case of such votes, the quorum shall be a simple majority of the full voting Board membership in office at the time of the vote.

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7.1      Annually, the members of the Association shall nominate candidates from their ranks to fill the oncoming vacancies on the Board of Directors. When the President’s term of office has been completed, nominations shall also be made for the office of President & Chair of the Board. Nomination to a vacancy on the Board of Directors is open to any individual who is currently a continuing member of the Association, or has held sessional membership at any time since the previous May 1.

If a candidate for President & Chair of the Board who holds an ongoing term on the Board of Directors is elected, the President & Chair of the Board will then be deemed to have resigned their term of office on the Board and the Board of Directors shall fill the vacancy in accordance with Article 7.6.

7.2      The call for nominations shall be made through an announcement in the Association newsletter.

7.3      Nominations shall be made in writing, and require the signatures of at least three members of the Association and the consent of the candidate on the nomination slip. No member shall nominate more than two candidates. The deadline for nominations is February 8.

7.4      Voting in Elections of the Board of Directors will be by mail ballot as referred to in Article 4.6 and 4.7. A mail ballot will be distributed to each member of the Association by March 4.  The deadline for receipt of returned ballots will be March 18. Any deadline falling on a weekend or a statutory holiday will automatically be extended to the next working day.

7.5      The Board of Directors shall appoint an Elections Committee with the following responsibilities:

7.5.1   To inform members of the Association, by way of a call for nominations, of the number of upcoming vacancies, and the election procedure.

7.5.2   To receive all nominations and to ensure that proper procedure outlined in 7.3 has been followed.

7.5.3   To distribute a list of candidates and nominators for vacant positions with the mail ballot.

7.5.4   To conduct the election, to count ballots, maintain records of the balloting, and certify the results of the election in a report to the Board of Directors.

7.5.5   To report to the Board of Directors any election irregularities in order that the validity of the election results may be verified.

7.5.6   Should it be determined that such irregularities substantially affect the results of the election, the Board of Directors is empowered to call a new election. Such election shall be held as soon as possible but in any event no later than September 15 of the same year.

7.5.7   The chair of the elections committee shall not be running for office. The elections committee shall include two members who are not members of the Board of Directors and who are not running for office.

7.6      If a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors, or if there are insufficient candidates for the positions available in a general election, the Board of Directors may appoint a member of the Association to the Board of Directors. An appointed Board member may serve until the June 30^th following the next Board of Directors elections.  Such appointment to the Board shall not affect the subsequent duration of the term of office of the member should the member be nominated for and elected to the Board of Directors according to procedures in Article 7.

7.7      Elections shall be conducted in the following manner:

7.7.1   Except as noted in Article 6.8, candidates for the 15 Board members listed in Article 6.1.1a) receiving the most votes will be elected to the longest terms. Except as noted in Article 6.8, in the case of a tie vote between two successful candidates, the candidates will be elected to terms of equal length, the terms established under 6.7 will be automatically extended as necessary, and the Board of Directors may be expanded by the addition of one (1) member, if necessary to accommodate both tied candidates. In the case of a tie between three or more candidates, and when the preceding procedure is inadequate to accommodate the election of tied candidates, the Board of Directors shall hold a run-off election between the tied candidates by a mail ballot of the membership.

7.7.2   Candidates for the positions listed in Article 6.1.1a) and 6.1.1d) shall be listed on the same ballot. Should no sessional candidate be elected for a position under Article 6.1.1a), the sessional candidate with the highest number of votes will be declared elected under Article 6.1.1d). Should one or more sessional candidates be elected for a position under Article 6.1.1a), the sessional with the largest number of votes shall be declared elected under Article 6.1.1d) and any further elected sessional members shall be declared elected under Article 6.1.1a). In the case of a tie vote for the position listed in the Article 6.1.1d) where the members would not be elected under Article 6.1.1a), the Board of Directors will be expanded by the addition of one (1) member to accommodate both tied candidates. In the case of a tie vote where one of the members would be declared elected in accordance with 6.1.1a), the provisions of Article 7.7.1 apply. In the case of a tie between three or more candidates, and when preceding procedure is inadequate to accommodate the election of tied candidates, the Board of Directors shall hold a run-off election between the tied candidates by a mail ballot of the membership.

7.7.3   If the number of candidates for the positions under 6.1.1a) and 6.1.1d) is the same as or fewer than the total vacancies available, the nominated candidates shall be declared elected by acclamation.  Should there be terms of various lengths to be served, the Chair of the Election Committee shall randomly draw lots to select the terms of office for the acclaimed candidates.

7.7.4   The election of President and Chair of the Board shall be by plurality. In the event of a tie vote between two or more candidates for President, the Joint Board shall select a President and Chair of the Board from among the tied candidates by secret ballot. In the event of a single candidate for President and Chair of the Board, the candidate shall be declared elected by acclamation.

7.7.5   Members shall vote by placing an “X” beside the name(s) of the candidate(s) of their choice and may vote for as many candidates as there are vacancies declared. Ballots are spoiled when they are marked in any way that does not clearly indicate the choice of the voter, or when the member votes for more candidates than there are vacancies declared.

7.7.6   If there is no candidate for President and Chair of the Board by the deadline for nominations, the Board of Directors shall appoint any member of the Association as President and Chair of the Board for a one-year term of office.

7.7.7   Ballots, and any other elections records as shall be employed by the Elections Committee, shall be sealed and securely stored for a period of five weeks, after which they may be destroyed on a motion of the Board of Directors.

7.7.8   Members shall be informed of the results of the election by means of a notice in the next Association newsletter following the certification of the election results pursuant to Article 7.

>> Back to By-laws

6.1.1   The voting membership of the Board of Directors shall include:

a)       fifteen (15) members elected by all members of the Association,

b)       the President & Chair of the Board, elected by all members of the Association,

c)       the immediate Past-President ex officio, and

d)       one (1) member elected by all members of the Association, from among those who have held sessional membership at any time since the previous May 1.

6.1.2   If they are not already voting members of the Board of Directors in accordance with 6.1.1 above, the following individuals shall be non-voting members of the Board of Directors:

a)       Any member of the Association elected to the CAUT Executive Committee, and

b)       The Association’s appointee on the UAPP Board of Trustees.

c)       Acting Grievance Advisors, appointed by the Personnel Committee on the recommendation of the Executive Director, for periods of no greater than one year, renewable.

6.1.3   The following individuals shall be non-voting members of the Board of Directors:

a)     The Faculty Association’s nominee to the Board of Governors, and

b)     The Executive Director and Professional Officer(s) of the Association.  The membership of these staff members as non-voting members on the Board shall not grant any additional authority or responsibility, save that provided for as professional staff members of the Association.

6.1.4   Non-voting members of the Board of Directors shall not be included in the calculation of quorum.

6.2      Subject to any by-laws properly enacted or amended or repealed, the Board of Directors shall have the power to manage, operate, and direct the affairs of the Association.  The Board of Directors may delegate these powers as they deem appropriate.

6.3      The Board of Directors shall have the power to receive such funds as may be voted by the membership in the form of dues or assessments to further the purpose of the Association.

6.4      The Board of Directors may, by two-thirds majority vote of the full Board, expel a member of the Board of Directors for inadequate performance of duty. An expelled Board member who disagrees with the Board’s decision may appeal this action by petitioning for a general meeting, as per Article 4.2.

6.5      Where a member of the Board of Directors is, or will be, absent for two or more consecutive regularly scheduled Board meetings, the Board may appoint a replacement Board member, for a specified period of time, not to exceed the term of office of the Board member being replaced. Notwithstanding the specified period defined by the Board, the replacement’s period of appointment expires with the Board member’s return to regular attendance.

6.6      Service by members on the Board of Directors shall be unpaid, except that approved expenses incurred by the aforesaid in the discharge of their duties as Board of Directors members may be reimbursed at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, sessional members elected or appointed to positions within the Association may be compensated or seconded on a case by case basis, upon decision of the Board of Directors.

6.7      Members of the Board of Directors listed in Section 6.1.1a) shall be elected for terms of one, two or three years commencing on July 1. Each year, the terms of office for the upcoming vacancies shall be assigned in such a way as to maintain an orderly rotation of the membership of the Board of Directors, so that approximately one-third of the Board of Directors shall complete their terms of office at the end of each of the subsequent three years.

6.8      Sessional members of the Board of Directors elected pursuant to either Section 6.1.1(a) or 6.1.1(d) shall be elected for a one-year term, commencing on July 1.

6.9      Should any of the continuing members elected to the Board of Directors cease to be a member of the Association, he or she will be deemed to have resigned their Board position.

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5.2      Officers, other than the President and Chair of the Board, shall be elected by the Board of Directors normally at a Joint Board Meeting. Members of both the outgoing and incoming Board of Directors shall be entitled to vote. Should the Board of Directors be unable to find a suitable candidate from among their membership for any Officer position, the Board may, by a two-thirds vote, designate any member of the Association to such office. This individual shall serve as an additional member of the Board of Directors during their tenure as an Association Officer.

5.3      The election or confirmation of the President and Chair of the Board shall be conducted by mail ballot, pursuant to Article 7, at the same time as the regular elections.

5.4      Officers shall take office on July 1, normally for a term of two years.  The terms of the Officers shall be staggered, so that approximately half of the Officers’ terms expire each June 30.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term of the Association President & Chair of the Board will be two years in the first instance, except when Article 7.7.6 applies, and one year for each consecutive re-election or re-confirmation, commencing July 1.

5.5      If a vacancy in the President and Chair of the Board position occurs during the year, the Board of Directors shall appoint any member of the Association as President and Chair of the Board until the June 30 following.  Should there be a need in any other officer position during the year, the Board of Directors may elect an individual from among its membership, or from among the Association membership in accordance with Article 5.2, to serve until the June 30 following.

5.6      The Board of Directors may, by a majority vote of its full membership, re-call any officer, except the President & Chair of the Board. The Board may elect another member of the Board to the vacant officer position.

5.7      The Board of Directors may, by a two-thirds majority vote of its full membership, expel the President and Chair of the Board from his/her position. In the case of such a motion arising at a meeting of the Board, the Vice-President and Treasurer, or other officer as designated by the Board of Directors shall act as interim Chair of the Board for these proceedings. If the President and Chair of the Board is expelled, the Board of Directors shall immediately elect a President and Chair of the Board, pro tem, to serve until the following June 30th. An expelled President who disagrees with the Board’s decision may appeal this action by petitioning for a General Meeting, as per Article 4.2.

5.8      In the event that election irregularities occur and a new election is called in accordance with article 7.5.6, the terms of the current Board of Directors shall be extended for a period of four weeks after the date of the new election.

>> Back to By-laws

4.2      General Meetings shall be called at the discretion of the Board of Directors, or within two weeks of the receipt, by the President, of the written petition of at least twenty (20) members.

4.3      Members shall be given notice of each General Meeting at least one week prior to the meeting, including notice of any motions which will be voted upon, normally by way of an announcement in the Association’s newsletter. Any motion considered at a General Meeting which has not been given formal notice will be considered advisory to the Board of Directors.

4.4      At any General Meeting 10% of the membership shall constitute a quorum, excluding those who waive the rights of membership under Article 2.3.

If a meeting fails for lack of quorum, items of business on the agenda will be referred to the Board of Directors who may choose to conduct a mail ballot for their resolution, or take other appropriate actions. A mail ballot to resolve items resulting from a failed General Meeting shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Article 4.6 and 4.7 of the By-laws.

4.5      At General Meetings, votes will be conducted by a show of hands. A simple majority (50% of those voting plus one) shall carry any motion, except as these By-laws shall otherwise provide.

4.6      A mail ballot will be used to conduct votes on:

a)        Elections

b)        Changes to membership dues

c)         Ratification of Collective Agreements concluded between the Association and the Board of Governors of the University and any amendments and schedules thereto.

d)        Resolutions to Enact, Amend or Repeal the By-laws of the Association.

e)         Items which are referred to a mail ballot by a motion of the Board of Directors.

All questions submitted to the members by means of a mail ballot shall be decided by a simple majority of those members voting, except for elections which shall be decided by plurality pursuant to Article 7.7, and By-law amendments which shall be decided pursuant to Article 15.2.

4.7      In the conduct of mail ballots, a minimum of two weeks must be allowed between the distribution of ballots and the deadline for receipt of returned ballots. Mail ballots must be printed in such a way as to preclude unauthorized reproduction of ballots, and the election process must guarantee the secrecy of the ballot.

4.8      A mail ballot for purposes other than elections shall be administered by the Elections Committee, consistent with their authority as established in Article 7.5.  Rules for mail ballots for purposes other than elections shall be as prescribed in Article 7.7, mutatis mutandis.

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2.1.1   Continuing members are all members of the academic staff as established in the Collective Agreement between the Association and the Board of Governors, except those appointed under Article 23 of the Collective Agreement.

2.1.2   Sessional members are those members of the academic staff appointed in accordance with Article 23 in the Collective Agreement between the Association and the Board of Governors.

2.2      Members have the following Rights:

2.2.1  To attend the General Meetings of the Association and to vote on motions and resolutions presented to General Meetings.

2.2.2   To propose or second motions or resolutions presented to General Meetings of the Association.

2.2.3   To nominate for election to the Board of Directors.

2.2.4   To hold elected or appointed office on the Board of Directors.

2.2.5   To receive the regular communications of the Association.

2.2.6   To vote on the ratification of any Collective Agreement concluded between the Association and the Board of Governors of the University and any amendments and schedules thereto. Where a negotiated agreement is applicable only to a specific class or set of members of the Association, only those members covered by the agreement are eligible to vote on its ratification.

2.2.7   To receive such benefits and discounts as may be arranged by the Association on behalf of members.

2.2.8   To enjoy such other rights as may be conferred by these by-laws or by amendments to the by-laws properly enacted.

2.3      Waiver of the Rights of Membership:

2.3.1   An academic staff member who does not wish to actively participate in the affairs of the Association, for reasons of conscience or religious belief, may sign a declaration affirming that the member has such objections to participation. Such a declaration shall also include statements that the member voluntarily waives the rights of membership (save for those rights guaranteed by the Post-secondary Learning Act), and that the member agrees to hold the Association, the members of the Board of Directors, and the employees of the Association free from harm with respect to any act of the Association, the members of the Board of Directors, or the employees of the Association taken in accordance with these By-laws. A declaration under this provision must be made in writing within ninety days of becoming an academic staff member and reconfirmed by the member in writing each year between June 15 and 30 in order to remain in force following June 30.

2.3.2   The dues of a member who signs a declaration under 2.3.1 shall be retained by the Association in a trust fund established for the purpose and annually remitted by the Association to the University Scholarship Fund on behalf of the member.

2.3.3   In the event that a declaration is not reconfirmed, as specified in Section 2.3.1, the member shall be deemed to be an active member.

2.3.4   A member who wishes to revoke a declaration made under 2.3.1 may do so by signing a further written declaration to that effect and by returning it to the offices of the Association.

2.3.5   Notwithstanding a member’s having waived the rights of membership, the Association shall fairly represent the member in the councils of the University, in negotiations between the Associa­tion and the Board of Governors of the University and in any such matters as shall affect the employment or academic freedom of the member.

2.4      Membership Status while on Leave

2.4.1   A member shall retain all rights and privileges while on paid leave, as negotiated by the Association and the University in the Collective Agreement.

2.4.2   While on unpaid leave, as provided for in the Collective Agreement, a member will be deemed to have waived rights of membership as specified in Section 2.2.

2.5      Membership Dues

2.5.1   Membership dues may be changed from time to time on a resolution presented by the Board of Directors to the membership. Voting on the resolution shall be by mail ballot in accordance with the procedure established in Articles 4.6 and 4.7.

2.5.2   Members shall pay the dues of the Association by means of deductions from salary, which payments shall begin with the commencement of employment and continue automatically.

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1.2      The purposes of the Association are as follows:

1.2.1   To do those things required of the Association under the Post-secondary Learning Act.

1.2.2   To undertake all powers, authority, and responsibilities of an official bargaining agent for academic staff.

1.2.3   To represent the collective interests of academic staff within the governance structures of the University of Calgary.

1.2.4   To promote the independence and freedom of teaching, of thought, and of research within the University.

1.2.5   To foster academic community among the members of the Association.

1.2.6   To represent the collective interests of academic staff and raise awareness of issues of concern to academic staff in the broader community.

1.2.7   To promote the joint interests and welfare of academic staff associations through the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

1.2.8   To collaborate with other bodies whose interests may be similar, in particular with provincial, national, and international associations of university academic and professional staff.

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From:  Sheila Miller, Executive Director, Faculty Association
and Dru Marshall, Provost and Vice President (Academic), University of Calgary

There are a number of negotiations currently being undertaken between TUCFA and the University. Two of the negotiating tables are examining putting the processes for tenure, promotion and assessment into the Collective Agreement. As a consequence, once processes for tenure, promotion and assessment have been completed, there will be changes required to the APT and GPC Manuals and hence to Faculty Guidelines.

Because negotiations are ongoing, it is not appropriate to make changes to any Faculty Guidelines that deal with Section 3 (Criteria for Appointment, Tenure, Merit Assessment and Promotion), Section 5 (Appointment Review and Renewal) or Section 6 (Merit Assessments and Promotions) of the APT Manual.

This means that Faculties will continue to use their latest approved Guidelines, supplemented by GFC approved changes to the APT Manual subsequent to their Guidelines approval, in this year’s FPC process. In order to eliminate some confusion in the academic community, the Provost has requested that the Deans withdraw any other documents related to changes or proposals in Faculty Guidelines. The approved guidelines are available at:

http://www.ucalgary.ca/provost/faculty/faculty_guidelines

Both the Faculty Association and the Administration will try to ensure a timely completion of negotiations so that Faculties can start work on their Faculty Guidelines. However, since negotiations are not complete, no work on Faculty Guidelines can occur at this time. Please note that any changes to Guidelines that have been made post-Provost approval cannot be used. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

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