This is a call for nominations in the election to fill six vacancies on the USFA Executive Committee commencing July 1, 2024:

• Category A: one vacancy (2 year term)
• Category B: one vacancy  (2 year term)
• Category C: one vacancy (2 year term)
• Category D: one vacancy (2 year term)
• Category E: two vacancies (2 year terms)

Attached to this email is a list of all USFA members eligible to serve on the Executive along with a nomination form, which may be duplicated as necessary.

What you need to know:

• Nominations must be signed by the nominee and three nominators who are eligible voters.
• Late nominations will not be accepted.
• Nominations must be submitted electronically to usfa@usaskfaculty.ca by March 21^st, 2024 at 11:59 PM after which they will be reviewed by the Elections committee.
• Each nomination should be accompanied by a brief election statement from the nominee. Election statements received after this time WILL NOT be included in the election
• Voting commences on April 2^nd, 2024 and ends on April 16^th, 2024 at 11:59 PM.

Following the receipt of all nominations, the Election Committee will finalize the ballot and members will receive a further email with information about nominees and how to vote.

When the ballots are counted, the vacancies in Categories A, B, C and D will be filled by the candidates with the most votes in each respective category. The vacancies in Category E (members at large) will be filled by the remaining candidates with the next greatest number of votes.

In accordance with the USFA Constitution and the Collective Agreement, the Executive Committee consists of twelve (12) members as follows:

• Category A: two (2) from among those members holding the rank of Instructor, Lecturer, Special Lecturer, Assistant Librarian or Assistant Professor;
• Category B: two (2) from among those holding the rank of Associate Professor or Associate Librarian;
• Category C: two (2) from among those holding the rank of Professor or Librarian;
• Category D: two (2) equity officers from among all regular USFA members in good standing who are willing to ally and champion for members.  It is expected that each candidate for this category would include a personal statement explaining why they seek election to this position.[i]
• Category E: four (4) from the membership at large

The USFA is the legal bargaining agent for academic employees at the U of S. It negotiates the terms and conditions of employment for its members and ensures their workplace rights are protected. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Association is an integral part of the collegium. Service to the Association counts as contributions to the administrative responsibilities of the University for the purpose of tenure and promotion.

The Executive Committee carries out the administration and management of the business of the Association between general meetings. It meets approximately every two weeks from September to June and at the call of the Chair. It establishes and guides the USFA Negotiating Committee and the Association Grievance Committee, and appoints members and observers to committees to ensure the Collective Agreement is followed. If you are interested in serving on the Executive Committee and would like more information about its workings, please contact the USFA Secretary, Julita Vassileva at julita.vassileva@usask.ca.

Executive members with one year remaining in their terms are:

• Courtney Charles, Lecturer, Pharmacy & Nutrition
• Geraldine Balzer, Associate Professor, Curriculum Studies
• Doug Chivers, Professor, Biology
• Janet Okoko, Associate Professor (Equity Officer), Educational Administration
• Sina Adl, Professor, Soil Science
• Julita Vassileva, Professor, Computer Science

Those members of the Executive whose terms are expiring:

• Susan Fowler-Kerry, Professor, Nursing
• Allison Muri, Professor, English
• Paula MacDowell, Assistant Professor, Curriculum Studies
• Helen Vandenberg, Associate Professor, Nursing
• Li Xing, Assistant Professor, Mathematics & Statistics
• Matthew Mitchell, Associate Professor, Political Studies

[i] Individuals nominated for an equity officer position are asked to identify the equity area of interest and consider how they will advance the concerns of the identified group through their role on USFA executive. Possible equity areas include, but are not limited to, the following groups: Women, 2SLGBTQIA+, First Nations, Inuit, Métis, BIPOC. Equity officers have the opportunity to create social connections within the USFA community and to develop special interest caucuses to provide information to the executive that can be used in collective bargaining and the development of collegial standards.