Acclaimed Nominees: FSA Elections 2023
Nominations Received
- Nominations for the 2023 FSA Board elections were accepted from March 22 until April 5
- To see the full election timeline for 2023 please click here.
Among eligible nominees we received:
- We received five (5) nominations for five (5) Director-at-Large positions – These positions will be acclaimed as per our bylaws
- We received one (1) nomination for one (1) Treasurer position – This position will be acclaimed as per our bylaws
- We received two (2) nominations for two (2) Director, Associate Members positions – These positions will be acclaimed as per our bylaws
No vote will take place for the 2023 FSA elections as the number of nominees is equivalent to the number of positions. Questions can be directed to the Chief Returning Officer, Denise Calvert, through fsa@bcit.ca.
Meet the Nominees!
Please take the time to read over your candidates’ statements below. The statements are submitted by individual nominees and do not represent official FSA positions.
Nominees: Directors-at-Large
We have five (5) nominees for five (5) Director-at-Large positions. The nominees are acclaimed.
Michelle Beauchamp
I have worked at BCIT for almost 22 years in the Medical Radiography program, and have been involved with the FSA since 2011. I started as a Tech Rep and then became a board member in 2021. I feel my background in
Health Care helps me bring a different point of view to the board.
I feel the need to advocate for all my fellow union members, especially in matters of fairness with our employer and educating our membership of their rights as employees. I perceive one of the main issues facing our membership is declining enrollment at the school, thus the need for us to work hard to retain staff.
An issue I would like to work on if chosen as a board member in this election is to try and look at a more realistic model for curriculum development and its associated pay. As I have worked extensively with curriculum development in the past few years, I am aware of the outdated calculations used by our employer to pay for curriculum development. They reflect on the past and do not account for how much more complex our curriculum has become at BCIT and the skills and time needed to develop courses in the Learning Hub.
I have felt proud to be on the board for the last two years, serving our membership. I truly hope to be able to do so for another two years!
Joe Boyd
I have been the Research Liaison in the Applied Research Liaison Office at BCIT for 15 years, supporting faculty and students with their research initiatives and helping to make connections that lead to collaborative projects, projects with industry and funding for the projects.
I have been a Tech Rep as long as I’ve been at BCIT and have served short terms on the FSA Board of Directors twice. I’m also a member of two FSA caucuses: CARAS (Caucus on Applied Research and Advanced Studies) and the Equity Caucus, and have represented the FSA on management selection committees and as a selection committee observer.
I’m very involved with the BCIT community. Through my work, I am the applied research representative on several internal committees: IRC, IMF, IDC as well as the AQC Agile Quality Committee. I also volunteer with the Green Team, Bicycle Committee, and at Convocation.
Workloading and departmental rights are major issues facing the FSA, as always, and they have been made worse in some ways from recent moves to more flexible teaching and learning. The increased flexibility could improve working conditions, but will need close attention by the FSA.
If elected I would work to ensure faculty research challenges – obtaining release time, student hiring, research positions – are reduced as much as possible. More generally, I would also like to see equity, diversity and inclusion incorporated into processes more deliberately, and selection processes clarified, for FSA and management positions, to ensure qualifications are defined consistently and fairly, and potential hires treated fairly.
Terry Gordon
Dear FSA Members:
I am honored to express my willingness to serve for another term on the FSA Board of Directors as a director-at-large. As many of you may know, I have a long-standing history of service to the FSA, dating back to 2006
when I was first elected to the FSA Board. Over the years, I have served as a director-at-large, Vice President, acting President, and most recently, as Treasurer. Additionally, I have been an active participant in the FSA’s collective bargaining process, serving as a member of the Bargaining Committee during the current, and previous four rounds of bargaining.
Since 1998, I have been an Instructor in the Accounting, Finance, and Insurance Department (formerly known as Financial Management) of BCIT’s School of Business + Media. Currently, I am one of the Program Heads responsible for the needs of the first-year students in the Accounting, Finance, and Financial Planning diploma programs. Moreover, I teach several accounting and finance-related courses at the diploma and degree levels. As a CPA, CA, and Chartered Business Valuator, I previously worked in public practice for a large national accounting firm. I am also a proud alumnus of BCIT’s Financial Management diploma
If elected as director-at-large, my priorities will be as follows:
• Uphold the high level of financial stewardship that you expect from the FSA Board.
• Ensure that FSA members continue to receive value-for-money for their union dues.
• Continue to work for improvements in the compensation and working conditions of our members in part-time studies.
• Preserve and strengthen the collegial decision-making processes that have served BCIT well during its 59-year history.
As the longest-serving FSA Board member, I bring a wealth of institutional memory and a profound understanding of the key issues that matter to our members. I am proud of my service to the FSA and the entire BCIT community, and I hope to receive your support for FSA director-at-large.
Sincerely,
Terry Gordon
Zaa Joseph
I am very excited to put my name forward for the FSA Board. I began my career at BCIT, September 2008, as a temporary employee under a 50% contract. Since then, I have worked in a permanent role as of May 2010, with my department: Indigenous Initiatives. I have a student-first mentality and always strive for win-win situations for students, staff and faculty at BCIT.
Two of my main objectives on the board would be to 1) create an open and safe space for the FSA community to speak and be heard 2) Ensure that the Student Service FSA voices are heard at the FSA board level. Continuing to educate faculty and staff about engaging with Indigenous people, showing the strength of a relationship development process, and supporting best practices. I am honoured to learn and support best equity practices, member engagement and rights across BCIT representing the FSA.
I am passionate about Indigenous student success and perspective at BCIT. I am a co-creator of the Diversity Circles project with Shannon Kelly: an Indigenous model for post-secondary teachers and academic staff to utilize professional mentoring and community outreach to engage student and community diversity. We have successfully run over 150 inclusive panels, workshops, conversations, tools, and connections to support an effective model to engage with increasing diversity at BCIT positively, sensitively, and strategically by leveraging the power of the faculty and staff community. My work at BCIT is all driven by my lived experience, my work with my community, and the need to support better and create awareness of Indigenous peoples in education at BCIT.
I appreciate your consideration of my application.
Respectfully,
Zaa Joseph
William Oching
Work history: I started work at BCIT in 2015 as a faculty member in the Mining and Mineral Exploration Department and involved in the establishment of the accredited Bachelor of Engineering in Mining and Mineral
Resources Program. In the course of my service at BCIT, I developed and instructed several courses till the present date. Currently, I also serve as the Program Quality Assurance Coordinator to ensure that the Mining and Mineral Resources Program meets the highest standards of engineering education set by Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. I also sits at the Safety Committee for the School of Construction and the Environment and a member of the Curriculum committee.
Involvement with the FSA: Currently I am serving as FSA Board member from 2021 and passionately served as a Tech Rep from 2016 to 2021, representing my department and FSA in various capacities including increasing the awareness and visibility of FSA on campus, serving as the FSA Returning Officer for 4 years, represented FSA in new hires’ selection committees, and member of Anti-Racism working group.
Involvement in the BCIT community: I Involved in engagement surveys and discussions articulating challenges facing FSA members and suggesting opportunities to improve work and learning environment for both FSA members and students. I promote BCIT through participation in professional associations and research & publication. I participated in the last three convocation ceremonies, “the Big Info” sessions and open houses at BCIT. Currently I worked with students Association to establish a local committee of the World University Service of Canada at BCIT, a non-profit organization present in about 100 post secondary institutions in Canada providing education, employment, and empowerment opportunities for the youth around the world.
Major issues facing the FSA: Fair employment concerns for Part-time staff including workspace, poor pay, no job security; annual salaries increase not keeping with increasing cost of living, workload and challenge of attracting and retaining of top talent.
If elected I will continue to advocate for increases in salaries/wages at least in par with inflation increases, fair treatment of our part-time colleagues such as having a pay for attending meetings & job security, increase the awareness of the important role played by FSA and engage with all FSA members through listening to their pressing challenges and ideas, and work with them to address them in a timely fashion in the best possible and practicable ways. I always advance and protect the interests of FSA members to make our work environment fair and just for all.
Sincerely,
William Oching, MBA, P.Eng.
Nominees: Treasurer
One (1) nominee for one (1) position. The nominee is acclaimed.
Trish Albino
As a candidate for the FSA Treasurer position, I am excited to offer my skills, experience, and knowledge, to serve the BCIT community in this important role. I have been a part of the BCIT community as an instructor since 2016, and for the past two years, I have served as a director of the FSA. Prior to that, I served on the FA Audit Committee for two years.
I am a graduate of the BCIT Financial Management Diploma and Accounting Degree programs. My education and background as a CPA, CA provides me with technical knowledge and expertise in accounting that I will be able to utilize with respect to the FSA budget and annual financial statements. I have extensive experience teaching accounting in full-time and part-time studies, which has honed my ability to communicate complex financial information in a clear and concise manner.
If elected as the FSA Treasurer, I plan to work diligently to ensure that the FSA’s finances are managed with transparency, accuracy, and efficiency. I will work collaboratively with the FSA staff and Board of Directors to adhere to the financial policies and procedures that support the organization’s strategic objectives. My primary goal is to maintain the financial strength of the organization by making financial decisions that reflect the needs of our members and prioritize their interests.
I am passionate about serving the BCIT community and ensuring that the FSA is financially sustainable for years to come. I believe my experience, education, and dedication to the organization make me the best candidate for this role.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Nominees: Director, Associate Members
Two (2) nominees for the two positions. The nominees are acclaimed.
Sandra Amador
I have been a member of the FSA for a couple of years and I have learned a lot about its operations and the relationships with the FSA members. It has been an educational experience that has allowed me to collaborate with an organization that takes its commitment to its membership seriously and actively works toward improving its offerings and services.
I have been an instructor in the Flexible Learning program since 2019, and I understand the challenges we face as instructors not being present at campus during the regular school hours of operation. I would like to think that I serve as a connection and voice for the FSA members in this same group.
I am interested in continuing my participation as an FSA board member to support the association’s operations, improvements, and member representation.
Looking forward to a positive outcome.
Sandra Amador
Judy Shandler
I have been a member of the BCIT community for over 30 years in the capacity of both faculty for Flexible Learning in the School of Energy teaching AutoCAD and Senior Systems Analyst (Business Analyst) for Information Technology Services (ITS).
I have recently retired my position in ITS and am continuing to teach Flexible Learning in AutoCAD.
BCIT has been an amazing support for all staff and faculty, however Flexible Learning Faculty continue to experience discrepancies and inequities, which I am committed to putting my efforts in rectifying where possible.
I have held a Director position on the Board of Governors from 2019 to 2022 and a seat on the Board of the FSA for the past 2 years.
My passion for the work and committment of all Staff and Faculty who work at BCIT is undeniable and I look forward to your support in my efforts as an Associate Director on the FSA Board.
Regards,
Dr. Judy Shandler