Greetings from SFUFA !

Message from the President
It has been over a week since we are back, this time on campus, to a new academic year. I hope you are by now adapting to the new realities and that work is proceeding smoothly. At this time, more than ever, SFUFA is here to support you and to assist with any concerns you may have as we return to campus under what remain uncertain circumstances.
 
As your new president, I am committed to continuing the work that SFUFA has been doing to represent you and to promote your well-being.  I’d like to recognize the outgoing President, Michael Sjoerdsma, for 4 years of exceptional service, and in guiding SFUFA through some intense and complex times including bargaining, a new pension plan, and the pandemic. I come into this role well-supported by Brian Green (SFUFA Exec Director), Jennifer Scott (Member Services Officer) and Melanie Lam (Administrator), the team that does all the heavy lifting and gets it all done. Members of your Executive this year are :
 
  • David Broun (Physics) – Director  
  • David Hannah (Business) – Vice President
  • Steeve Mongrain (Economics) – Treasurer
  • Dan Laitsch (Education) – Director
  • Suzanne Norman (Publishing) – Director
  • Janice Regan (Computing Science) – Director, Community Engagement
  • Ljiljana Trajkovik (Science) – Director, Human Rights and Equity
    Rochelle Tucker (Health Science) – Director, Teaching Appointments
  • Baharak Yousefi (Library) – Director, Librarians and Archivists
 
Our thanks to outgoing Exec members Sherryl Bisgrove (Biological Sciences), Dai Heide (Philosophy), and Alexandra Wieland (Archives).
 
We hope to communicate with you regularly over the next year, to inform you of the initiatives and projects that we are working on this year, to consult with you on matters such as bargaining (yes, that’s coming up early next year), and to invite your participation in events that we may host. We begin that with a series of socials (see below) this Fall.
 
Finally, I wish to acknowledge the motion that passed in Senate on Monday, to support a cluster hire of tenure-track, Black faculty across Faculties and disciplines. We were not advised in advance of this motion, and so have not yet had an opportunity to speak to the University about details of how these appointments will be rolled out, but we look forward to working with SFU and the Black Caucus to see these new members hired in a way that protects the collegial role of academic units and provides appropriate supports to ensure the success of these colleagues.
 
Please feel free to connect with me and members of the Executive. I look forward to taking up the responsibilities of this role.
 
Kumari Beck
President, SFUFA

Fall Socials 

In preparation for the return to face to face teaching, SFUFA planned a number of social events to facilitate the return to campus. In recent weeks, as COVID numbers have risen yet again, we have grappled with the question of whether to cancel these events. 
 
We have taken the decision to keep our scheduled socials for the time being. While we are concerned about what the Fall might bring, we do recognize that the return is happening, and that it is critical to consider the effects social isolation has had on our mental health. We will, then, plan to hold events where possible, recognizing that provincial health guidelines regarding vaccination and masking are expected to keep risks relatively low in ancillary spaces and at non-essential events, as these are. We will, of course, carefully monitor the situation as it develops, and all events are subject to change or cancellation.
 
Please note that we do request RSVPs in order to ensure that we can manage numbers.
 
The tentatively planned events are as follows:
Burnaby Social – Wednesday, September 22nd. 3.30-7:00. Halpern 126
Vancouver Social – Tuesday, September 28th 4:00-8:00. Location TBA
Surrey Social – Thursday, October 14th. 4:00-7:00. Central City Pub at the Surrey campus
December Social – Monday, December 6th. 4:00-7:00. Halpern 126
To RSVP for the social events in September and October, please visit:
 
We understand that the prospect of social events may be concerning to some members; we will be making every effort to ensure risk is minimized at any event we might hold, and we may need to cancel some or all of the above based on the conditions at the time. It is also important, however, that we do find ways to come together when we can do so.
 
Please mark your calendar!
We also have scheduled our General Meeting for Tuesday, November 23rd.  11:30-1:00. Further information will be distributed later in the semester.