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Background Briefer: Chair of Academic Women

 

July 24, 2012

 

 

AW Budget for 20012-2013	17500
Sessional Release for AW President	7500
Receptions (TWO)	1500
Workshops (TWO)	2500
Signature Speaker	2000
LEAF Table	500
Stipend for Research Assistant	1000

 

 

Balance available on this fiscal year is estimated at $15500.  Note, subject to VPA letter of transmittal, November 3, 2011, this is the first full budget year for Academic Women.

 

Undertakings of the Chair

To conduct an annual general meeting of members. To file an annual year-end report to VPA Jon Driver and CC Anita Stepan for budget advance. (May). Maintain annual budget of $17,500 to be reviewed prior to the 2015/2016 budget. To maintain a website. To maintain two list servs (information bulletins and discussion group) To undertake mentorship, social activities and other educational, professional development enhancements as indicated. To network with SFUFA, other local networks( including other equity-protected groups), other senior academic women and other professional networks as needed locally and nationally. Advise on recruitment and retention of women to all offices. Monitor recognition of women; including honourable degrees and appointments. To draft policy interventions as needed.

 

 

Issues to Monitor

University policies and practices on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and visibility of women and minorities Equity and Equal Pay Elder and Childcare Work/life Balance Issues Stress and Health management Benefits and Gender Issues in Collective Bargaining(including liaison with SFUFA to establish an Equity and Diversity Committee) Eidercare and Childcare; Work life Balance Issues Professional Development Mentoring Salary negotiation strategies Preparing for administrative careers Best not for profit business practices/lab administration Other as needed( including management of online reputation; writing of op eds etc.).

Records

Binder including past two years of annual reports, policy interventions and Annual Budgets

Binder with background on Equity and Equal Pay

Two small files of other backgrounder material. Note: this material is to be kept and considered for Library Digitization

 

 

Pending 2012-2013 Activities

Fall 2012 Speech by Dr. Laura Boyd, UBC DATA working group on Equal Pay. Christmas Reception Spring: two small sessions: one on bargaining for salary increases; strategies, one on work life balance, one on parental/child care (Dr. Maite Taboada). MayAGM. Liaison with SFUFA/ Administration and other Universities concerning Equal Pay push.

 

______________________

 

 

Copy of Letter re:  Call to delete Bill C-38 Part 4 Division 42 pursuant to changes to Federal Contractors Program

 

 

     Academic Women

Academic Quadrangle 5096 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC Canada V5A 1S6

TEL 778.782.5526 FAX 778.782.5518

murraye@sfu.ca www.sfu.ca/academicwomen

 

 

June 5, 2012

 

The Right Hon. Stephen Harper and The Hon. Jim Flaherty

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0A6

 

cc: The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Labour

cc: The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development

 

 

Re: Delete Bill C-38 Part 4 Division 42 pursuant to changes to Federal Contractors Program

 

We are writing to oppose the amendment to replace the subsection of the Original Act which leaves the administration of the Federal Contractors Program for Employment solely to the discretion of the Minister. 

 

We believe the removal of the positive obligation for the Minister to ensure that contractors with the Federal Government implement employment equity equivalent to those required of an employer covered by the Federal Employment Equity Act will weaken incentives to improve Canada’s track record on equity significantly.

 

We represent the four designated groups which are protected under the Federal Equity legislation, including women, aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.

 

We write from a publicly-incorporated provincial post-secondary institution which would only be caught under the FCP.  As reported by Statistics Canada, a report which apparently will now be discontinued, significant gender salary gaps remain in Canada’s professoriate.   Canada needs to continue to show progress against discriminatory practices in hiring, promotion and pay, to protect our future economic and social productivity and promote our collective well-being.

 

Sincerely,

Catherine A. Murray, PhD.

Professor and Chair

Academic Women

Simon Fraser University

 

 

Signatories:

 

	Name	Degree	Title	Department	Email
1	Mary Ann Gillies	PhD	Professor	English	gillies@sfu.ca
2	Nancy Forde	PhD	Associate Professor	Physics	nford@sfu.ca
3	Dianne Cyr	PhD	Professor	Beedie School of Business	cyr@sfu.ca
4	Dolores van der Wey	PhD	Assistant Professor	Education	dolores_vanderwey@sfu.ca
5	Jinko Graham	PhD	Associte Professor	Statistics and Actuarial Science	jgraham@sfu.ca
6	Gwenn E. Flowers	PhD	Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair	Earth Sciences	glfowers@sfu.ca
7	Bertille Antoine	PhD	Assistant Professor	Economics	bertille_antoine@sfu.ca
8	Mary-Ellen Kelm	PhD	Associate Professor  & Canada Research Chair	History	kelm@sfu.ca
9	Carolyn Lesjak	PhD	Associate Professor	English	clesjak@sfu.ca
10	Tracy Brennand	PhD	Associate Professor	Geography	tabrenna@sfu.ca
11	Rochelle Tucker	ScD	Assistant Professor	Health Sciences	rochelle_tucker@sfu.ca
12	Margaret Jackson	PhD	Professor Emeritus	FREDA Centre	margarej@sfu.ca
13	Lynda Erickson	PhD	Professor Emeritus	Political Science	erickson@sfu.ca
14	Nathalie Sinclair	PhD	Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair	Education	nathsinc@sfu.ca
15	Cari Miller	PhD	Assistant Professor	Health Sciences	cari_miller@sfu.ca
16	Catherine Black	PhD	Associate Professor & Department Chair	French	catherine_black@sfu.ca
17	June Francis	PhD	Associate Professor	Beedie School of Business	francis@sfu.ca
18	Margo Moore	PhD	Professor	Biological Sciences	mmoore@sfu.ca
19	Jenifer Thewalt	PhD	Professor	Physics	jthewalt@sfu.ca
20	Elise Chenier	PhD	Associate Professor	History	echenier@sfu.ca
21	Barbara A. Mitchell	PhD	Professor	Sociology & Gerontology	barbara_a_mitchell@sfu.ca
22	Christine McKenzie	PhD	Professor Emeritus	Kinesiology	christine_mackenzie@sfu.ca
23	Dorothy Chunn	PhD	Professor Emeritus	Sociology & Anthropology	chunn@sfu.ca
24	Elicia Maine	PhD	Associate Professor	Beedie School of Business	emaine@sfu.ca
25	Jane Pulkingham	PhD	Professor & Department Chair	Sociology & Anthropology	elizabeth_pulkingham@sfu.ca
26	Linda Harisim	PhD	Professor	Communication	harasim@sfu.ca
27	Arlene McLaren	PhD	Professor Emeritus	Sociology & Anthropology	mclaren@sfu.ca
28	Willeen Keough	PhD	Associate Professor	History	wkeough@sfu.ca
29	Anke Kessler	PhD	Professor	Economics	akessler@sfu.ca
30	Marjorie Griffin Cohen	PhD	Professor	Political Science & Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies	mcohen@sfu.ca
31	Marilyn Laura Bowman	PhD	Professor Emeritus	Psychology	bowman@sfu.ca
32	Karen Kohfield	PhD	Assistant Professor & Canada Research Chair	Resource & Environmental Management	karen_kohfeld@sfu.ca
33	Mary Lynn Stewart	PhD	Professor & Fellow of the Royal Society	Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies	mstewart@sfu.ca
34	Kelleen Toohey	PhD	Professor and Associate Dean, Academic	Education	toohey@sfu.ca
35	Kumari Beck	PhD	Assistant Professor	Education	kumari_beck@sfu.ca
36	Marianne Jaquet	PhD	Assistant Professor	Education	mjacquet@sfu.ca
37	Habiba Zaman	PhD	Professor	Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies	hzaman@sfu.ca
38	Celeste Snowber	PhD	Associate Professor	Education	celeste_snowber@sfu.ca
39	Lisa Shapiro	PhD	Associate Professor & Department Chair	Philosophy	lisa_shapiro@sfu.ca
40	Genevieve Fuji Johnson	PhD	Associte Professor	Political Science	genevieve_johnson@sfu.ca
41	Blaize Horner Reich, ICD.D	PhD	RBC Financial Professor of Technology and Innovation	Beedie School of Business	blaize_reich@sfu.ca
42	Adrienne L. Burk	PhD	Teaching Fellow & Senior Lecturer	Sociology & Anthropology	alburk@sfu.ca
43	Michele Valiquette	MA	Senior Lecturer	English	valiquet@sfu.ca
44	Sandra Djwa, F.R.S.C.	PhD	Professor Emeritus	English	djwa@sfu.ca
45	Kathleen Fitzpatrick	M.Sc.	Senior Lecturer	Biological Sciences	kathleef@sfu.ca
46	Marina Morrow	PhD	Associate Professor	Health Sciences	mmorrow@sfu.ca
47	Gloria Gutman	PhD	Professor Emeritus	Gerontology	gutman@sfu.ca
48	Natalie Bin Zhao	PhD	Assistant Professor	Beedie School of Business	nbzhao@sfu.ca
49	Karen Kavanaugh	PhD	Professor	Physics	kvanagh@sfu.ca
50	Lynn  Quarmby	PhD	Professor	Molecular Biology and Biochemistry	quarmby@sfu.ca
51	Sophie McCall	PhD	Associate Professor	English	smccall@sfu.ca
52	Atiya Mahmood	PhD	Assistant Professor	Gerontology	amahmood@sfu.ca
53	Hannah Witman	PhD	Assistant Professor	Sociology & Anthropology	hwittman@sfu.ca
54	Ronda Arab	PhD	Assistant Professor	English	ronda_arab@sfu.ca
55	Deanna Reder	PhD	Assistant Professor	First Nations Studies and English	deanna_reder@sfu.ca
56	Huamei Han (韩华梅)	PhD	Assistant Professor	Education	Huamei_han@sfu.ca
57	Ann Travers	PhD	Associate Professor	Sociology & Anthropology	atravers@sfu.ca
58	Jacqueline Levitin	PhD	Associate Professor	School for Contemporary Arts & Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies	levitin@sfu.ca
59	Michelle Pidgeon	PhD	Assistant Professor	Education	michelle_pidgeon@sfu.ca
60	Isabelle Côté	PhD	Professor	Biological Sciences	imcote@sfu.ca
61	Mila Lazarova	PhD	Associate Professor	Beedie School of Business	mbl@sfu.ca
62	Carolyn Egri	PhD	Professor	Beedie School of Business	egri@sfu.ca
63	Shauna Jones	MA	Lecturer	Beedie School of Business	shaunaj@sfu.ca
64	Suzanne de Castell	PhD	Professor	Education	decaste@sfu.ca
65	Michelle Levy	PhD	Associate Professor	English	mnl@sfu.ca
66	Cher Hill	PhD	Lecturer	Education	chill@sfu.ca
67	Olena Hankvisky	PhD	Associate Professor	Public Policy	oah@sfu.ca

 

 

Response Letter from The Honourable Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P.

_______________________________

 

How to find local MP contact information:

on the Government of Canada website, go to Contact Your Government,
under which there are several ways to get email addresses, such as by your postal code, if you don't know the name
or constituency.

List of local MPs email addresses: 

james.moore@parl.gc.ca
fin.donnelly@parl.gc.ca

peter.julian@parl.gc.ca

 

_______________________________

 

 

Letters to MPs can be sent postage free (as long as you're in Canada) to:

<Name of MP>
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

More information on eligibility for postage free mailing is available here: http://www.canadapost.ca/tools/pg/manual/PGgovtmail-e.asp

 

_______________________________

 

Areas of responsiblity re employment equity

 

 

There are three areas of responsibility, in regard to federal activities in support of employment equity (following the 1984 Abella Commission), as follows:

- the Canadian Employment Equity Act applies to federal employees (i.e., around 5% of the overall paid labour force, or probably less now), for which the Treasury Board Secretariat has legislated oversight responsibility (that is important, I think, if that means that their performance could be subject to review by the Auditor General). The Minister responsible for TBS is, unfortunately (bearing in mind spending controversies in his riding), Tony Clement;
- the Federal Contractors' Program, as a federal cabinet directive, I believe to be the responsibility of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (Diane Finley), and the change to the FCP which Marjorie has analyzed includes a change in the basic level of equity expected in the compliance programs of contractors, from the level legislated in the CEEA, to the Minister's discretion (and given the current Conservative track record, that probably means "laissez-faire", with "no bad jobs");
- the federally-regulated programs and their consequences are subject to review by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (I think that this was the body to which a complaint concerning the CRChairs was directed, as Industry Canada's setup of that program resulted in such gender-biased consequences). This Commission is an arms-length one, with no Minister directly responsible, and David Langtry is the acting Chief Commissioner, replacing Jennifer Lynch.

 

Marilyn MacDonald
(retired)
Dept. GSWS

_______________________________

 

 

Budget Bill C-38 and Employment Equity

 

Marjorie Griffin Cohen

rabble.ca

June 4, 2012

 

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/policynote/2012/06/budget-bill-c-38-and-employment-equity

 

_______________________________

 

 

Why Women Leave Academia and Why Universities Should be Worried

 

The Guardian

May 24, 2012

Curt Rice

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2012/may/24/why-women-leave-academia

 

 

_______________________________

 

Opening for Chair: Academic Women (start September 1): reply requested by June 30.

Dear Colleagues:

Are you a full professor, looking for a new way to give back or in mid career, and looking for a change? Consider becoming Chair of Academic Women.

Academic Women is responsible for professional mentoring/networking, policy development, and advocacy on gender equity issues, including pay equity, discrimination (particularly in recruitment, retention, and promotion), improving the working climate, and influencing work-life balance.

As Chair, you have unparalleled access to other powerful and interesting women across the University. You call on other experts to design interesting events and professional development seminars that your members want. You respond to issues your members raise-- from parental leave, to elder care, to ergonomic design and how to get better communication to members what  services are available from Blue Cross. You learn on the job, mentored by the past President, and work with other like--minded faculty here at SFU to make a difference and improve the quality of our networking and professional development. You liaise with SFUFA on mutual items of interest, including pay equity, and with other organizations (Pension Fund, Academic Relations, HR) as required. You can network with our counterparts at UBC and UVIC, and advance knowledge and strategies on shared issues in this tough financial climate.  Our membership is interested in developing mentorship programs that really work, and trading tips on how to bargain for salary retention, or other awards. But, the priorities for activities are really for you to set. In the end, just plain social networking is an invaluable resource in improving the climate here at SFU for us all.

AW needs a Chair to step in September 1. You will have a free hand in steering the organization in the direction you think it needs, responding to members. The only pending item is securing the buy in for a full scale pay equity study, which will happen this summer. Since it has a joint team of already interested parties to run with it and report to you it should not be a large time component.

Be a change maker. Learn more about governance at this institution. Consider taking the job as Chair of Academic Women as a building block to other administrative or research leadership. It's a great way to get connected, meet great women, and get ahead. And it is more fun than the usual departmental committee service!


Chairship starts September 1,has a budget for programming and contains a course release. It usually takes about a day and a half a month: more in times of important policy intervention. It may also involve some confidential mentoring, of others in need of advice, or service as a silent agent of record in disputes mediated by others through the week.

If you are interested in this position, or know others who might be, contact outgoing Chair Catherine Murray to find out more information by June 30, 2012. Consult http://www.sfu.ca/academicwomen/ for more information.


Catherine Murray,
+1-778-782-5526

_______________________________

Subject: 2012 Budget and Federal Contractors Program (Employment Equity in Universities)

Dear All:

For the past two years there has been much speculation that the federal government might cut Canada's university employment equity program, which falls under the Federal Contractor's Program (FCP):  http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/labour/equality/fcp/index.shtml / Employment equity's impact has been uneven, and the case has been made by CAUT reports and many reports that it has benefitted primarily white women, although even that record is not terrific. Still, should we be worried if it is cut? What should be our collective response.


Will the FCP be cut?
On the NDP web site there is mention of the Federal Contractors Program under the 'Jobs and Pension' section of the budget overview. It does state the budget's intent  'to remove the federal contractors program from the protection of the Employment Equity Act'.  What does that really mean?.

See: http://budget2012.ndp.ca/


Sources of equity data already cut:

Members of the list already have had some discussion about the cumulative effect of cuts to the historical sources of data that informed systemic analyses of and policy decisions on the representation, movement through the rank and/or salary/ pay equity of women, visible minorities,
Aboriginal people and persons with disabilities. Cuts to the sources of data was already going to have an impact employment equity analyses.

2010 budget cuts:

* StatsCan's long form Census -- loss of  data needed for systemic equity analysis;
http://voices-voix.ca/en/facts/profile/statistics-canada-mandatory-long-form-census

* StatsCan's Participation and Activities Limitation Survey  (PALS),
the flagship Canadian survey for disabilities was cut in 2010
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/press/all_articles.php?all=501


2012 budget cuts:

* 'Remove' (cut?) the FCP from the Employment Equity Act;

* Cut - StatsCan's University and College Academic Staff System
(UCASS) faculty and salary data;
http://www.universityaffairs.ca/margin-notes/statistics-canada-discontinues-key-source-of-canadian-faculty-data

* Cut ($5 m or entire budget) - First Nations Statistical Institute
(StatsCan for FN);
http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/03/29/harpers-very-political-budget/

* Cut - StatsCan's _Education Matters_
http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=81-004-X&CHROPG=1&lang=eng


Are we all equal now? I have been puzzled by the celebratory claims being made by some folks about the deep commitment to equity and diversity. One astonishing claim I have heard from progressive scholars is that because they personally care passionately about equity and diversity we no longer need mission statements, legislation, governance protections, equity committees, etc. Some argue, without providing any evidence, that equity is now deeply embedded in all university cultures. Another claim I have heard and seen is that demographic change via internationalization will make universities more diverse. (This is an odd claim because it ignores Canadian diversity and  international students are here temporarily; international faculty suggest we don't have Canadian diversity -- we must import diversity - like importing temporary workers. This is not the most compelling case for recognizing, respecting, valuing already existing Canadian diversity and commitment to equity.)


Praxis: We all know that diversity can exist without equity. Different people in the same space is diversity but they could also exist in an inequitable and unfair hierarchy. You can have "inclusion" but in a token way and in an inequitable environment. Muddled thinking and a confessional, individualist approach to equity and diversity are not the kind of serious systemic analysis of the status of designated groups that we need. (In what kind of environment do we produce: 19 men as CERCs; inequitable distribution of CRCs among women and only a handful of visible minorities and Aboriginal people?; only 25 or so women and 4 visible minority presidents in Canadian universities; national academic associations with almost all-white leadership, similar to appointments to the bench?) I don't see evidence of a deep commitment to diversity, although I will be the first to agree that we are moving, slowly.
Is the FCP worth fighting to save? The work of equity in the academy is far from done. On the one hand there are some who will argue that the FCP did little for 3 of the 4 designated groups and it never included LGBTQ2-S. On the other hand what can we expect from voluntarism, a return to the 1950s approach? It failed.   Those of us who care about equity and diversity are challenged not just to survive but do think outside the box and to work with others to maintain ground and to envision alternative futures. In the meantime folks might want to follow up in their own universities and colleges, call and write  elected representatives, and heads of national academic and scholarly associations, etc. to encourage them to respond.


Malinda S. Smith
Department of Political Science University of Alberta Edmonton

_______________________________

 

Gender Roundup at SFU

 

Courtesy of Karim Dossa, Academic Relations

 

Canada Research Chairs

We have 42 Canada Research Chairs.  14 (or 33.3%) of these are women.
http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/index-eng.aspx

 

 

Deans

We have 11 Deans (including faculty deans as well as Deans for Library, Lifelong Learning and Graduate Studies).  3 (or 27.3%) of these are women.

http://www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/deans_chairs_directors/deans_associate_deans.html

 

 

Associate Deans

We have 18 associate deans at the present time.  7 (or 38.9%) of these are women.

http://www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/deans_chairs_directors/deans_associate_deans.html

 

 

Chairs and Directors

We have 32 departmental chairs and school directors.  9 (or 28.1%) of these are women.  

http://www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/deans_chairs_directors/chairs_directors.html

 

_______________________________

 

 

Annual General Meeting for Academic Women
Date: Thursday, May 10, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Venue: Diamond Alumni Club, Thompson Room.


Agenda:
1. Approval of the Agenda
2. Chair's Report
3. SFU Equity, Remuneration and Renewal Study Proposal
4. Chair Succession
5. Other Business.

Please reply to the RSVP below to help us order sufficient refreshments.

The AW Reception RSVP Survey Link is:

http://websurvey.sfu.ca/survey/109854354

 

 

Issues: Professorial Salary Gap

 

Academic Women’s Call for a Review of Equity, Remuneration and Renewal at SFU

 

The University of Western Ontario
Gender-Based Salary Anomaly Study
November 2009

 

 

Links to Equity Cases:
http://www.academicwomenforjustice.org/

_______________________________

 

Eldercare and Work Life Balance

Wednesday, March 8, 2012

 

Presentations:

 

 

Dr. Linda Duxbury, (Carleton University) and noted expert.  Dr. Duxbury is co-author of the tremendous report called "Working and Looking after Mon and Dad: the face of Caregiving in Canada" published by the Canadian Policy Research Networks.  You may find it here: http://www.cprn.org/doc.cfm?doc=1995&l=en

 

click here for presentation

 

Krista Frazee, MA Support Services Manager Seniors Services Society, New Westminster and SFU Alumni from the Gerontology Department. While at  MSVU, Krista worked with Dr Janice Keefe on the Healthy Balance Project that explored work-life balance and caregiving.

 

click here for presentation

 

Queenie Lau, RN from Homewood Solutions.  Queenie Lau is an RN with experience in hospital settings and other health care agencies. She currently works with the Peace Arch Hospital and WeCare Home Health Services. Queenie’s hospital experience includes working in the Surgical and Acute Care of Elderly Unit at Peace Arch Hospital. She has also gained valuable experience working in other Lower Mainland hospitals throughout her years of education. She has completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing with Distinction from BCIT, as well as, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Honors and Co-op from SFU.

 

click here for presentation

 

For information about SFU Gerontology's upcoming conference Innovations in Home Care - click here

_______________________________

 

 

Report of AW Meeting with Carl Schwartz, Carla Graebner, Nina Salikar, SFUFA Economic Benefits/ Bargaining Committee

 

 

Dear Colleagues:

Thanks to Nancy Ford and Karen Palmer for advice before the meeting. We met today (January 11), for 45 minutes with Carl Schwartz, Carla Graebner and Nina Salikar to discuss general AW feedback from the web on collective bargaining priorities.

First, Carl presented some preliminary average salary information which will soon be posted on his website. See: http://people.stat.sfu.ca/~cschwarz/

Second. Catherine Presented the AW comments on collective bargaining priorities.  We acknowledged that there are serious comparative salary lags vis a vis other institutions at top and bottom of the scale. Carl's numbers show it is worse than supposed.

However, despite the importance of salary issues, (with our membership interested in adding more salary steps to alleviate the problem of being stuck at the floor, and favouring COLA which rises all boats) my main focus was on underlining the importance of attention to the benefits package.

Our position on benefits:
1. at least equal attention
2. must cover birth control
3. must cover health care better than current policy and especially consider terminating (in) Human Solutions which is clearly not helping a wide number of us
4. SFU must develop a policy of reasonable accommodation for partial disability, something which it is not required to do in law, but which is going to retain a lot of its sunk investment in human capital. There needs to be a designated SFU person for this, and clear guidelines.

On ergonomics and health/back care issues Carla agreed to advise the existing safety committee groups on campus to a) change their names to health and safety b) improve their faculty representation and c) increase the frequency with respect to claiming for work related equipment needs ( which cause carpal/ back/ other eyestrain).

Remember; if you have a back or other issue which is exacerbated by work, get to your doctor and start the treatment now. Call your local Safety rep and get Ergonomics in.


I underlined the focus on benefits is not to step away from the defined benefit plan, but that a significant group of our younger members wanted more flexibility for wellness expenditures. Carl indicated the U of C model has their eye and that they got 500 dollars more per year and more flexiblity in their last plan.

Nancy Ford questioned why the PDA does not reimburse GST and this is an obvious oversight, since the University pockets it.

As to next steps:

1. Why not think of inviting Carl Schwartz to your departmental meeting to talk about this round of collective bargaining and your concerns? He is available.
2. Talk to Carla Graebner, Karen Palmer, Ronda Arab and Nina Saklikar who are all in AW and on the collective bargaining team. We have never had our organization better represented.
3. Keep an eye on SFUFA bulletins. If choices come up in the decision on bargaining, SFUFA will go to survey its members.
4. Quite properly, the full collective bargaining proposal must be approved by the SFUFA executive and is not made fully public, to retain some bargaining edge with the administration.
But, watch general SFUFA emails in the future.


Finally, despite the informal advice I was getting to actually delay the pay equity study, Carl says push ahead. Otherwise, we slip a year. Carla is trying to find out more about the survey that went out at UVIC who is also doing one. I will have the results of the survey/consultation on the design charette on pay equity which I will publish soon/for comment/ and will invite the relevant UVIC person to come to talk to us.

_______________________________

 

 

Academic Women’s Comment on Envision SFU

 

 

September 29, 2011

 

 

Click here to read Academic Women’s Comment on Envision SFU

_______________________________

 

 

Newsflash:  If you believe you have back or other issues occasioned through your need for lengthy desk work, Act Now! We are working on the need for a university policy on disability (which is outside the benefits package) and university policy on reasonable accommodation.  But we have received this bulletin from Harro Lauprecht, BSc, MBA, SFU's Return to Work/Disability Management Advisor. (at 2-6698).



"If you sustained an injury at work you must file a FORM 7 to WorkSafeBC.  The process at the University is that you fill out the Form 7 and present it to your immediate supervisor.  He/she must conduct an investigation of the probable causes of your injury and send the Form to Environmental Health and Safety.  They in turn will file your Form 7 to WOrkSafeBC.  Also important, you must go to your doctor and have him/her report your injury to WorkSafeBC."

_______________________________

The posting below is the executive summary of the report of the ASHE
Higher Education Report: Volume 37, Number 1, Women's Status in Higher
Education: Equity Matters, by Elizabeth J. Allan. It is from the Wiley
Online Library at: [wileyonlinelibrary.com]. Copyright © 2011 Wiley
Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company. All rights reserved. Reprinted
with permission.

Women's Status in Higher Education: Equity Matters
Executive Summary

Significant gains have been made in women's access to and
representation in higher education. Although they are important, focus
on these improvements provides only a partial picture of gender equity
and inequity. Taken alone, enrollment data tend to eclipse other
factors that shape women's experiences in higher education. For
instance, aggregate enrollment data do not portray the persistent lack
of gender parity among students studying engineering, computer
science, and other science and technology fields, nor do they depict
the quality of classroom and campus experiences. Women studying and
working in postsecondary institutions continue to bump against glass
ceilings and sticky floors, they experience pay disparities and the
threat and reality of sexual harassment, and violence continues to
interfere with workplace and living environments on campus.

Why Should We Care?

Lack of equity in higher education can have far-reaching and negative
consequences for learning environments, quality of life, and career
satisfaction of both women and men studying and working in academic
institutions. This monograph foregrounds gains made and shared
challenges women face while also acknowledging how race, social class,
and other aspects of identity intersect with sex and gender and
contribute to shaping one's professional status in profound ways.
Literature related to women's access and representation in higher
education, experiences of campus climate, and predominant strategies
employed to enhance gender equity in U.S. higher education are
reviewed.

Analyzing Power and Change

A range of theoretical frames in feminism offers diverse approaches to
conceptualizing power, understanding complexities of inequity, and
advancing strategies for change. Feminist theories developed and
refined over the last century provide a set of lenses to analyze
oppression and promote equity in a range of contexts, including higher
education. This monograph makes the case that drawing on a range of
diverse feminist theories can help broaden and deepen analysis of
persistent equity problems and, in turn, enhance the likelihood of
finding more effective solutions.

Access and Representation

The greatest movement toward numerical parity is among students, where
women currently account for 57 percent of undergraduates and are
pursuing degrees in a range of disciplines across virtually every type
of postsecondary institution. In fact, women have become the majority
of degree earners in nearly every level of postsecondary education,
except Ph.D. and M.D. programs (King, 2010). It remains the case,
however, that women are heavily concentrated in particular fields,
earning a majority of their degrees in health professions, psychology,
education, other social sciences, and the humanities. Patterns of
inequity are typically amplified for women of color. Lack of parity
also is noted in research related to student engagement and
cocurricular activities, including athletics.

Representation of faculty, staff, and administrators reflects
persistent gaps in equity for women in higher-ranking positions such
as full professorships or provost and in doctoral-granting research
universities. The same trends apply to the representation of women
senior administrators, presidents, and members of governing boards
(Cook and Cordova, 2007; Glazer-Raymo, 2008c; King and Gomez, 2008;
Touchton, Musil, and Campbell, 2008).

Campus Climates

For women students, classroom climates, men's violence, harassment,
and romance culture remain climate-related problems. For faculty,
staff, and senior administrators, challenges related to work and
family balance, the "ideal worker norm," conceptualizations of
leadership, occupational segregation, and salary inequity are often
additional problems. They are frequently compounded for women of
color, first-generation women, lesbian, and disabled women, who must
also navigate the climate-related challenges that emerge from
workplaces and learning environments that privilege white,
middle-class, able-bodied, and heterosexual norms. Expanded
understandings of equity (those that incorporate campus climate) have
called for expanded thinking and strategy development beyond
increasing the numbers of women in the pipeline (White, 2005).

Strategies to Enhance Women's Status

A range of approaches exists for promoting gender equity in higher
education. The review of change strategies, however, suggests a
continued strong reliance on liberal feminist perspectives. Enhanced
recruitment, increasing availability of team sports, implementation
and enforcement of antidiscrimination policies, "grooming mentoring"
and professional development to widen the pool of qualified applicants
all reflect liberal feminist conceptualizations of power as a resource
to be more evenly distributed between men and women in higher
education.

Other types of feminist influences are evident in common strategies
that include the establishment and support of women's student centers,
women's colleges, feminist research and writing groups, advocacy of
collective decision making and generative approaches to leadership,
networks of women, a focus on community, and empowerment of women.

Recommendations

Much has been learned about women's status in higher education over
the past two decades, yet further research is needed to analyze gaps
across identity differences like race, sexual identity, and disability
and to better understand factors that both impede and accelerate the
pace of change along the path to truly equitable representation for
all women students, staff, faculty, and administrators in higher
education. Familiarity with a range of feminist theories can help
broaden perspectives on power and causes of inequity and help expand
change strategies.

Three key recommendations emerge from this analysis of the literature:
(1) Promote and support opportunities to learn more about women's
experiences in general and in higher education in particular, (2)
analyze gender equity problems and solutions through multiple feminist
frames; and (3) develop and implement change strategies that reflect
diverse feminist perspectives. Analyzing the nature of inequity from
multiple perspectives can help broaden the repertoire of strategies
available to sustain current gains and ideally, increase the pace of
change toward equity.

 

 

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SunLife Financial Presentation, June 23, 2011   - click here for a copy

 

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July 29, 2011

 

Report of the Annual General Meeting  Academic Women

June 23 2011

2-5:00 PM, Diamond Alumni Club

 

Secure Futures and Envisioning Academic Women

 

A total of 35 faculty attended and heard Burk Humphrey of Sun Life Financial review the progress of the Pension Fund in the past year. Several questions were raised, including about the prospect of SFU recommending some independent financial planners for faculty, fees on the various funds and the possibility of increasing Pension holdings on ethical funds. Copies of the overheads will be made available.  As well, it was underlined that women have to plan for retirement well, since they live longer. Savings at retirement may not last as long as they live and be eroded by inflation. Financial literacy should be an important professional goal, early in the academic career. Karen Bell, of Pacific Blue Cross. also presented the story on Dental and Extended Health benefits. The pressure from pharmaceuticals on generic prescription drug pricing is expected to rise significantly over the next several years. AW received a strong signal that the next round of collective bargaining on benefits will experience some pressure. Lively questions raised the problem that birth control is not covered by the plan, but abortions or birthing are. Some asked why the current health and dental items covered seemed geared to sickness and not wellness. University of Calgary's wellness package for faculty allows significant flexibility for members to configure their benefits, and covers a wider variety of preventative health care such as therapeutic massage, extended physio and so on. SFUFA and the Administration should be apprised of this and research done.  Academic Women also applauded  Alan Black for his trusted service to SFU and Alan was thanked for his special assistance to AW members.

 

In the AGM portion of the agenda, the events of the past year were reviewed. Members approved the financial statement of the past year which indicated a total of $6778.46 had been spent. The results of the survey of Academic Women were reviewed and discussed( Envisioning Academic Women is posted on this site) and the members present voted in favour of it being forwarded to the President's office, traditionally where Academic Women reports, and a request for a meeting with the President made. 

 

The idea of further research into pay equity was strongly endorsed, including a one time ask for a research assistant ( $7500) and request for strong support from the Administration on this . Relevant questions to be probed includ: market differentials by gender, breakdown of all chairs by gender, research dollars by gender, biennial review point allocation by gender within cohort, progress through the ranks by gender and faculty renewal patterns. 

 

It was noted that the CAUT is not helping focus attention on the continuing pay gap. CAUT calls the gap as "closing" to 95% of the male salary, suggesting it will reach parity soon, and refuting underlying data of persistent discrimination in a different study.  At SFU patterns at the top remain discouraging. Of the two endowed chairs and of the 5 BC Leadership appointees cited in the recent renewal report, for example, there are no women, and reports on the disposition and pay/benefits are not broken out by gender.
Catherine Murray indicated her intention  to step down in the next academic year as Chair. She reported on the budget and activities of a similar professional group at UVIC. The motion to put forward a "middle way" budget, including one course release for the Chair, events and overhead administrative costs was passed. The total requested is $15,200.  A special one time ask for research will also be put forward. It is hoped that the released time will make the chair position more attractive and enable the development of the strategic directions endorsed by the membership in the 2011 survey .

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Equity Matters

 

You may be interested in this new 'Equity Matters' (Fedcan blog) entry by Dr Kara Arnold (Memorial University of Newfoundland) on women and leadership.

 

 

http://blog.fedcan.ca/2011/06/08/female-leaders-and-the-double-bind-why-leadership-styles-that-work-for-men-might-not-work-for-women/

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Annual Financial Report for Academic Women - click here

 

May 27, 2011

 

 

Proposed Annual Operating Budget 2011-2012 for Academic Women - click Here

 

 

Annual Report and Envisioning Academic Women: results from the survey: SFU’s climate of equity gets a B- among the faculty respondents - Click Here

 

 

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2011 Women of Distinction Award to Malgorzata Dubiel

 

 

The Tri-City News told readers how SFU mathematician Malgorzata Dubiel was named as a 2011 YWCA Vancouver Woman of Distinction.

 

 

“A senior math lecturer at Simon Fraser University, Dubiel won the accolade for her 40 years of community outreach to debunk numbers for students of all ages. In particular, she has encouraged many young female students to overcome ‘math anxiety.’”

 

 

Full story: http://at.sfu.ca/Vbvbkt

 

 

SFU news release (June 1): http://at.sfu.ca/fnGMPy

 

 

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Academic Women Annual Meeting and Strawberry Social

 

 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

2:00 - 5:00 pm

Diamond Alumni Club

 

 

Agenda:
2:00 Introduction

2:10-3:00 Secure Futures 

 

Are you wondering about the changes you are to indicate to the Sun Life Pension Plan by mid July? This affects all of us at all ages. I am pleased to announce that from 2- 3:00 we have Alan Black, SFU Manager, Pension & Benefits, and Burk Humphrey Client Relationship Executive, Group Retirement Services, Sun Life Financial.

 

3:00-3:30 Annual Report and Envisioning Academic Women: results from the survey

3:30 Presentation and Vote on Annual Budget Ask for AW 2011-2012

3:45-5:00 Social

 

RSVP's will be sent around in the coming weeks, with the background documents to be discussed. Hope to see you there.  If you have any questions you would like the speakers to address, please email Catherine Muray (murraye@sfu.ca) and we will ask them to prepare.  Cheers!

 

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Social Media

 

A brief synopsis of:

 

Managing your Professional Reputation in an Online World:  Carla Graebner

 

 

April 20, 2011

 

Carla is a privacy advocate who is especially interested in internet privacy issues.  She maintains that you need to find a balance when it comes to promoting your professional and research persona.  Many of you may already use social media to get contact info, find photos of people, see professional accomplishments of new colleagues or find out background information on those you want to work with professional.  You have an online identity even if you are not active.  Carla notes that there is no longer a demarcation between the professional and the personal identity.  She recommends that you need to frequently check or “google yourself” to see what information others have access to.  In fact, she recommended that everyone attending the workshop do a Pipl (pipl.com) search on their name.  Pipl does a deep web search and will show more information than a normal google search. 

 

You need to establish your “brand” as online information can affect how people perceive you.  The benefits of actively updating your online identity include extending your networking reach, raising awareness of areas you want to research and building like-minded communities.  For instance, you can set up alerts to let you know when people have been citing your publications. 

 

Carla emphasized that the internet never forgets and warns that everything is not born digital, but can become digitalized.  You may be surprised at what you find is online!  Watching what personal information you list online according to Carla is the adult version of “don’t talk to strangers”.  Be wary of surveys such as “25 Random Things About Me” where one is encouraged to give out personal information not readily known.  In fact, many people disclose more information on their Facebook page than what is on the now defunct mandatory long form census.  Note others will talk and post photos of you.  Carla concluded that it is about finding balance, making choices and choosing wisely.

 

 

Recommendations:

• Create positive or neutral content about you
• Keep profile and information up to date 
• Learn privacy practices online
• Practice good online etiquette – empty your cache often

What else can you do?

• Maintain a personal home page complete with a brief bio, create links to professional blogs, your Twitter and/or Linkedin accounts, and/or positive news stories about you
• Raise visibility by writing op/eds
• Try to get good links from professional organizations, community groups , government agencies to your homepage
• Use of videos on your homepage will boost your google ranking

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Managing your Professional Reputation in an Online World: Carla Graebner

 

 

By popular demand, Carla Graebner will share with us how to manage your reputation in the online world. Many of us are trying to work out how to rank more highly in Google scholar searches, etc etc. and if we should set up professional and private persona on twitter or other matters. Well, hear how Carla tackles the opportunities and ethics of such issues.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

12:00-1:15 pm (Lunch - bring your own brown bag)

AQ6016

 

We all need fellowship, lively talk and a break from marking. Hope to see you there.
And a big thanks to all who attended the first workshop, and Richard Overgaard for introducing Twitter so well.

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Click here for Previous News/Events

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Page Updated August 2, 2012