I have senior management experience in both the private and public sectors, including eight years full-time at BCIT, School of Transportation (retired 2010). It was my pleasure to represent our school at the BCIT Life Long Learning Council for several years.

My 31 years continuous experience also as an Instructor with the School of Business, Marketing Management Program has given me a solid understanding of Part-time Studies.

I believe there are challenges facing the Part-time Studies instructors and we need an experienced voice at the table to represent the needs and concerns of our entire membership. I believe that I am the right person who can be a voice for PTS Associate Members.

Watch Mike’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

During the past three years I have served as FSA Director, Associate Members. Over that time I have vocalized PTS concerns we share at board meetings and beyond. Although much still needs to be done I am encouraged by a growing support to address these concerns. With your support I would like to continue working on your behalf.

I have worked exclusively in PTS, SOCAS for over 18 years. During that time, I have gotten to know many of you and the challenges you face. Often it seems the level of support we are given is wanting. Poor access to benefits, few professional development opportunities, a lack rights as they pertain to materials we create and courses we’ve developed and teach, and pay inequity continue to be unaddressed.

Perhaps the greatest challenge the FSA faces as a whole is low membership engagement. This is particularly noticeable in PTS. One of the most difficult things to do is rally the scattered groups across the campuses. I have been encouraging the FSA to explore new initiative to get members involved, and there is growing support to move forward. It essentially comes down to forming relationships, which I have been able to do with many members. It takes time to build a critical mass but I feel we are on our way. My hope is to get to the point where we can stand together and be able to decide our own future rather than deferring to others. Historically, the latter has not worked well for PTS members.

Not surprisingly, the greatest issue for all members remains the lack of proper remuneration for the work we do. The problem is worse for PTS members where there is a huge gap between what full time members are paid and what the full time equivalent pay is for PTS members, even though we do the same work. The unpaid hours we spend outside the classroom reduces our actual hourly pay to a fraction of what our contracts actually state. Furthermore, this doesn’t take into account the unmeasured hours we spend on a course before and after contract dates.

We are presently in a contract year and expect negotiations for a new deal to begin in the Spring. I have volunteered to be part of the FSA’s Collective Agreement Committee and have pushed hard to get member engagement and PTS issues front and centre. The results can be positive. I can say with confidence that this time around there has been much more discussion around PTS member concerns than has been the case in the past. What I ask you to do is support me in maintaining the momentum that has been built for the upcoming negotiations and beyond.

If chosen to continue as your representative I will continue to push PTS issues to the front burner. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Watch Paul’s video statement.

As instructors, students are at the heart of what we do. When I started my career at the Leibnitz University Hannover in 2000, I quickly realized what a profound effect one instructor could have on a student’s life.

After two years in Part-Time Studies at BCIT, I see passion and enthusiasm for learning and teaching. I see the FSA as a way to help us advocate for a school that promotes student achievement, values diversity and gives instructors the tools to create the best start for their students.

I’ve met so many dedicated instructors at PD Day, Instructional Skills Workshop and other on-campus events. I’ve been impressed with the commitment the FSA has had to acknowledging diversity on campus and moving toward reconciliation with Canada’s First Nations.

I would be honored to represent the unique, lonely and demanding role of Part-Time Studies instructor. It isn’t just about getting a working stapler in the copy room (though there should be a working stapler in the copy room); it’s about having the support and respect of the institution. It’s about being able to borrow a laptop if my personal one has broken down. It’s about trusting that I am safe in my workplace. It’s about being able to provide an environment that allows my student to thrive. It’s about knowing that I am supported to support my students.

Currently, I teach in the School of Computing and Academic Studies, run my own business, and serve on a community board in Richmond. I’m committed to making BCIT a stronger and better institution and continuing to build our name and brand. Advertising campaigns can’t change who we are–you, our instructors, are the heart and soul of why students come to us and why industry chooses the BCIT brand.

I would be honoured to serve you, the FSA, and BCIT in continuing to support the great work we are doing together.

Watch Holly’s video statement. 

I have been working full-time at BCIT for over 20 years starting as PTS Coordinator and then Program Head for Computing Part-time Studies. My main focus is developing and delivering a large Computing and Information Technology curriculum that has produced tens of thousands of job ready graduates.

Computing Part-time Studies is the single largest program area at BCIT. It has been my pleasure to have built and grown this thriving ecosystem with 70 PTS Instructors and 2 support staff. We deliver 450+ related course sections into 15 credential programs with 7,200+ student registrations every year.

My methods have been documented as best practices to help guide PTS coordinators and program heads across BCIT. I was nominated for Employee Excellence several times and was awarded the Extra Mile Individual Award for Faculty. In 2016 Computing PTS under my direction received the Outstanding Contribution Award for a department.

I have served the FSA as Tech Rep for the Computer Systems Department for over 10 years and currently represent over 100 FSA members full-time and part-time. Having also previously worked with the FSA on professional development committees, I have a unique perspective and an understanding of how both the FSA and BCIT operate.

Outside of the department and the FSA, my service to BCIT includes several hiring committees for Deans, Associate Deans, Faculty and Support Staff, along with multiple standing committees; Life Long Learning, Marketing, ITS User Chair, and PTS Council.

I have seen many changes at BCIT and within the FSA. I believe more work needs to be done as we work together to set a direction towards the future. BCIT currently has a problem recruiting qualified instructors and we will experience significant attrition due to retirements and major competition from industry’s pay scales.

Since this is a bargaining year I believe in ongoing consultation with our membership. My experiences at BCIT and with the FSA have led me to recognize many of the issues and inequities related to PTS instructors that we need to resolve.

My plans include reaching out to effectively engage with the entire membership to represent the wishes of the majority and to move forward. If elected as a Director-at-Large for the FSA my goal would be to work closer in partnership with BCIT, industry and our students.

Be sure to vote in the next FSA election and please consider me for one of the five Director-at-Large positions.

Education is a right and a privilege. It is one of the fundamental pillars to a foundation of success. An educated society results in individuals contributing to the advancement of the economy, which leads to a higher quality of life and standard of living. We are fortunate to be part of the FSA as we are entitled to the benefit of continued education, health and well-being, and excellent employment conditions.

I joined BCIT in 2014 as a Program Advisor (technical staff – FSA member) and have over 15 years of experience working in the post-secondary system.  And as a result of our benefits, I recently had the privilege of completing my MBA.

I am a member of the newly formed FSA Equity Caucus and will advocate for equity-seeking groups.  I have served as an FSA Tech Rep with the intention of connecting with members to learn about opportunities and challenges facing themselves and their departments. I believe we can strengthen our decision making ability and our contribution across BCIT if we continue to connect, listen, inquire, explore, and learn from each other to gain fresh perspectives and share developments. I will continue to support the Diversity Circles project as it is a unique model that can be leveraged towards enriched communication and decisions.

I am an active volunteer in my community.  At present, I serve as a Civilian Instructor for Navy League Cadets.  I have volunteered as a Director for several terms, as well as Vice President for a community non-profit organization of approximately 400 members.

We live in times where change is taking place at an exponential pace; the higher education landscape and the diversity of professional and personal challenges are changing. I am a progressive thinker and would advocate matching our collective agreement to the employment conditions of the future, as well as the present, to ensure a continued positive work-life balance.

Please feel free to connect with me if you have any questions. Thank you for your support.

Watch Bhaveena’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

Hello Everyone,

I am submitting my name to once again run for a Director position with the FSA. In my first two terms as FSA director I have learned a lot about what you as members want and brought these issues to the board table and aided in helping to get them resolved. When I began, one of my main goals was to get members more engaged with the union especially where I work in the ITS department. I saw some pretty low engagement with the union so I wanted to see if I could improve this somehow. Judging by the increasing number of people who stop by my desk to ask for union advice and the increase in IT people at some union functions I think this is working but it still needs more work. As well as this I am being stopped by people in the hallway for union questions more frequently than before.

Going Forward:

Engagement is a two way street.

The FSA needs to be more member focused.

1. We need to listen to what the members actually need right here and right now.
a. About Bargaining.
b. About Parking. Seems simple but why does someone who works in NE-01 need to park in lot 7. Why can students regularly cheat the system and not be called to account.
c. About Telework (we have the technology) Management can do it why can’t we?
d. About PTS. As an alumni and current student of BCIT I see the great work that PTS instructors do. And yet they don’t get paid for prep time! This needs to change.

The FSA needs to be Data Driven not ideology driven.

1. The Union movement these days has many competing ideologies out there and if we focus on just one or the other we will miss important needs of our members. We need to look at what our members are reporting to us and focus our efforts on those issues.

I recently had my 11 year anniversary at BCIT.  I am proud to work at BCIT. I have come to understand how many things work or don’t work here. Some of these things will be worked out in bargaining. Some will not and need to be worked out between the union and BCIT after the new collective agreement is in place. As well, we have a new President, Vice President and an interim Executive Director and are currently searching for a permanent Executive Director.

These are a lot of major initiatives to happen all at once. I think my experience on the board and background with many of the issues will allow me to be a valuable asset to both the members and our board in plotting the way forward.

It is my nature to try and improve things when I see an opportunity. I would like to continue to do that for the FSA and my fellow members.

Watch Karl’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

In September 2008, I began my career at BCIT as a temporary employee under a 50% contract. In May 2010, I worked into a permanent role with my Department as an Aboriginal Services Advisor.  In January of 2015, I took on a PTS contract with the School of Computing and Academic Studies in Communications. These roles, along with the many other ways I have participated as a member of the BCIT community have always been led by my ‘student first’ mentality and I always strive for win-win situations for students and staff/faculty at BCIT. I am passionate about the success of all students and uniquely about the Indigenous student experience and perspectives of BCIT.

In 2013, I took a Super PD leave to complete my MA thesis in Professional Communication through Royal Roads University. I have since co-created the Diversity Circles initiative with Shannon Kelly. This is an Indigenous model for post-secondary teachers and academic staff to utilize professional mentoring and community outreach for engaging student and community diversity. We have since run a series of inclusive panels, workshops, conversations, tools, and connections to support an effective model to engage with increasing diversity positively, sensitively, and strategically.  We accomplish this by leveraging the power of the faculty and staff community.

This is driven by my own personal experience and work with my community (and others) and the need to create better awareness of, and respect for, Indigenous people at BCIT.  Diversity Circles has also enabled me to learn about best equity practices regarding gender equality, learning differences awareness and LGBTQI2 communities, and for this I am extremely grateful.

Two on my main objectives as an FSA board member are to:

• Create an open and safe space for FSA community members to speak and be heard, within a proactive, holistic framework.
• Ensure that the BCIT Student Services voices are represented in the FSA board’s strategic, policy, and collective thinking.

Strategic initiatives I will pursue/continue:

• Develop and enhance the FSA’s strong approach to policy development and implementation
• The development of a strategic plan that builds on our past successes and draws on our strengths
• Participate in advancing BCIT’s work with an FSA lens (e.g. Joint Committees, etc.)
• Continue working to enhance relationships with the Coast Salish Nations – Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish – on whose land BCIT and the FSA operate.
• Continue discussion surrounding donation policies for Elders, BCIT external community and other diversity initiatives.
• Implementation of the FSA Equity policy and implementation of the FSA Equity Caucus through the voices of FSA members.
• Stewarding the FSA’s role in the BCIT-supported Diversity Circles initiative.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration!

Watch Zaa’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

I arrived at BCIT in 2002 and have never considered changing institutions. I truly enjoy my work, BCIT students, and BCIT colleagues.

You may know me from various institute committees or events over the years, or because of my research work, or in my role as an instructor and program head in the Communication Department, or through my work on the FSA board of directors since 2014. I am currently the board liaison for COPTS (Caucus on Part-time Studies) and for CARAS (Caucus on Applied Research and Advanced Studies), and I am also Board Policy Trustee.

I value our members, hearing your stories, sharing perspectives, and witnessing your passion for what you do. As a board member I have seen first-hand how our FSA staff work tirelessly to support members, and how our organization protects and advocates for our members. The FSA “holds the line” when members need help, when members are in conflict with management, when departments are not consulted on academic matters, when the employer makes poor decisions which compromise our work or hurt members, as when class sizes balloon or delivery modes are changed without proper consultation. As we move towards bargaining, it’s heartening to see FSA member Colin Jones leading the charge as Chief Negotiator and fighting for Part-Time Studies members alongside all our members.

At the end of the day, despite issues, our members emphatically say they like their work; they like their students; they are ENGAGED with their work (notwithstanding the “BCIT Employee Engagement” score).

With that in mind, it’s worth emphasizing the obvious: that our work is important and that “the industry” we work so closely with at BCIT – as we teach and support students and lead projects – expects us to keep pace with best practices. Industry knows the strong case for the benefits of diversity.  Studies like those by McKinsey & Company and The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, which finds that every 1% increase in diversity in Canadian workplaces produced an average 2.4% increase in revenue, reconfirm the evidence that inclusion initiatives create successful organizations. These findings apply to research too, as experts like Page and Thomas demonstrate that innovation and progress in research are propelled by diversity: for example, that diverse groups providing a range of viewpoints will consistently outperform groups of like-minded experts.

We need to support our students in realizing the value of diversity on our campuses, so they can bring that awareness to the workplace and leverage diversity on the job – this is what industry expects. We need to continue to lead the way with applied learning and applied research. And the FSA needs to continue to push BCIT to provide us with the resources needed – like admissions standards, sufficient student supports, suitable class sizes, adaptive learning models – and the innovative work practices needed for our applied learning and research, built on proper consultation – so we can meet the diversity expectations of industry. This is best practices work I am proud to be part of.

Watch Shannon’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

I believe two primary issues currently face the FSA:

1. the alarmingly low employee engagement at BCIT and
2. that as a member-focused board, we need to expand the FSA Board’s outreach to include as many of our 1,500+ members as possible.

The BCIT Engagement Survey revealed the magnitude of the low employee engagement. The FSA has a role in improving employee engagement and, as part of this role, we need to consider that:

• More and more FSA members have precarious work in Part-time Studies.
• The cost of living continues to rise.
• Recruitment and retention challenges grow.
• The lack of basic resources to do your job.
• You face an ongoing challenge to keep your curriculum current and relevant.

This starts with how the FSA Board sets its strategy and spending decisions to ensure that recommendations and decisions reflect what is of value to you, as members, and addresses your issues.  As a Board member, I regularly ask myself, “what would our members think/say about that?” to ensure your dues are allocated wisely.   I believe Board members need to be in touch with their members and respond to what they hear from the membership.  If elected, I commit to being a strong voice for ongoing, broad consultation that includes areas hard to reach (like PTS) and those not actively engaged with the FSA to allow you to help set the FSA Board’s priorities.

Among these, our CAUT membership. When we joined CAUT, Paul Reniers said the decision was not irreversible and we should give it about three years. We are entering that third year. To be fair to you, we should initiate a cost-benefit analysis process and then, with that data, ask you to vote on whether we should continue to be CAUT members.

I see the coming two years as a positive chance to refresh ideas and approaches to what the FSA is doing on your behalf to address the realities described above.  I joined the FSA Board 10 years ago after the FSA had helped me through a difficult time and that experience made me aware of how one employee can be empowered by having a large group, like the FSA, stand behind them. I served as FSA Vice President for 4 years and as a bargaining committee member for three rounds of bargaining (including this round). I hope you will vote for me, so I can to advocate for you on the issues described above.

Watch Silvia’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

In September 2002, I joined BCIT as a regular part-time employee. I am currently FSA technical staff in the Medical Laboratory Science program. My prior employment was in both the clinical hospital setting as a certified medical lab assistant and, prior to that, in private and research laboratories during and upon completion of my university and college education.

Having been an advocate of FSA members in my previous tech rep position, as I am keen to find  the facts,  clarify questions and find solutions. I have participated on various committees both within my department and in general at BCIT including the SOH safety committee, fire warden,and employee family assistance coordinator.

I would like to step up and help promote the interests of our members and be their connection in providing them resources, particularly from the union. I am committed to meeting with our membership at BCIT to learn more about their specific issues, concerns or even requests for union involvement on a variety of matters. I aim to advance these concerns through policy changes, ideally solving them at the departmental level.

I am grateful to and respect BCIT for the opportunities I have been given for life long learning and the support of my colleagues and managers over the years.  I believe a strong learning environment is essential for students and that is why many of our faculty were drawn to working at BCIT. However, over the years I have listened and also experienced the difficulties faced by staff at all levels within the FSA.

I am optimistic that with a good balance of representation from all levels of staff, BCIT FSA can put their members’ needs at the forefront. Solutions will be found while still respecting our diversity and commitments for social awareness.

Thank you for the opportunity to put my name forward for this position and your consideration in supporting me.

Watch Karen’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

Hello, my name is Julie Tipping and I interested in running as a Director-at-Large board member position for the FSA.  I have been an employee with BCIT in the SOHN BSN program for four years.  I have worked on campus and via distance, and have worked as both contract and permanent faculty.  My involvement with FSA deepened this past year when I was involved in the writing and implementation of a new curriculum within the BSN program.  With this endeavour, I was challenged to learn more specifically about our collective agreement and its interpretations.  I became very familiar with the statutes and language surrounding both workload and contact hours.

I am passionate about advocacy.  As a nurse, I have had many opportunities to informally and formally advocate for clients, their families, communities, organizations and the health care system at large.  I volunteered for the Yukon Council of Nursing wherein we were tasked to keep the Yukon Minister of Health apprised of any issues to strengthen the health of all Yukoners.  In this role, I, with the council, met with the Yukon Minster of Health monthly to provided information, policy statement, and position papers on a variety of issues.  I also have served a tenure on Yukon Nurses Association board of directors.  In this role, I, along with the rest of the board, was tasked with strengthening the health of Yukoners through strengthening nursing.

I am also passionate about students’ learning and instructors’ teaching environments.  I support FSA in the attainment of creating an outstanding workplace that engages, celebrates, protects and makes gains for all members.  I would like to see aspects of inclusion and equity also playing a role in FSA’s mandate.

I see FSA as a strong ally for faculty and am aware of the many challenges FSA is facing.  Having such a strong, dynamic, and diverse faculty require a strong, dynamic and diverse FSA board to actively listen, understand, and fully represent and protect them.

Thank you for your consideration of my application for this important and vital role.

Julie Tipping

Watch Julie’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to respectfully ask for your support in the upcoming FSA Election as a Director-at-Large.

My long term BCIT community involvement has included the Emergency Response Team, Safety Committee, Employee Engagement Committee, Super-PD Committee, Research Committee as well as other internal departmental functions.

I currently have served several years and have active involvement as a FSA Representative from the SOCE closely following the range of BCIT-FSA issues important to the membership.

If elected to this position I would like to pursue the following issues:

• maintaining employment benefits for members;
• monitoring post-secondary remuneration levels;
• tracking PTS Instructor issues and equity;

As a past graduate of the Civil & Structural Engineering program I have developed a knack for technical issues, problem-solving and delivering on commitments.

Currently, in addition to instructional responsibilities in the Civil day school I oversee the Civil Engineering PTS Dept.

I currently sit as a Council Director with ASTTBC, my professional organization (30+ year member) that promotes the work and scope of the Engineering Technologist/Quality Professional.

Community involvement is an important priority as well as I have volunteer commitments with Canadian Blood Services, UGM Streetlight/meal delivery and community outreach.

Thanks for considering my nomination.

Ken

Watch Ken’s video statement from the March 6th all-candidates meeting.

I joined the BCIT community in 1998. Since then, I have been an instructor and program head in the Financial Management Department of the School of Business. I am currently one of the program heads looking after needs of our first-year students in the Financial Management diploma programs. I am a CPA, CA, and a Chartered Business Valuator. Before coming to BCIT, I worked in public practice for a large national accounting firm. I am also a proud alumnus of the Financial Management diploma from many years back.

My involvement with the FSA started in 2006 when I was first elected to the FSA Board of Directors. After serving as FSA Treasurer for two years, I was elected Vice President and was Acting President for 10 months while Amy Fell was on maternity leave. I am currently on the FSA Collective Agreement Committee and Bargaining Committee for the current round of collective bargaining. I was also on the bargaining teams for the previous two rounds of bargaining. As one of the longest serving FSA board members, I bring a combination of institutional memory and a deep understanding of the key issues that our members care about. I am very proud of my service to the FSA and hope that you will select me for another term as FSA Treasurer.