From: Behraad Bahreyni <bba19@sfu.ca>
Sent: November 10, 2021 2:09:54 PM
To: Christopher Pavsek; Gerardo Otero
Cc: Nicholas Blomley; academic-discussion (academic-discussion@sfu.ca)
Subject: RE: SFUFA Bargaining Bulletin - University StaffingI have been at SFU for about 13 years and the amount of work I do that is unrelated to research or teaching has increased substantially (from purchasing to reporting). Much of that work was done previously by support staff. However, this increase in personal admin workload has happened as we have increased the number of administrative staff (not senior). I would very much like to know the stats for this rank as well...
Cheers
__________________
Behraad Bahreyni, PhD, PEng
Associate Professor, School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering
Associate Member, School of Engineering Science
SFU Simon Fraser UniversityMSE 4176, 250-13450 102nd Ave
Surrey, BC, CANADA V3T 0A3
Tel: +1 (778) 782-8694 Fax: +1 (778) 782-7514 Web: http://sense.fas.sfu.ca/
From: Christopher Pavsek <cpavsek@sfu.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2021 11:29 AM
To: Gerardo Otero <otero@sfu.ca>
Cc: Nicholas Blomley <nicholas_blomley@sfu.ca>; academic-discussion (academic-discussion@sfu.ca) <academic-discussion@sfu.ca>
Subject: Re: SFUFA Bargaining Bulletin - University Staffing
I imagine that the SFUFA data also does not include the uknown sums that SFU spends on consultants and various other forms of administrative outsourcing. The latest, of course, is the hiring out of a private negotiator for upcoming bargaining.
It always dismayed me that SFU felt it was worth adding to the admin complement to improve "student experience" and what not when the obvious solution--decreasing class size--was simply ignored. Of course, smaller classes mean more faculty.
Another dismaying trend is the increasing number of non-faculty making what are, effectively, pedagogical and curricular decisions based on zero to little experience in the classroom.
Chris
On Nov 10, 2021, at 10:24 AM, Gerardo Otero <otero@sfu.ca> wrote:
Indeed, it was very obvious to me since I arrived at SFU in 1990 that this was a bureaucratically-driven university. But the extent to which this has become so is really quite concerning. Imagine what will happen when we get a School of Medicine. Faculty positions for the rest of the university might become even scarcer, which may imply further precarization of university teaching in the form of sessional instructors, etc. What can SFUFA do to avert such scenario? Can the university ever become a faulty-and-student driven one?
Best, Gerardo
__
Professor Gerardo Otero
School for International Studies
Simon Fraser University
7200-515 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 5K3Tel. Off: +1-778-782-4508
Website: http://www.sfu.ca/people/otero.html
I thankfully acknowledge that I live and work in unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Kwikwetlem Nations.
From: Nick Blomley <blomley@sfu.ca>
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 6:44 PM
To: "academic-discussion (academic-discussion@sfu.ca)" <academic-discussion@sfu.ca>
Subject: Fwd: SFUFA Bargaining Bulletin - University Staffing
These SFUFA data are staggering!
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