RRUFA minutes – December 2015

RRUFA December Monthly Meeting Minutes

December 8, 2015 Centre for Dialogue, LIC

Present:

Niels Agger-Gupta ✔ Geoff Archer Jo Axe Brian Belcher
Geoffrey Bird David Black ✔ Judith Blanchette Tony Boydell
Elizabeth Childs ✔ Kenneth Christie ✔ Robin Cox Ann Dale
Audrey Dallimore Matt Dodd Juana Du Catherine Etmanski
Lois Fearon ✔ Doug Hamilton Brigitte Harris ✔ Jaigris Hodson ✔
Julia Jahanzoosi Ingrid Kajzer-Mitchell ✔ Shelley Jones ✔ Frances Jorgensen
Leslie King Richard Kool ✔ Charles Krusekopf Zhenyi Li
Chris Ling ✔ Will Low Eva Malisius ✔ Kathleen Manion
Virginia McKendry ✔ Will Meredith Robert Mittelman ✔ Jonathan Moran ✔
Terry Mughan Mickie Noble Eileen Piggot-Irvine
Terry Power Siomonn Pulla ✔ Michael Real Carolin Rekar Munro
Chaseten Remillard Wendy Rowe ✔ Erich Schellhammer ✔ Bernard Schissel
Jean Slick Marilyn Taylor Eugene Thomlinson ✔ Mike Thompson
Phillip Vannini George Veletsianos Hassan Wafai Jennifer Walinga
Brian White Rebecca Wilson Mah ✔ Michael Young ✔ Amy Zidulka ✔

(Present: 10 of 60 total Active Members)

CONTENTS:

  1. December Monthly Meeting called to order at 12: 10pm (President Kenneth Christie)… 2
  2. Approval of September, October, & November minutes:……………………………………………. 2
  3. New Business:………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

3.1 Introduction of new Faculty members: Jaigris Hodson, & Shelley Jones……………… 2

Ken introduced Jaigris Hodson, PhD: Assistant Professor & Program Head, Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Shelley Jones, PhD: Associate Professor in the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies……. 2

  1. Previous Business:…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2

4.1 Syrian Refugee Sponsorship – Lois/Amy/Rebecca/Hassan…………………………………… 2

4.2 Buttedahl & Skene Learning & Teaching Innovation Fund Proposal – Amy/Rebecca 2

  1. Regular Reports:……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

5.1 Bargaining / JCOAA: (Ken)………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

5.2 Board of Governors: (Charles)……………………………………………………………………………… 3

5.3 Academic Council: (Rick)……………………………………………………………………………………… 3

5.4 CUFA-BC: (Rick)………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3

5.5 Website: (Will)………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

5.6 Social: (Ken)………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4

5.7 Grievance Report: (David)……………………………………………………………………………………. 4

5.8 Health & Safety: (Rick)…………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

  1. Other Business:………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

6.1 Special Guest: Paul Allison, RRU CUPE local President: Bargaining results for CUPE          4

  1. Adjournment at 1:35 pm:………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5

 

 

 

1.      December Monthly Meeting called to order at 12: 10pm (President Kenneth Christie)

2.      Approval of September, October, & November minutes:

Motion to approve all three sets of minutes

Moved By Niels; Second: Virginia

All approved.

3.      New Business:

3.1 Introduction of new Faculty members: Jaigris Hodson, & Shelley Jones.

Ken introduced Jaigris Hodson, PhD: Assistant Professor & Program Head, Office of Interdisciplinary Studies, and
Shelley Jones, PhD: Associate Professor in the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies

4. Previous Business:

4.1 Syrian Refugee Sponsorship – Lois/Amy/Rebecca/Hassan

 

Lois – There has been a meeting with Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria – the central point for refugees coming to Victoria. Sabine Lehr, Manager of Settlement Services – could come to Jan meeting – number of people in sponsorship group already… Do we want to support a family – or do something on ground elsewhere? Lets get on with it! One group is starting a website: Victoria Sponsorship Group

Rick: have a meeting coming up with ICA. Next month will have a set of motions and recommendations for RRUFA. Kudos to Lois for going to the meetings…

Ken: There is a CAUT form for contribution to Syrian refugee effort being developed – a lot of work involved… Perhaps helping another organization might be way to go.

RIck: UVic History department working on this.

Amy – Sabine Lehr (ICA person) is a graduate of RRU – and is an Associate Faculty in MA-Global Leadership Program – We should invite Sabine Lehr to come to next meeting…

Brian: separate event – to raise funds for refugees – fund-raiser…. consider as well! Capilano was seriously strapped for cash – need separate funding…

Ken: it might make more sense to support another organization.

Lois: at meeting there were new organizations – and established organizations…

 

4.2 Buttedahl & Skene Learning & Teaching Innovation Fund Proposal – Amy/Rebecca

Amy: We have no systemic way of facilitation of learning for teaching – We would like to develop a base of resources; currently this is not all together in one place.

 

Virginia – BJ Ib has been moved into a different part of CTET;

 

Ken: David Black has also worked with BJ –

 

Wendy: we have terrific faculty – eg. Elizabeth Childs – who have all been doing this off the sides of their desks. The Buttedahl/Skene Fund should focus on projects that help the faculty as a whole…

 

5.      Regular Reports:

5.1 Bargaining / JCOAA: (Ken)

 

Ken: We recently had a JCOAA meeting – Wendy, Lyn, Matt, Ken.

Wendy: Topics: faculty appointments and Admin wanting to offer continuing status on initial appointment – FA position is that there may be people who are so good, and come from a tenured position and university wishes to offer them direct continuing status to attract them. But this is partly a faculty issue – There is no current language in CA to cover this. Faculty appointment is not covered in CA.

Ken: according to the Act; President has right to appoint whomever administration wants; but also cannot act in an arbitrary way; Administration is subject to due process.

Wendy: – we want exceptions to be covered in CA – as there have been abuses in the past.

Wendy: we brought up the use of Limited Term Appointments – people sliding into permanent positions without proper search processes… But… this is all under the Employer’s control… We know things can happen quite differently…

Ken: we have requested letters of appointment from 2006 on for all appointments that have been made…

Charles – when a limited term position is used in replacement of a permanent position…. the CA is all about flexibility..

 

Wendy: There are three conditions that must be met for the use of a Limited term: short-term backfill for someone who has left; must be time-limited; Can be used for filling for a faculty member who will be away for a specific time…

Ken: in 18.4 of the CA – (reads CA) 5 years is maximum for a limited term position…

Wendy: We need to have a campus space for RRUFA as part of next negotiations.

 

5.2 Board of Governors: (Charles)

Charles: BoG meeting Monday – Castle 315. There will be a townhall meeting with the BoG in January – getting to know board; functions of board; break-out to tables – education piece – high level – not operational… so what questions for faculty and staff?

BoG is interested in risks to university; admin saying something other than what faculty and staff want… BoG loves admin since RRU making money…

We brought this up 3 years ago – having faculty event – now finally on agenda. – Monday There will be an open board meeting – observers…

Ken: they are not academics – from business..

Charles: issue of internationalization – is misunderstood. Board focused on contract with Study Group… run into Executive, who present a particular picture…

 

5.3 Academic Council: (Rick)

Rick: Two issues will come back to faculty: College of Interdisciplinary Studies & Research Ethics document. More next month…

5.4 CUFA-BC: (Rick)

Rick: Info on economic benefits / money spent on post-secondary degrees will be forthcoming… More in February.

Ken: Academic Awards for CUFA – meeting in end February – Research Office (Mary Bernard) do a lot of work on this…

RIck: Lifetime achievement award – named for Paz Buttedahl. There is also an award for a young academic..

5.5 Website: (Will)

Will – not present:

5.6 Social: (Ken)

Ken: Ken is now social committee by default… needs more people!

 

5.7 Grievance Report: (David)

David: No news – things seem to be quiet

5.8 Health & Safety: (Rick)

Rick: joint committee received a award for something that happened last year… but…there are still a variety of issues.

Charles – RRU had blackout recently. You could see VPs got together – but there were no protocols for what should happen… We had students in a dark LIC building… I walked around building… VP Catherine sent out email – but computers are not working when there is no power – & the lights are out. This was a minor situation; what happens when an earthquake (something major) hits?
I sent email to Allan about this. He says they are working on this…

Charles – only thing that has worked out before is closure for snow – listen to CFAX…

Ken: This is ironic given we have a Program in Disaster Management!

Michael: Security does not have cell phones either – no one – had called BC Hydro – so he did this…

Paul (Allison, our special guest, and President of RRU’s CUPE local): Our radios have only one channel – if housekeeping wants a new mop – no emergency plan… now looking at procedures and policies… but going to cost money… Exit light batteries – only last 2 hours…

Virginia: toilets were overflowing…

Paul: people were asking me what is going on…

 

6.      Other Business:

-Lunch break –

6.1 Special Guest: Paul Allison, RRU CUPE local President: Bargaining results for CUPE

Paul Allison: We need to take macro look (which is the government’s focus) on education. Education should not be just be for the privileged. Nelson Mandela – “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education needs to be much higher an issue for politicians and the general public…

Unfortunately – we had 100% of CUPE staff in support of our position. This was “unfortunate”, because we want a few dissenters to make Admin think they need to offer us a carrot. Vacation accrual and carryover – remains the same…The Administration wanted CUPE to pay for performance. They suggested we pay for safety books by reducing sick time… Labour/Management meetings – we can do this with a letter of understanding between collective bargaining meetings. CUPE had to say ‘no’ to a lot of things; They wanted performance reviews into membership. We have meetings on work-time – membership had strong voice against… what the Administration think is good for us turns out to be not really good for us… But, we hadnoconcessions.

Wendy: RRUFA gave up vacation – in exchange for research & scholarship leave.

Paul: we did not give up in our bargaining; we gave up nothing in exchange…

 

[Recorder (Niels) had to return to a residency so missed the last 5 minutes of the meeting, and did not hear Ken thanking Paul for coming to speak to RRUFA, and the round of applause for Paul and the CUPE staff!]

7.      Adjournment at 1:35 pm:

Moved to adjourn: Charles. 2nd: Matt.

 

Recorder: Niels Agger-Gupta