Welcome to another term at SFU! Campus may be quieter, but we continue to press on! 

Canvas Cloud Workaround

This first week back has not been usual by any means. Please know that the APSA board is so thankful for all of the great work done to manage the Canvas Cloud temporary restrictions - thanks to Information Security Services, Communications and Marketing, the Centre for Education Excellence, Student Services, IT Services, program staff, academic administrators, local IT staff, and many other partners. 

We do encourage you to keep track of your overtime hours to be paid out or time in lieu. Ensure that you are paid fairly for the extra support you are providing, and do make sure to take care of yourselves. This is understandably a frustrating time, with the demands of shifting very routine practices and platforms to keep courses running for an optimal student experience. 

Your Professional Development

As students head into a new term, please consider advancing your own education through PD funds available from AD 10.10 (Tuition Reimbursement) and A 10.11 (PD Expenses). Note that while AD 10.10 requests (form and condensed info here: Tuition Reimbursement Application Final.pdf) do require approval from your supervisor, neither AD 10.10 nor AD 10.11 comes out of departmental funds.

Bargaining

Negotiations are active and constructive, but no tentative agreement has been reached. A continued thanks to the APSA bargaining team, who will be meeting again with SFU representation at the bargaining table to work to improve monetary conditions for all APSA staff. Further bargaining dates will follow next week.

It is notable that in recent months, developments in bargaining for the Health Employees’ Union and likewise the BC Nurses’ Union demonstrate that the provincial mandate is a baseline framework rather than an absolute cap in every circumstance, and that there may be more funds available beyond the mandate. Your bargaining team is working to ensure that APSA does not miss out on bargaining for any enhancements to the mandate. 

April Volunteer Appreciation Lunch

A further thanks goes to Lakshmi Gosyne, Director, Communications, and Aicha Etrew, Member Services Officer, for organizing our April volunteer appreciation lunch. Thanks to those who attended the lunch and to all those who support APSA initiatives. We so appreciate the work you do. We volunteer our time, skill, and energy to support a stronger association and to help our fellow colleagues. 

Thank you for your vital role in APSA’s and SFU’s success.

 

Christopher