Welcome Back Faculty 2019/2020
The start of something new!
On behalf of the LCFA, we want to welcome all faculty back to campus for an exciting new year. We look forward to working with you!
For additional information please visit www.LCFA.ca
On behalf of the Faculty Executives Welcome Back. We hope you are refreshed and invigorated after your break.
The Faculty Executive have not changed from last year;
Kevin Wiber – President
Ryan Kaupp – VP Administration
Kerry Edwards – VP Negotiations and Welfare
Cheryl Meheden – VP Finance
Mike Mayo – Faculty Relations Officer
The executive Council Six (6) constituency reps currently include;
Constituency #1 – Lance Semak
College & University Preparation Counseling Services, English as a Second Language Exercise Science
FNMI Career Pathways General Interest General Studies Learning Cafe
Constituency #2 – Tim Fyfe
Agricultural & Heavy Equipment Technician Apprenticeship Training, Automotive Service Technician, Carpenter, Cook, Electrician, Parts Technician, Welder, Automotive Service Technician, Civil Engineering Technology, Culinary Careers, Engineering Design & Drafting Technology, Geomatics Engineering Technology, Industrial & Technical Training, Wind Turbine Technician
Constituency #3 – Dave English
Business Administration, Computer Information Technology, Digital Communications and Media, Professional Golf Management, Interior Design Technology, Multimedia Production, Administrative Office Professional
Constituency #4 - vacant
Agricultural Sciences, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Conservation Enforcement, Correctional Centre, Correctional Studies, Criminal Justice – Policing, Environmental Assessment & Restoration, Ecosystem management, Justice Studies, Natural Resource Compliance, Police Recruit Training, Renewal Resource Management
Constituency #5 – Teri Dyck
Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Nursing – After Degree, Perioperative Post‐Diploma Nursing Practical Nursing, Sphere
Constituency #6 – Loraine Leishman
Central Sterile Processing, Child & Youth Care, Early Childhood Education, Educational Assistant, Health Care Aide, Massage Therapy,
Therapeutic Recreation – Gerontology, Unit Clerk Training
You will notice Constituency #4 is vacant, we will be holding a by election soon to fill that position, please consider helping your faculty association.
Please note as well that some of the programs are no longer clustered as shown. One of our projects this year is to revisit the constituency format to more closely match our current structure.
Our new contract is still in the works. Kerry will be communicating with you soon.
Our revised Constitution was reviewed by a specialist in this area and she made some suggestions which will go back to the committee. My own quick review of her suggestions left me feeling the committee will work through them quickly and move into review of the bylaws. Dic will be reporting on the progress at the general meeting September 30th at 4:15 in IB1103.
Both Cheryl and I have spent some time with ACIFA looking at the implications of the change in government. ACIFA has been very active on your behalf, the ACIFA executive (including Cheryl – the new VP Finance – Congratulations!) and president’s council (including myself) met with Minister Nicholaides July 31st in Edmonton. We were able to provide input on your behalf on several issues and Minister Nicholaides was as forthcoming as he could be under the circumstances, the bottom line is he was not able to give us any insight into the government plans for Post-secondary education in Alberta pending the outcome of the McKinney panel. We made arrangements to meet again at a later date. I will provide more detail concerning our meeting at the general meeting September 30th.
As usual any questions for the Faculty association can be routed through Mike in the Faculty office, 2nd floor in the Andrews building, or call Mike at 3217.
All the best in the upcoming term.
Kevin Wiber
Please click the button below for a copy of your 2019/20 Quick Reference List for all your Executive Officers along with Committee Members information.
Negotiations for a new Collective Agreement are still ongoing. Until a new agreement is signed, the most recently expired contract is still in force.
Please click the link below for a copy of the most recent Collective Agreement.
Questions regarding your rights according to the Collective Agreement can be directed towards LCFA Executive Officers.
Academic Schedule
Please take a moment to review the academic schedule.
Upcoming Events
Please take a minute to review the executives meeting schedule.
Dates are subject to change.
Some helpful links to assist you during the year.
Casual Grid Communication
On behalf of Lethbridge College Human Resources & the LCFA
As you may be aware, Lethbridge College and the Faculty Association have been in bargaining over the last year. A Memorandum of Agreement has been reached and will be presented to the faculty for ratification in the fall. This includes a change to the casual (sessional) grid effective July 1, 2019. As preparation for the Fall 2019 term has started, we have agreed to implement the new casual (sessional) grid prior to ratification to alleviate adjustments that would need to be done mid-term. Having said that, please note that if the proposed agreement does not ratify, adjustments back to the original grid will be made.
We are communicating this change at this time as you may notice your Fall casual appointment letters are slightly different than before. Please know that all details of the new grid and the proposed agreement will be provided to you at a Faculty Association meeting prior to ratification.
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Lethbridge College Human Resources
Lethbridge College Faculty Association
Deadline to apply for Special Projects
Reminder
Please be aware of the following deadlines for PD Funding for Special Projects.
Applications for 17.6 Ongoing Special Projects funding must be completed and submitted to the FPDC by September 15, October 15,
February 15, March 15 or May 15 for the next academic year.
Applications for 17.7 Short-term Special Projects/Activities
funding must be completed and submitted to the FPDC by September 15, October 15, February 15, March 15 or May 15 for the next academic year.
May 2019 - Voting Reminder
Elections Reminder - Voting Hours
Tuesday thru Thursday 9:30 am - 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Room: PA2108 - Faculty Association Offices
On behalf of the Elections Committee:
There has been a change to the ballot from last afternoon’s AGM. I would like to extend my sincere apologies to Ken Sauter who was open to running for the Bylaw committee for the FA. I encouraged Ken to run recognizing the significant contribution he would make on the Bylaw committee but forgot to ensure he met the criteria for that committee. It is the only committee that has a requirement that a member must have sat for at least one term on a standing committee prior to coming onto the Bylaw committee.
Most people would not be aware of this criteria and it is up to me as the chair of the nominating committee to remember this when approaching potential members and in this case I missed this step. Thank you Ken for your willingness to run. My apologies to the membership for the change to the ballot as a result of my error.
Donna Kalau, CCYC, BSW, M. Ed.
Instructor and Practicum Coordinator
Child and Youth Care Program
Ph. 403-320-3202 ext 5546 Fax 1-888-981-3924
3000 College Drive South, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
Leadership and transformation
ACIFA Conference Report
2019 ACIFA Conference report
April 27th Kerry, Cheryl, Mike and I travelled to Lake Louise to represent you at the ACIFA Spring conference.
April 28th we met in three major committees from 8am to approximately 4pm. I attended Presidents Council. Our day began with a report from Brendan Bruce, the executive director of CAFA, which is the university level equivalent of ACIFA. This is significant because Brendan was hired based on his history in Ontario where he worked with labor unions preparing for and managing strike or lockout actions. His experience in that area sparked much conversation around how prepared we in Alberta Post-secondary would be should such a situation arise. Brendan also provided some reports on current issues with their group including communications with the minister, bargaining and code of conduct issues. I was surprised to hear the issues are pretty much the same as we face as an association.
Our next guest was Warren White who represents the Saskatchewan Polytecniques. Warren presented us with a completely different perspective, his organization is very young compared to Alberta’s post-secondary but has operated under the labor relations act since its inception. They are a single unit with a multitude of separate facilities who all have specific concerns.
Later in the day we had a visit from George Davidson from FPSE – The federation of Post secondary educators of BC. The federation is structured much like ACIFA and represents over 10000 faculty and staff in BC. Where many of the issues were the same, I found Georges comments to be pertinent in light of the structure that is similar to our current structure in ACIFA.
Our discussions moved to the future of the association. When Post-secondary in Alberta was mandated by the federal government to move away from the post-secondary Learning act (PSLA) to the Labor Relations Act (LRA) it came with a legislated adjustment period that ends in 2022. Up until that time associations such as LCFA represent members as the bargaining agent as before, after that date the association must operate as other unions in the province. The most important factor is that we are then open to “raiding”, a practice where another union could convince 2/3 of the membership to vote to move and take over all the assets of the existing union. ACIFA feels this would not serve the best interests of it’s members.
The first step for ACIFA is to approach the minister and ask for an extension to that date. The association then has to decide what direction they will move in the future. Should we remain as a federation, providing a unified voice for all the smaller unions within the federation like the BC model or try to provide one strong union leadership model like the Saskatchewan model? After much discussion there was the realization that we need to do much more research into the options that exist and we need some input from the members. ACIFA has developed a booklet which we hope to begin to distribute at the AGM which outlines where the money you invest in ACIFA goes and what it does for you.
The meeting continued with discussion around the Code of Conduct, our institution seems to be one of the most advanced in that area, my impression is we have come to an uneasy truce while many other institutions are going through significant difficulties.
There was significant discussion around the “precarious professor” in post-secondary across Canada today, the growing trend toward casual or contract instructors and professors. The growth and treatment of these people is quite alarming. ACIFA president’s council agreed to provide a donation of $5000 toward the development of a documentary outlining the problem and highlighting the impact on the people involved.
The next topic was Intellectual Property which has become a large issue across the sector. Paul Jones from CAUT spoke to us by telephone and provided a lot of information around the issue. Among the very interesting background Paul provided was the idea that “inventions of the mind” generally belong to the creator, unless they are created under employment in which case ownership generally goes to the employer. In common law education was the exception, where ownership of IP tends to promote Academic freedom and the development and exchange of ideas. However a 1999 report on the commercialization of academic research determined that faculty be stripped of intellectual property and the ownership be transferred to administration. The research being done based on outside funding also impacts the ownership and commercialization of intellectual property. At this point there are no clear conclusions, I have been asked to bring specific questions back to ACIFA so please contact me if you have questions or concerns. Within our own institution I have been invited to participate in a subcommittee of Academic council to review academic policies.
The ACIFA defence fund, established last year is moving forward. ACIFA earmarked $100000 out of reserves for the fund and contributions were assessed this year. President’s council established a committee to oversee management of the fund. One member of president’s council will chair the committee while 3 members at large will be appointed. If you are interested please let me know.
Tuesday April 3oth the AGM was held. The executive provide reports, which I can provide for anyone interested. The finance report indicated that ACIFA is doing well financially showing a small surplus. The big news is that with Janice Kirchner stepping down, Cheryl Meheden will be stepping in as the new VP of finance and records – congratulations Cheryl! The Bylaws were separated into a constitution and Bylaws, similar to the work being done by our own committee. There were motions to approve a change to the calculation of the contribution to the defense fund, essentially each institution pays into the fund based on declared FTE instructors with the understanding that should you need to draw from the fund, any compensation provided would be based on those same numbers. Policies on accounting procedures, donations, travel expenses and purchasing cards were presented and approved.
May 6th 2019 AGM Information
LCFA Annual General Meeting
May 6th, 2019 at 4:15 pm
Room IB 1104
Please join us for the LCFA AGM Monday May 6th, 2019 in room IB1104. To access the upcoming agenda, previous minutes; as well as, the Executive Officers reports please click the following links.
Voting for the elections will commence at the conclusion of the AGM. Voting will continue Tuesday May 7th, 2019 until Thursday May 9th, 2019 from 9:30 am - 12:00 pm & 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Results will be announced once ballots are counted.
Please note: Elections will be held for the Negotiations Committee along with V.P Negotiations & Welfare once a new Collective Agreement has been signed. The committee is made up of the following
V.P Negotiations & Welfare
· Six (6) Constituency Reps; One (1) from each constituency plus the Casual/Term Certain/DL representative.
The Negotiations Committee serves for two (2) contracts.
Please consider letting your name stand for one of these positions. If you wish to put your name forward, contact Mike Mayo with your intentions. If you would like to nominate someone, please put their name forward to Mike and he will contact that person directly to ensure they are open to having their name stand.
President's Newsletter - April 2019
Lethbridge College Faculty Association Newsletter
April 2019
*Congratulations
*Student retention initiative
*Policy committee
*Collective agreement article explained
*Off Campus guidelines
* Annual General Meeting
* Elections
Congratulations to the many members nominated by their students and peers for the LCFA/SA Teaching Excellence Awards. We had 17 nominations! It shows the excellent work Faculty are doing while serving their students. The winners will be recognized at Invigorate May 1st.
The student retention initiative announced recently has caused some concern. As the process was unveiled the FA asked that it not interfere with exams and mark delivery. The understanding was that each instructor would be asked to connect with their students in order to provide a warm contact to encourage the student to return, and to facilitate identifying barriers to that return. The concept of developing a relationship with your students to that extent is not new. It is included in the Instructor Role Description jointly developed in 2016 “discuss with students’ career and employment objectives, in so far as such matters generally relate to the instruction being offered to those students”. The principle of the student retention initiative was to leverage that existing relationship to assist the students in identifying and overcoming barriers to them completing their education. The FA has discussed the implementation with ELT including the registrar, pointing out that the principle is lost if we are asked to approach students with whom we do not have a relationship, or even knowledge of the program of study. All involved recognize this is not ideal, however it is too late to alter the process for this term. Please do what you can under the circumstances and we will keep working to develop a better approach.
There is an opportunity for a faculty member or two to sit on a new committee being formed. The committee will be a subcommittee of the academic council and will provide some input into development of academic policies. Contact Mike or Kevin if you are interested.
There have been many questions in the faculty office around the use of the workload model, you can contact Kevin or Dic Charge concerning entering your workload or how the model represents the work you do. There are some questions at the supervisor level concerning what applies under the other assignable duties portions which include Professional Development and Institution Service. You should be aware that these duties were generally outlined in the Instructor Role Model as part of the process of developing the workload model. This document is available on the HR website as well as the Faculty website LCFA.ca. In cases where this document does not clear up problems with your workload, be aware that Article 11, Professional Standards Committee is there to help. PSC is comprised of 3 faculty members and 3 administrators, the chair and tie-breaking vote will be the VP administration from faculty, currently Ryan Kaupp. We will be looking to fill the other two seats in the upcoming election after which we will have to rewrite the mandate as part of the ongoing bylaw redevelopment. The current mandate includes hearing disputes concerning workload. If you have concerns, contact the FA office and we will try and guide you through the process.
It has been a busy year highlighted by change. Dramatic changes to management structure and administrative personnel have added a lot of stress. Now we head into that very busy time where most of us wrap up classes and look forward to the warm relaxing days of summer. Please remember the guidelines provide concerning time off campus. Although we are professional we are employees of the college and as such have a responsibility to communicate with our supervisors.
How long do I need to be absent from my usual work place before I send formal notice through My Horizons?
Greater than ½ day (>4 hours).
As a courtesy to your students and your colleagues, email your Administrative Support team member with CC to your supervisor prior to your absence if possible, including contact information in case of emergency.
What if I’m occasionally off campus for less than ½ day (<4 hours)?
You need not necessarily submit an online leave request but you must communicate with your supervisor and Administrative Support team member, making sure they have your contact information in case of emergency or in the event you are needed for participation in department activities (meetings, student issues/inquiries, tours, etc).
What about occasionally working from home?
We understand the need sometimes for working off campus (ie. marking, research, or other college-related work). Your supervisor needs to know about it and how to reach you. Time worked from home is still considered working hours and, as such, you need to be available by email and/or phone to handle inquiries, questions, etc.
One last piece of Faculty Association business – the Annual General Meeting. Cheryl will provide a financial update, Kerry will let all of you know how bargaining is going and we will be looking for people to run for various committee’s in the new year. Monday May 6th at 4 pm in the IB Theater, Please attend.
Elections – The following positions will be open for election
VP Finance
5 constituency representatives (including alternates) of Executive Council (who also sit on Academic Council)
3 Members of the by-laws committee
2 members of the Professional Standards Committee
3 Members of the student appeal committee
1 representative to the Respectful campus Committee
3 members of the Occupational Health and Safety committee
Elections 2019/20 and Beyond
Faculty Association Elections
Our annual AGM is rapidly approaching (May 6th, 2019)!
We are looking for people willing to serve their Faculty Association in the following capacities:
· V.P. Finance for a two-year term
· Constituency Rep for Constituencies #3, #4 and #5 for a two-year term
· And the following positions are open, each for a one year term
· One (1) person for the Respectful Campus Committee
· Three (3) people for the Occupational Health and Safety Committee
· Two (2) people for the Professional Standards Committee
· Two (2) people for the Student Appeal Committee and One (1) person for Student Appeal Alternate
· Three (3) people for the Bylaws Committee
· Two (2) for the Academic Council Alternates
Please note: Elections will be held for the Negotiations Committee along with V.P Negotiations & Welfare once a new Collective Agreement has been signed. The committee is made up of the following
· V.P Negotiations & Welfare
· Six (6) Constituency Reps; One (1) from each constituency plus the Casual/Term Certain/DL representative.
The Negotiations Committee serves for two (2) contracts.
Please consider letting your name stand for one of these positions. If you wish to put your name forward, contact Mike Mayo with your intentions. If you would like to nominate someone, please put their name forward to Mike and he will contact that person directly to ensure they are open to having their name stand.
LCSA/LCFA Awards - Reminder
LCSA/LCFA Awards - Reminder
The opportunity to recognize your peers by nominating them for one of the LCSA/LCFA awards closes next Friday March 29th 2019
The nomination requires the support of students and faculty so if a student approaches you please help them out, and if you recognize some great work from your colleges, get together with some students and give them a nod of approval by nominating them!
Please find the links below:
Information for the award in our website: https://www.lclearningdev.com/lcfasa-teaching-excellence-awards
link to the forms: https://www.lclearningdev.com/lcfa/sa-forms
Kevin Wiber
President, Lethbridge College Faculty Association
Instructor Center for Trades
Automotive Service Technician / Heavy Equipment Technician
403-320-3202 ext. 3264 or 3219
3000 College Drive S., Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
NCHA Survey
NCHA Survey Extension
The National College Health Assessment (NCHA) Survey has been extended. The survey was originally emailed to all Lethbridge College students on March 4, 2019 and was set to run until Friday, March 15, 2019. However, a request was made to extend it one more week and will now close on Friday, March 22, 2019. The NCHA, provides the college with rich data on our students’ health habits and helps to inform us on future programming and service delivery. This survey previously ran in 2016.
Please let students know that they can access their unique survey link via their Canvas inbox or their Lethbridge College email inbox. Students can also win one of ten $100 gift cards from Safeway just for participating. Students will be receiving one more reminder on Monday afternoon to complete the survey.
New Course Evaluation Tool
New Course Evaluation Tool
On behalf of Kristina Madarasz, Institutional Planning Specialist.
Good afternoon,
The new Course Evaluation Tool, EvaluationKit was announced in December 2018. As previously communicated, EvaluationKIT integrates with Canvas and the administration of the course evaluation process will now be centralized in Institutional Planning, rather than within each individual centre.
Winter 2019 Course Evaluations
· Course evaluations using EvaluationKit will be implemented starting March 14th for all courses on a compressed schedule and the first week of April for all other courses. This remains unchanged from previous course evaluation practice.
· Evaluation questions used in previous years will continue to be used and will not be changed at this point in time.
· Only instructors on their evaluation cycle will be evaluated this term. This also remains unchanged from current practice.
For more information, you can review an FAQ that will continue to be updated as this project progresses. You can access it here.
If you have any questions about the course evaluation process, please contact Kristina Madarasz in Institutional Planning at Kristina.madarasz@lethbridgecollege.ca.
Kristina Madarasz
Institutional Planning Specialist
Institutional Planning, Reporting and Risk Services
403-320-3202 ext. 5291
3000 College Drive S., Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
Volunteer LCFA/SA Launch Request
Looking for
Volunteers for the LCFA/SA Awards Launch
The LCFA/SA are looking for volunteers to help man a kiosk on Wed March 6th, 2019 from 1100-1300 to launch the LCFA/SA teaching awards.
Volunteers will be giving out popcorn in Centre Core and assisting students and faculty to fill out and submit the nominations.
We are looking for 2-4 volunteers to work 30 minute shifts over the 2 hour period.
People who are interested can contact Melanie Hamilton at melanie.hamilton@lethbridgecollege.ca or ext. 5409
Board Membership Opportunity
Board Membership Opportunity
South Country Treatment Centre is looking for a new Board member. If you would like to see more details of the role, please click the link below.
LCFA Jan 2019 General Meeting Recap
Jan 28th - General Meeting Recap
Faculty Newsletter
Jan 28th, 2019 – General Meeting Recap
Thanks to those who attended the general meeting, and to Jennifer Davis for providing some clarity around the process related to the extension of the presidents contract.
*Ron Macdonald Fund update
*International Students
*Board report
*ACIFA report
*ACIFA Conference
*Finance Report
*Negotiations report MOTION; To hold a special information session February 11th at 4:15.
*Labor Relations Complaint
*DL issues
The faculty association has donated $5000 to the Ron Macdonald fund in addition to the almost $700 raised at the used book sale before Christmas. There are still plans to do a Taco-in-a-bag in support of the fund.
There is a great deal of work being done to support students, faculty and staff as we all deal with the increase in international students. Many of these efforts are long term and will not be apparent to those working directly with students through this year. Contact the faculty association for more details.
Dr Burns has applied to renew her contract. The board has accepted the request and are seeking input to inform their decision. Faculty and AUPE staff are working together to produce a Google form to capture that input. Opinions and comments that are not directly related to the question will not be included. Information that is anonymous will not be used in the evaluation process, however the information going to the committee will be compiled on behalf of the whole faculty association and personal information will be kept confidential. The information will have to get back to the committee by February 8th , there was some discussion about why the urgency, it was stressed that Dr Burns had submitted her letter some time ago but the committee failed to recognize some requirements of the process. Please watch for the e-mail requesting your input.
Faculty Executive have been very busy with ACIFA. Friday January 18th, I attended a pre-budget meeting in Calgary with the Minister of Advanced Education. It was very clear that all the post-secondary institutions in southern Alberta have the same concerns and issues that we face at Lethbridge College. There was discussion around sustainability, options for efficiencies and even the government influence in the bargaining process. The government pledged to continue “stable and predictable funding” as they have provided over the last 4 years. Saturday January 26th 4 members of the faculty executive and negotiating team attended meetings in Edmonton. At professional affairs Cheryl was happy to see members of our association nominated for the provincial awards. The negotiating meeting was primarily a negotiating workshop
The ACIFA conference will be April 28th to 30th at Chateau Lake Louise. Information is available on the ACIFA web site. Lethbridge College Faculty association will be hosting the conference May 7th to 11th 2021 in Banff. We will be looking for people interested in working with the host committee. We would encourage those who might be interested in leading that effort to attend a workshop at the event this year. See Cheryl for details.
Cheryl was once again able to provide a very positive financial report. We have collected roughly 42% of our expected income, with that our strike defense fund for this year is fully funded as well as some other commitments such as the Ron Macdonald fund. Thanks to Cheryl for her continued diligence.
Kerry reported that negotiations have been difficult. The committee can count 720 man hours at the negotiating table and we return to the table in March. The negotiating process is somewhat different under labor relations legislation and with that the negotiating team felt it could share some information with the membership on the process. The following motion was passed;
That a special information meeting be held Monday February 11th at 4:15 for the purpose of updating the membership on the current state of negotiations.
Please attend the meeting where Kerry and the negotiating team are prepared to provide information and answer questions.
Administration have made a significant change (reduction) to pay on casual contracts. It is the opinion of our lawyer that this contravenes section 147 of the labor relations act which states an employer cannot change conditions of employment while negotiating. There will be a resolution meeting February 18thand if required a hearing April 8th for the Labor Relations Board to consider the matter. There was some discussion about the legality of the current letters that serve as contracts. We will ask questions of our lawyer on your behalf.
DL courses have been cancelled with very little notice. There has been discussion about striking a committee to address the questions around Distance delivery. Once the details are in place we will be looking for people to staff that committee.
Dic Charge reported the constitution and by laws revision is going well. Executive recognizes the approval process due to the large project undertaken here may prove to be time consuming. Currently the procedure for changing by-laws requires that we present the motion at the general meeting, supply the changes at least 20 days before the AGM and vote to approve the changes at the AGM. In light of the large project before the membership the By-laws committee along with faculty Executive provided the following motion;
MOTION; Move that the By-laws committee in conjunction with Executive council be allowed to convene a special meeting for the sole purpose of discussing, and ratifying the updated Constitution and By-laws.
We will provide information far enough in advance of the date to ensure ample opportunity to review the changes, and hope to ratify the changes at that time. The date of these events will depend on the continued progress of the committee.
Sincerely,
Kevin Wiber
President, Lethbridge College Faculty Association
Instructor Center for Trades
Automotive Service Technician / Heavy Equipment Technician
403-320-3202 ext. 3264 or 3219
3000 College Drive S., Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
LCFA Board Report - Jan 2019
Board of Governors Report – Jan 2019 Faculty have grown more comfortable with the code of conduct policy. The association was surprised at a town hall meeting, to hear that the college needs to address 1077 disclosure documents. Lethbridge college faculty association recognizes roughly 375 members, including our sessional faculty. The college organizational chart shows 374 non instructional staff including administration. Faculty are curious who comprises the remaining third? Faculty continue to be concerned with the increase in foreign students. The international team has provided excellent opportunities for open dialog and continues to work toward solutions, however Faculty are concerned that the direct effect on instruction and classroom dynamics will affect domestic students and the reputation of the college while the solutions are being developed and implemented. Faculty continue to have concerns regarding the distributed leadership model. Several of the new people put in place have elected to leave the college and faculty are concerned about the optics related to the turnover rate in administration. At the same time administration continues to react to the issues as they arise and seem to be making progress in the development of the structure. Where the faculty association has generally been made aware of complaints, we are now beginning to hear positive comments about this process. There are rumors of developing curriculum that is better suited to university transfer which calls into question the qualifications of our faculty. Faculty have been removed from long term teaching assignments with this justification. As an association we believe faculty should be given the opportunity to upgrade in a timely fashion rather than replaced. Faculty continue to be suspicious of ongoing negotiations. Many associations at institutions across the province are feeling the same discomfort. Changes from the PostSecondary Learning Act to the Labor Relations Act have created some new bargaining conditions, including the complaint currently before the labor relations board from our own college. Discussions at the budget preparation meeting with Minister Schmidt indicate government involvement in negotiations has impacted bargaining across the province. Faculty have concerns, however the association overall seems to be quietly and efficiently working in the best interest of the students we serve. While we continue through the issues and concerns we want to once again recognize the communication and productive discourse we have enjoyed with Lethbridge College administration over all.
Sincerely, Kevin Wiber
LCFA January 2019 General Meeting Announcement
LCFA General Meeting Announcement
Lethbridge College Faculty Association General Meeting
Please join us for an LCFA General Meeting.
Agenda & Sept 2018 meeting minutes attached.
When:
Monday January 28th, 2019 @ 4:15 pm
Where:
IB1104
Topics that will be discussed include:
President Report – Kevin Wiber
FPDC Report
ELT Report
Board Report
ACIFA/Advanced Education Meeting
LCFA/SA Awards
ACIFA Conference
V.P., Administration – Ryan Kaupp
Safety Committee Update
V.P., Finance – Cheryl Meheden
Financial Report
V.P., Negotiations – Kerry Edwards
Negotiations Update
Welfare Update
Alberta Labor Board Complaint Update
By-laws Committee Update – Dic Charge
Please see attached for agenda and minutes from the Sept 2018 general meeting.
January 2019 - News Letter
A message from your LCFA President.
Faculty Newsletter January 2019
*General Meeting
*ELT report
*Pre-budget meeting
*Labor Board Complaint
*By-Laws “MOTION”
General meeting Monday January 28th IB1104 4:15
Please attend
Welcome back after what we hope was a relaxing break over the holidays. Now it’s back to the excitement as we work into 2019.
Things in the faculty office have been relatively quiet. We have not met with ELT since the last report but there are a few items left from before the break.
I attended a budget preparation meeting with the minister of Advanced Education, Marlon Schmidt Friday January 18th in Calgary. The meeting brought together representatives of many faculty associations from the south portion of the province to discuss the upcoming budget and post-secondary education. The concerns raised by the larger group echoed our issues and concerns. Issues raised included; the lack of full time continuing opportunities for sessional or casual faculty, Government influence in the bargaining process, significant growth in administration, opportunities for efficiencies and the potential impact of the upcoming election on post-secondary education.
The Labor Relations Board complaint is still waiting for resolution, February 19th is the next step in the process. There have been reports of further adjustments on new contracts, please don’t hesitate to share that information with Mike in the faculty office.
The By-laws committee has been working hard. The Constitution is almost ready to present to faculty, once that is done the group will move into the By-laws. As many of you realize, updating these documents is a big undertaking. The committee has put more than 200 hours into the project so far. There is an issue with moving the new document into service. The current bylaws require notice of motion at the general meeting in order to ratify the document at the annual general meeting. We recognize the significant time required for adequate discussion and don’t feel this time can be allotted at a regularly scheduled meeting. After discussion at the By-laws meeting, and further discussion at the executive council it was decided to ask for an exemption due to the dramatic nature of the renovation of the bylaws. Our request would be that we be allowed to present the updated Constitution and By-laws a minimum of 20 days before a special meeting called to deal with ONLY the constitution and bylaws. We felt this would allow adequate opportunity for faculty members to review the new document, raise any concerns and discuss solutions before ratification. The following motion will be discussed at the general meeting January 28th 2019;
MOTION; Move that the By-laws committee in conjunction with Executive council be allowed to convene a special meeting for the sole purpose of discussing, and ratifying the updated Constitution and By-laws.
Please attend the general meeting and be prepared to voice your concerns or support of the motion.
Negotiations is still moving slowly. The meeting with the minister indicated this is common across the province. The province has mandated no new spending to control costs and as a result we are struggling to find common ground. The committee is working hard to work out details that will be beneficial.
Cheryl continues to provide the best news, reporting a strong financial position. She will complete her report at the general meeting.
Kevin Wiber
President, Lethbridge College Faculty Association
Instructor Center for Trades
Automotive Service Technician / Heavy Equipment Technician
403-320-3202 ext. 3264 or 3219
3000 College Drive S., Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
Borrow a Textbook - LCSA announcement
On behalf of the Lethbridge College Students' Association.
Please click the link below for further details.
ACIFA Awards Application
WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR COLLEAGUES!
Did you know that ACIFA Awards Application deadline is January 4, 2019?
Do you have colleagues who are innovative and/or committed to teaching and learning? Wouldn't it be great to give them some recognition for all their hard work! Nominate them for the Distinguished Instructor Award or the Innovation in Teaching Award.
Are you working on a research project? Did you know that ACIFA has a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award? It's really easy to apply for this award if your project has already been approved by your institute or ethics review board.
This year we are introducing our new online application for each award.
If you require further information please email acifaawards@gmail.com.
Thank you.
Janice Kirchner
VP Finance & Records
Alberta Colleges & Institutes Faculties Association
218, 11010 142 ST NW
Phone: (780) 423-4440
Fax: (780) 423-4515
http://www.acifa.ca