May 4 2009

Hi all,

The MRFA is in the midst of preparing for a number of key events in our calendar. First is the Annual General Meeting, to be held this year on Friday 8 May at 9:00 a.m. in the Jenkins Theatre. This is an important opportunity to receive the reports of the Association's Executive and committees, to review the proposed budget, to hear about the progress of current negotiations, and to consider changes to the Bylaws. This year's Bylaw package, circulated previously, includes an attempt to reach a workable consensus on social membership after a year of debate, the creation of a new Grievance Committee, and the introduction of some new items arising out of Bylaw gaps identified over the course of this year. During the meeting we will also conduct elections for Executive members, and at the close of nominations we had only one candidate for each position, so the balloting will be a simple yes/no vote on each candidate.

The other critical task for the AGM is to complete nominations for MRFA committees. Last week the Professional Affairs Committee hosted a committee orientation event. Our committee roles are at the heart of the institutional community: they're the functional focus of our collegial activity, and the work accomplished there helps determine the character and direction of Mount Royal. We have a strong tradition of service, but with rapid faculty growth and the increasingly complex enivronment that goes with being an almost-university, it's essential to engage as many voices and as much energy as possible. Please consider a nomination for yourself or a colleague as we continue to refine our roles as Faculty and as an Association during the transition process.

The following week (May 12-13) we have the annual Banff PD retreat, a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and hear about some of the interesting work they're doing. Sinc MacRae and I will be talking there about the process to amend the MRFA ethics bylaws. On 22 May Mount Royal hosts the Employee Awards day when our faculty and other colleagues are recognized for exceptional contributions and long service. Also that week, I'll be representing the MRFA at the ACIFA Presidents' Council, Spring Conference and Annual General Meeting; the conference is in Canmore this year and it's worth checking out the professional development offerings there. Additional delegates to the AGM are always welcome. Details are on the ACIFA website at http://acifa.ca/ Finally, on 28 May, coinciding with Employee Activity Day, we have the annual Employee Appreciation BBQ, where the MRFA expresses its thanks for the contributions of everyone who makes our academic mission a success.

Hope to see you at the AGM and the many other events,

David