Notice of Fall 2023 Ed Co By-Elections

Dear Members,

Once again, I am writing to notify you about another upcoming by-election for Education Council representation. Some of you may remember my blog post last fall, “Why should you care about Academic Governance?” which explains how important it is to have strong faculty representation on our Educational Council and maybe even a suspiciously similar post called “Notice of Upcoming 2023 Spring Elections” that I sent out last, well, Spring.

That’s because there are still TWO unclaimed Faculty Representative Seats on EdCo and three vacant student seats. We experienced a glimpse into the future our organization desires during bargaining where nearly every tabled employer proposal attempted to expand their managerial rights and reduce our say. Make no mistake, as technology like Artificial Intelligence continues to evolve, the last battlefields for the academic integrity of curriculum will be around the Educational Council tables and on the Senate floors of learning organizations everywhere. We cannot afford to be absent from the spaces where academic decisions are made; and, we must not relinquish those few spaces where faculty voices are dominant.

Now more than ever, we all need to be present, active, and united in the defence of our working conditions, academic freedoms, and contract rights.  Academic Governance is a vital part of how faculty are able to participate in the governance of our organization and we can’t afford for these seats to remain vacant!  (As happened AGAIN last Spring.)

Upcoming Educational Council Elections

If you have an interest in policy, curriculum, or having a role in the strategic leadership of the College, consider putting your nomination forward to serve on Camosun’s Education Council as a great way to make a difference.

Nomination Period: Sep 20 – Oct 3, 2023

Election Voting: October 23 – 25, 2023

Education Council

• Students: 3 seats with a term of November 1, 2023 – July 31, 2024
• Faculty: 2 seats with a term of November 1, 2023 – July 31, 2025

This election, there appear to be no seat allocation restrictions. Faculty from all areas are encouraged to run! Check out who the current EdCo members are to see who represents your area!

Be sure you check out the Rules & Guidelines or email ac.nusomac@snoitcele for more information.

You need to complete a form AND obtain signatures from five nominators no later than 3PM on October 3, 2023.

They reject nomination forms that are just one minute late, so don’t delay! Feel free to contact me if you have questions about serving on EdCo and the importance of faculty representation in Collegial Governance at Camosun College.  I know this isn’t new to most of you, and you’ll continue to hear this from me all the time, on repeat.  Since I still don’t want to be shouting into a void or an echo chamber, I’ll keep asking you to fill out our communications survey to let us know how your Union is doing!

Don’t worry, I’ll remind everyone again (and again, and again); expect to see this in CamNews, too! 

What’s the deal with that new Collective Agreement?

I know there’s tons of buzz around what comes next with the CCFA having ratified our new collective agreement. But, until all the parties have ratified the agreement, we all have to just sit tight and wait. The minute we know ANYTHING we will tell you! Two things are certain right now:

• We’ll inform everyone of the process for members who are no longer employed at the college to apply for any back pay they are entitled to as soon as it is known.  We’ve already been getting emails from former members, so GREAT JOB getting the word out there already.  However, until the application form has been created, the best way for you to help those folks will be to have them fill out the CCFA Member Details Form on our website.  We will email EVERYONE on that list when the back pay application instructions are available.
• IF you need parking right now, sign up for it. All members are eligible for free parking under Article 19. Eligible employees will be able to opt out later, when the new program becomes available.