KFA In Solidarity with the BCGEU, PEA, and Unifor

Dear KFA Colleagues,

Today, the KFA and Douglas College Faculty Association (DCFA) walked the line in solidarity with striking public-sector workers across the Lower Mainland.

BCGEU – BC General Employees Union

We walked in solidarity today with striking BCGEU members — the very workers whose 2022 strike enabled the cost-of-living increases and wage gains faculty achieved in our last round of bargaining. Their action unlocked the funding pool that applied across public-sector tables, including ours. The current strike is part of that same fight — for respect, better benefits & LTD protections, and wages that match the value of the work.

KPU is home to BCGEU members—the support staff who help keep our university running, from student services to labs and IT. We stand in solidarity with them and recognize their vital role in our shared campus community.

PEA – Professional Employees Association

We also stand with members of the Professional Employees Association (PEA), including engineers, geoscientists, psychologists, foresters, veterinarians, and other licensed experts on the front lines of BC’s public service. As faculty, we teach in many of these same disciplines — and we know the value of professional expertise. Their call for fair pay and an end to contractor over-reliance resonates strongly in our sector too.

Unifor Local 3000 – Sheraton Guildford Workers

We express our support for hospitality workers at the Sheraton Guildford, just a short drive KPU’s Surrey campus. In the words of President Adrian Burnett: “Our members are scraping by while a wealthy ownership group tries to nickel-and-dime them.” These workers are standing up for fair wages after years of being underpaid — and they’re doing it with strength, courage, and unity.

We encourage all faculty to respect the picket lines that have arisen in our communities. We encourage you to stand in solidarity with Unions across the province as we join together to bargain for our collective rights.

In solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

president@yourkfa.ca

Time Release Opportunity — FPSE Pension Trustee Call Out

Dear KFA Colleagues,

FPSE is seeking nominations from local unions (KFA is Local 5) for a three year term as a BC College Pension Plan trustee. FPSE’s current policy is to provide trustees with a 50% release time for these duties which involve training and travel. The deadline for application is 5:00pm, September 19th, 2025.

In general, College Pension Plan trustees oversee the management of the ~$8.5 billion dollar fund on behalf of plan members (faculty and retirees).  Their duties include high level reviews of the Fund’s performance, the ability to make recommendations on asset classes and portfolio allocations with the use of professional advice, and to oversee fund administration.  Note that trustees make recommendations and not specific investment decisions. General plan details can be found at College Pension Plan – College – College

The application and selection process, including contact information, is outlined below. If you decide to apply, please let me know so that I can endorse your application.

– – –

In accordance with FPSE’s Pension Advisory Committee procedures and the responsibilities of Presidents’ Council as outlined in the FPSE Policy & Procedures Manual (Section 5.5) and the Constitution, the Pension’s Selection Committee is seeking nominations to fill the FPSE-appointed trustee position on the College Pension Board. Once appointed, the Pension Trustee will serve a three-year term until December 31, 2028.

Eligibility:

Nominees for the interim appointment must:

• • • Be a current or former member of an FPSE Local represented under the College Pension Plan (KFA is Local 5).
    • Not be in receipt of College Pension Plan benefits.
    • Be able to demonstrate a commitment to pension advocacy, fiduciary responsibility, and equity.
    • Be available to attend required Board meetings and related training sessions.
    • Be able to submit a request for course release.

Nomination Process:

Please submit the following to both our administrative coordinator, Katrina Page (kpage@fpse.ca), and myself, Arsineh Garabedian (arsinehgarabedian@gmail.com), by 5 pm Friday, September 19, 2025, for review:

• • • Name and contact information of the nominee
    • A short statement (max 250 words) outlining the nominee’s qualifications and interest in the trustee role
    • A condensed candidate’s resume (two pages or less)
    • Confirmation from the Local President that the nomination has been endorsed

TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT PROCESS – Key Points

Appointment of Trustee:

This is an FPSE appointment to the College Pension Plan (CPP) Board.

Nomination of Trustee:
Local presidents can endorse multiple trustee nominees. A Pension Advisory Committee, composed of PAC members, conducts interviews, makes the final selection, and recommends a trustee to the Presidents’ Council (PC). Once approved, the FPSE President officially appoints the trustee to the Pensions Board.

The trustee’s three-year term start date:

Since management in some locals requires three months’ notice to release faculty for the trustee role, we aim to select a trustee before the end of September, with a start date of January 1.

Time Release:
The trustee position includes a 50% time release (equivalent to 4 of 8 courses), paid by FPSE.

Trustee Workload:
Trustees typically attend two in-person meetings per month in Victoria—usually a full day on Thursday and a partial day on Friday. They review 400–500 pages of agenda materials beforehand to prepare questions and engage effectively. Additional single-day meetings and educational opportunities may also be scheduled.

Best regards,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

President@yourkfa.ca

Your KFA in the News

Dear KFA Colleagues,

In case our administrators accidentally misplaced a few recent headlines in KPU in the News, we thought we’d help out by putting together our own KFA In the News.

Over the past week the KFA has been keeping the faculty voice front and centre across the major media outlets in B.C. and beyond. Our message about layoffs, international student policy, and the future of public post-secondary was carried by:

• CBC Early Edition and CBC News
• Global News
• CTV News (via youtube)
• Daily Hive here and here (be aware that there are a lots of popup ads on this site)
• CKNW’s Mike Smyth Show or here
• A letter to the editor authored by John Shepherd was published in the Vancouver Sun 

Together, these stories reached thousands of people across B.C and Canada. The public conversation is no longer limited to KPU’s internal budget documents — it is about the future of post-secondary education in this province. Our goal is to continue to pressure all levels of government to come to the table with real solutions to the post-secondary funding crisis.

Alongside our media outreach, I met yesterday with the Hon. Jessie Sunner, Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills & MLA for Surrey-Newton, to press the case directly to government. We emphasized the urgent need for both levels of government to come to the table with sustainable funding solutions that protect faculty jobs, ensure student access, and safeguard the future of public post-secondary in B.C.

We’re not stopping here. Our Protect Education, Protect Communities campaign put this issue on the federal agenda over the summer, and now FPSE in cooperation with our national affiliate — the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) — is preparing to launch a new national campaign to build on that momentum. This campaign will connect our local struggles with a broader, country-wide push for sustainable funding and policy reform. It will also be an opportunity to jointly engage your provincial and federal leadership on the crisis developing in Canadian post-secondary education in advance of the federal budget.

It is our hope that, together, we are forcing government and administration to face the truth: unless they act, we will lose faculty, programs, and opportunities that can’t easily be rebuilt. We are keeping the pressure on to challenge the most recent round of layoffs and ensure that recall remains a real path back for our colleagues.

In solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

president@yourkfa.ca

Labour Day 2025

Dear KFA Colleagues,

Labour Day in Canada is celebrated annually on the first Monday in September. While it is a widely enjoyed public holiday, it is also a special day for union members and activists to come together — to celebrate the victories of the labour movement and to face the challenges ahead.

For the Kwantlen Faculty Association, Local 5 of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators, solidarity has delivered real gains in benefits, regularization, professional development, and salaries. These achievements remind us that progress is never handed down — it is always won through organizing, persistence, and collective action.

This year, as we face faculty layoffs, shrinking enrollments, and governments unwilling to show leadership on this issue, Labour Day takes on added meaning. The KFA continues to challenge these layoffs, and we are pressing both the provincial and federal governments to come to the table with a sustainable solution. Our hope — and our goal — is that those faculty who are laid off and are now on the recall list will be able to return to the classrooms where they are needed most.

The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE) will be represented at the Metro Vancouver Labour Day Celebration. Please join the Vancouver and District Labour Council and the New Westminster and District Labour Council at Edmunds Park on Monday, September 1, from 11:00 to 3:00 for a free, family-friendly gathering.

Wherever you are, we encourage you to take part in Labour Day events in your community. They are a chance to connect with union members across sectors, to stand together, and to make sure municipal, provincial, and federal leaders hear from working people directly.

See below for a listing of events taking place across BC on Monday September 1.

Lower Mainland

Metro Vancouver Labour Day Celebration

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•11:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•02:30 PM

Edmonds Park• 7433 Humphries Ave, Burnaby, BC V3N 1B1 CA

Host Contact Info: metrovancouverlabourday@gmail.com

We’re excited to co-host the Metro Vancouver Labour Day Celebration this year, with our neighbours at New Westminster & District Labour Council! Join us in Edmonds Park on Monday, September 1st between 11:00am and 2:30pm for a free, fun, family friendly celebration. There will be exciting speakers (starting at 11:00am), bouncy castles, games and entertainment for kids, live music by LJ Mounteney, free food and treats, union and community organization booths, and more!

Fraser Valley

Labour Day BBQ at Mill Lake Park in Beautiful Abbotsford British Columbia

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•11:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•02:00 PM

Mill Lake Park• 32960 Mill Lake Road, Abbotsford, BC V2S 8G5 CA

Host Contact Info: fvlcinfo@gmail.com

Join us for Labour Day at Mill Lake Park in beautiful Abbotsford, brought to you by the Fraser Valley Labour Council! Come out and enjoy: Fresh local Chilliwack corn ?? Face painting ?? Balloon creations ?? Bubbles galore! ???? Whether you’re there to celebrate workers, relax with the family, or connect with the community — there’s something for everyone! Book your table now! Email us at: fvlcinfo@gmail.com

Victoria & Vancouver Island

Victoria Labour Day Picnic

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•11:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•03:00 PM

Memorial Park• 1200 Esquimalt Road, Esquimalt, BC V9A 4Z2 CA

Host Contact Info: vlcbc@telus.net

The Victoria Labour Council’s Labour Day Picnic is a free family event with affiliate unions present to celebrate workers on the South Island. This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Women’s Day with an interactive display. We are also inviting community members to celebrate with us. Come join us for food, music and community building.

Labour Day Picnic in Merville, BC

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•12:00 PM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•03:00 PM

Merville Hall• 1245 Fenwick Road, Merville, BC V0R 2M0 CA

Host Contact Info: crcdlc@gmail.com

Free BBQ and Refreshments, Family Friendly Games and Activities, Union Pride and Community Solidarity.

If you are interested in volunteering to help with the CRCDLC Labour Day Picnic, please email crcdlc@gmail.com.

Sunshine Coast

Labour Day Picnic in Gibsons

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•11:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•02:00 PM

Dougall Park • 540 Gower Point Rd, Gibsons, BC V0N1V0 CA

Host Contact Info: sclabourcouncil@gmail.com

Speakers, free food, community corner booth, and local entertainment

Okanagan

Labour Day 2025 in Kelowna

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•12:00 PM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•03:00 PM

Hollywood Road Education Services Centre• 1040 Hollywood Road, South, Kelowna, BC V1X 4N2 CA

Host Contact Info: nolcrecording@gmail.com

This a BBQ event open to the public, featuring food, non alcohol beverages, games and prizes

Kamloops

KDLC Labour Day Picnic

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•10:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•02:00 PM

McDonald Park• 501 McDonald Avenue, Kamloops, BC V2B 3E5 CA

Host Contact Info: kdlcpresident@gmail.com

Outdoors Rain or Shine – Music, Food, Displays and Fun

Prince George

Labour Day Rally in Prince George B.C.

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•10:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•03:00 PM

Civic Centre • 808 Canada Games Way, Prince George, BC V2L5T6 CA

Host Contact Info: ktarry@iuoe115.ca

Labour March at 10am, Free activities for all.

Prince George Labour Day

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•10:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•03:00 PM

Canada Games Plaza• 725 Canada Games Way, Prince George, BC V2L 5T6 CA

Host Contact Info: cmansel@liuna1611.org

Beginning with a Labour Movement March in downtown Prince George at 10:00am. At noon come and join us with free food and activities for the whole community.

East Kootenays

Labour Day BBQ in Cranbrook, BC

Start: Monday, September 01, 2025•11:00 AM

End: Monday, September 01, 2025•02:00 PM

Rotary Park, Cranbrook, BC• 134 10 Ave S, Cranbrook, BC V1C 2N2 CA

Host Contact Info: krista.napl@gmail.com

Join us for free food and local music

In Solidarity,

Your KFA Table Officers

KFA Campaign: Protect Education, Protect Communities

Dear Colleagues,

As part of the ongoing effort to defend faculty jobs, the KFA is launching the campaign Protect Education, Protect Communities. Together, we are asking Federal MPs to take immediate action to fix the system before it does more damage. This campaign will run until July 18th, with another push in August, and a final push in September.

We are at a critical moment for our students, our programs, our communities, and our jobs.

The challenge is no longer the establishment of international student caps but rather Federal policy failures. These failures—especially at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)—have caused a dramatic drop in international student enrolment at KPU. This isn’t just about immigration. It’s already impacting course offerings, program viability, KPU culture, faculty workload, and long-term financial sustainability. Should layoffs occur in September, we want to create the highest possibility for recall for any faculty member who experiences a layoff.

That’s why we’re launching the KFA campaign: Protect Education, Protect Communities.

STEP 1: Find Your MP

Use this link to look up your federal Member of Parliament (MP) by postal code:

https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/search

STEP 2: Write Your MP

Send them a short, personalized email.

We’ve attached a draft template for you to use if you wish — just add a few details about yourself, your students, or your department. The more personalized the letter, the better.

Key message: IRCC’s processing delays and rejections are harming our students, our program offerings, and our faculty. We need MPs to act now.

STEP 3: Send Email + CC the KFA

Send your message to your MP and cc: president@yourkfa.ca so we can track participation and follow up.

Note: while I am away on vacation at the moment, I will follow up as I can to address any questions about this campaign.

In Solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

Protect Education Protect Communities Further Context behind the Asks

KFA Update Part II: Layoffs, Violations, and the Growing Governance Breakdown

Dear Colleagues,

This is the second part of our KFA update to members. Part 1 addressed the potential amalgamation of departments in the Faculty of Arts and what we understand to be the possible removal of duly elected Chairs.

Part 2, written below, turns to several additional developments:

• Ongoing violations of the KPU-KFA Collective Agreement related to layoffs and severance
• The KFA’s successful accommodation grievance
• Layoff mitigation update
• Growing delays in Employer layoff mitigation processes
• The deepening governance crisis at both the Board and Senate levels. 

We also outline next steps and a call for faculty to assist in developing governance training.

Thank you for your attention and continued engagement.

In Solidarity,

Mark Diotte

KFA Update Part II: Accommodations, Layoffs, Violations, and the Growing Governance Breakdown

1. Victory on Accommodations Grievance. Further information will be forthcoming from Diane Walsh as we look into the award and what it means for KFA members.
    
2. Approximately 23 layoff notices have been rescinded or partially rescinded through the layoff mitigation process under the KPU-KA Collective Agreement. This is despite what we believe to be systemic errors, mishandling, delays, and misinformation on the part of the Employer. We will be continuing to work on mitigation measures over the summer.
    
3. The Employer has manufactured a new category of layoffs they are referring to as “Deferred Layoffs.” The Employer does not view these as permanent rescindments; instead, they are treating these mitigated layoffs as “on pause” rather than rescinded, we believe in direct violation of Article 7 of the Collective Agreement. This bureaucratic sleight of hand allows layoffs to remain active on paper long after mitigation has occurred—leaving members in limbo. The KFA has filed a policy grievance and will pursue this issue to arbitration if necessary.
    
4. Severance Offers Are Below Contractual Standards: the Employer is offering reduced severance packages that do not reflect members’ salary and service, contrary to 7.10(d)(ii). The KFA has grieved this and is advising members that any such “offers” should be reviewed before acceptance.
    
5. The Employer has attempted to bypass making “every reasonable attempt to minimize the impact of funding shortfalls…on the workforce” (Article 7.01 KPU-KFA Collective Agreement). The Employer approached the KFA to agree that three time release positions were specific to the Melville School of Business. The KFA stipulated that these releases should be limited to Departments where faculty have been issued layoff notices in the interest of protecting faculty jobs. Rather than agree with the KFA or continue to engage in conversation, the Employer bypassed the need for KFA agreement and sent the release positions to the full KPU faculty distribution list. We believe this to be bad faith, a violation of Article 2.03, and undermines the Employer’s obligations to protect faculty jobs. It represents a broader pattern of evading both governance norms and contractual responsibilities.
    
6. Mitigation Delays Are Systemic: despite the KFA and Employer signing off on retirement mitigations in late May, the rescindments tied to those mitigations are still being delayed and some are only occurring last week—over a month later in some cases. These are members who should have already received rescindments—yet the Employer is dragging its feet. This delay is causing a significant amount of undue stress and risk to our members—some of whom may have found new jobs, moved, or otherwise already prepared to move on from KPU.

Governance at a Breaking Point

1. Board Meetings Closed in All But Name: KPU’s “open” Board meetings now require registration, and the public link is non-functional. After a brief, choreographed open session, the Board enters closed meetings where critical decisions are made with no faculty or public access to agendas, minutes, or outcomes—even when the issues aren’t sensitive. This is opacity masquerading as transparency.
    
2. The request for the KFA to be a delegation at the June 25th Board of Governors meeting was declined. This means that the Board refused to hear from faculty on layoff matters, growing governance concerns, and concerns about confidence in the current administration. Instead, they essentially telegraphed an “if you don’t like it, file a grievance” attitude. On the positive side, we have a new incoming Board Chair in the person of Erin Barnes and a new Vice-Chair in the person of Stephanie Smith. We will continue to pursue developing a relationship with the new KPU Board of Governors.
    
3. Faculty Governance Undermined: we are hearing reports of Deans blocking curriculum from advancing to Senate—either unilaterally or under direction from senior administration. At the same time, Senate is approving program suspensions even when Faculty Councils provide clear, contrary advice. These actions bypass governance and ignore the academic judgment of faculty and faculty governance bodies.

What We’re Doing About It

The KFA is hoping to develop a faculty-led governance training program. Our goal: to equip Faculty Senators, Council members, committee Chairs, and Department Chairs with the tools to push back against administrative overreach and reclaim our role in academic governance.

We need your help. If you’re willing to be trained—and help train others—please contact the KFA.

A series of letters have been sent to the appropriate government ministries in regard to many of these escalating concerns.

While I will be away from the office in July, please be in touch with any questions or interest in the above actions, and I will respond as soon as I am able to.

In solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

Update on Layoffs

Hello Colleagues,

This is a brief update on the situation around the layoffs.

Over the past two weeks, the KFA presented our positions and our arguments regarding the overall situation with regard to the layoffs, and for each individual case for each member who was issued layoff notice.

I am sorry to report that the Employer appears not to be budging in their positions, though we remain hopeful that some more of the layoffs will yet be rescinded. We have received today the first few of the responses at Step 1, and they have not relented at all. Their summary is as follows:

In conclusion, while the Union has expressed disagreement with the decision to lay off faculty and the broader implications of doing so, the Employer maintains that decisions regarding section planning, layoffs, and resource allocation fall within its management rights under Article 2.01. Ultimately, the Employer has made the difficult decision to proceed with layoffs as a result of the impacts of the decline in international student enrolment, and the Employer’s position is that this is a reasonable and justified decision. The Employer has provided the Union with a significant amount of detailed enrollment and financial information to allow for a clear understanding of the necessity for the University to proceed with laying off faculty.

To summarize, the KFA has grieved the actions of the Employer in undertaking the layoffs as we argue the rationale provided is insufficient and not properly supported to indicate there is any kind of fiscal difficulty or financial crisis in the institution as a result of international enrollments being decreased.

The layoffs are a choice, not a necessity. This is even more clear now.

Fiscal Year Surplus

The Board update on the last fiscal year was, in fact, that there is an even higher surplus than was projected. The surplus for the fiscal year ending 2025, was $13.4M. There is no financial rationale to lay off faculty regardless of declines in international enrollments.

The Employer also indicated that they are seeking to return to approximately 2018 or 2019 staffing levels in a number of staff areas including Facilities and IT. From what we can ascertain, it appears they are reducing faculty FTE levels to pre-2018 FTE.

But at the same time, administrative FTE levels are already at their highest levels ever, and with the planned increase which is still at $5M in filling currently empty positions, and $2.6M in new positions, the ratio of faculty FTE to administrative FTE will be less than 3 faculty FTE per administrator. 

Fill Rates

They are also using maximum class sizes, or 100% fill rates, as the baseline for determining layoffs, or in other words, they are basing layoff decisions on projecting a requirement for 100% fill rates which are vanishingly rare in real terms.

This is of particular concern, first because of the way the layoffs have been targeted. The last Ministry mandate letter, as well as more recent directives to public post-secondary institutions, explicitly require institutions to maintain international enrollments at or below 30%. KPU will be unable to achieve anywhere approaching 30% if all of the layoffs and section cuts go forward because as it is now clear to us after having gathered our own enrollment data, they are reducing many of the areas in the institution that have the highest ongoing international enrollments. These actions make no sense if the goal is to maintain international enrollments at close to 30%.

They also make no sense given the reality that for many years now, all faculty salary increases have been fully funded within the government grant, since the outset of the provincial bargaining mandate, about 20 years ago.

Considerations that Appear to have been Ignored

And all of this is not even taking into consideration the overall impact on the departments’ and the institution’s ability to maintain programs such that students are able to fill their course loads efficiently and complete credentials within a reasonable period.

It is also not taking into account the deep losses to departments and the institution as a result of the planned layoffs and the loss of the many contributions all of the members are making towards service and development and all of the activities that faculty participate in.

The Grievances

To return to the ongoing grievances, there are many specific violations of the Collective Agreement Language under Article 7, and we are actively pursuing all of them, including violations in the layoffs themselves given the lack of rationale, the issuing of notices en masse, and so on. We believe there are also errors being made in the calculation of severance for part-time faculty, and the calculation of severance offers under the Targeted Labour Adjustments, amongst other errors. We are actively seeking the correction of all of these.

The Employer is also violating the terms of Article 13.07 Maternity and Parental Leaves in a variety of ways, including issuing notice to members on maternity leave, and issuing notice they will cut off their SEB payments and benefits during their maternity or parental leave. We say this is clearly in violation of the terms of the Collective Agreement as well as Human Rights legislation and well-established case law. We are seeking the correction of all of these, too.

In closing, I wish I had much better news to share.

But I want to emphasize this: I believe we should all remain hopeful that we can yet see a correction of the situation.

We will continue to press the Employer to do so.

In solidarity,

Diane.

KFA Update to Members Part I: Departmental Amalgamation in Arts

Dear KFA Colleagues,

There are many pressing issues currently unfolding in the KFA Office that we would like to update members about. In response, we are sharing a two-part update to keep you fully informed.

Part 1, below, focuses on the Employer’s attempt to merge Departments within the Faculty of Arts and potentially displace duly elected Chairs—an alarming development with implications for all faculties.

Part 2 will follow in the next few days and will address the latest on layoffs, severance violations, grievance updates, accommodation victories, and the growing governance crisis at KPU.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or to report concerns in your area.

Part I: Departmental Amalgamations and the Chair Crisis in Arts

The KFA is responding to what seems to be an attempt by the Employer to restructure departments in the Faculty of Arts under the guise of “merging” or amalgamation. This isn’t administrative housekeeping. It’s potentially intended to be a systemic displacement of elected Chairs and departmental identities, without due process, transparency, or fulsome explanation.

As far as we are aware, faculty have not been provided with any legitimate academic or economic rationale.

Let’s be clear: departments are not clerical units; they are intellectual and academic communities. Chairs are not managerial tools—they are elected representatives of faculty governance. Their workload is immense and they are on the frontlines of Departmental matters. The amalgamation of Departments or the creation of Departmental “hubs” is no mere administrative change—this represents the discontinuation of one Department and the establishment of another Department. Thus all elements of KPU Policy and Procedure under GV9 Development and Change of Senate-Approved Programs / Procedure / Appendix A must be followed.

There are also Collective Agreement protections for Chairs/Coordinators. For example Chairs are democratically elected for a three year term. It is the position of the KFA that these positions cannot be reduced or eliminated without demonstrable reasons as per the Collective Agreement and the Chair/Coordinator Guidelines.

In other words, Chair positions and release percentages are protected at least until the matter is brought before the Labour Management Relations Committee, and should that committee not reach agreement, the KFA would be entitled to file a grievance on the matter.

The KFA also takes the position that even if the Employer were to amalgamate Departments, that it is the discipline and/or program that is entitled to a Chair position. In other words, we take the position that the Chair and Coordinator positions would persist despite any merger.

We are actively documenting what is occurring in relation to this matter and exploring options.

What can you do?

Given the fact that many faculty members are on a non-teaching term in the Summer, any discussions and decisions should be postponed until the Fall at the earliest. Without full faculty consultation, there can be no meaningful discussion of this matter. We recommend all Arts Chairs/Coordinators together draft a letter to their Dean and the Provost requesting the full context of the proposal to amalgamate Departments, what the desired outcome of the amalgamation is, and how the desired outcome will be achieved by Departmental amalgamation. The letter should also candidly acknowledge a well-known institutional truth: the current level of Chair release is inadequate to meet the actual demands of the Chair/Coordinator role. It may be prudent to formally pose the question to both the Dean and the Provost: in light of this systemic shortfall, what plan does KPU have to ensure that Chairs are properly resourced to fulfill their responsibilities and maintain academic continuity?

If you have any questions, please be in touch.

In Solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

president@yourkfa.ca

Non-Confidence in Senior KPU Leadership: Discussion at KFA AGM May 1st

Dear KFA Colleagues,

The KFA Table Officers have been asked by numbers of faculty members to host a non-confidence vote in the senior leadership of KPU. For information, discussion, and input purposes, we have added this matter as an agenda item to our KFA Annual General Meeting on May 1st.

The Vancouver Island University Faculty Association (VIUFA) called for a vote of non-confidence in their President in conjunction with a VIU Student’s Union call for the removal of the VIU President . The result was that the their President subsequently resigned. To help facilitate discussion, we have invited VIUFA President Gara Pruesse to speak to their experience and process.

This can be an effective strategy to usher in change, but how do KPU Faculty feel? Do we still have confidence in our senior leadership to navigate us through the tough times ahead? Please attend the meeting to share your thoughts! We welcome your feedback and direction on this crucial matter.

In solidarity,

Mark Diotte

President, Kwantlen Faculty Association

president@yourkfa.ca

Last Call for Nominations for 2025 KFA Elections

Dear Kwantlen Faculty Association Members,

In accordance with Article 7 of our Constitution and By-Laws, this is the last call for nominations for the following positions on the KFA Executive Committee:

• VP Grievances (until end of term, August 31, 2027)
• Member-at-Large (until end of term, August 31, 2027)
• Secretary-Treasurer (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Humanities Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Trades & Technology Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Ombudsperson (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Social Sciences Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Qualifying Studies & Access Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Learner Support/Co-op Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Disability Management and Rehabilitation Committee Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Human Rights & International Solidarity Committee Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Labour Community Advocate Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirited+ Committee Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)
• Decolonization, Reconciliation & Indigenization Committee Representative (until end of term, May 31, 2027)

This is also the last call for nominations for the following position on the KFA Working Conditions Committee (WCC):

• WCC Faculty of Health Representative

Please see the “Responsibilities of an Executive Committe Member” document and By-law 4.2 for information about these roles. Please also see the KFA Conflict of Interest Policy.

Nomination Period – April 8-30, 2025
The nomination period runs from April 8 to 30, at noon. Nomination forms are to be sent to the Chief Returning Officer (C.R.O.), Marc Kampschuur. Three calls for nominations will be made during this time period. In the event that the call for nominations results in only one nomination being received by the close of the nomination period, the nominee shall be acclaimed at the Annual General Meeting on May 1, 2025. If there is more than one nominee, an online election will be held.

The nominations received to date are as follows:

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. You can find more information about the election process on our website.

Marc Kampschuur, Vice-President, Negotiations

Officer Responsible for the Election