Over the last year, the Membership Committee had to find ways to connect meaningfully with UTFA members other than face-to-face contact. The Committee is responsible for promoting members’ engagement with, and participation in, UTFA. The informed engagement of faculty and librarians has been integral to UTFA’s success in our negotiations with U of T Administration.
The Membership Committee planned for an exciting and engaging year, with continued focus on supporting strategic outreach with respect to the salary discrimination initiative, creating a plan to fill vacant constituency seats on UTFA’s Council, and engaging our broader membership through a meet-and-greet update initiative.
This has been a year of renewal and outreach for the Membership portfolio. The Membership Committee initiated an UTFA speakers series, focusing on the topic of intellectual freedom and academic rights, and is engaging with the membership on the vital topic of pension reform.
As Chair of the Membership Committee, I strive to support the work of UTFA Council and Executive in new ways, to increase dialogue with members, and to circulate ideas that matter to all of us within the membership and beyond. Some of our activities relate broadly to UTFA’s mission and the broader landscape of collegial governance, and others concern decisions we need to make at UTFA and at U of T. The broad goal of our outreach is to ensure colleagues come together during the academic year to think across divisions, departments, and fields about the common good.
The Membership Committee is one of the newest committees at UTFA, under a decade old, but its mission is central to the organization – coordinating communication with and outreach to members. Our goal is to be accessible, understand the multiple goals and concerns faculty and librarians have, and raise the level of dialogue and awareness among our members, enhancing university citizenship.