President
Report of the President, 2015–2016
Greetings. The Annual General Meeting coincides with the arrival of spring (we assume!), the end of the winter term, and in many units, transition from one academic year to another. UTFA’s calendar too turns over, with any vacancies on the UTFA Executive filled by the Council at its May meeting for terms commencing July 1. This year has seen an UTFA Presidential election as well. I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Cynthia Messenger, whose term will likewise begin July 1. I am looking forward to working with and supporting Cynthia during this period of transition.
Cynthia Messenger elected President of UTFA
UTFA is pleased to announce that, on April 5, 2016, Cynthia Messenger was elected the 17th President of the Faculty Association. She is the third woman to be elected President. Cynthia has held several leadership roles at UTFA over the approximately twelve years that she has served on UTFA’s Executive Committee and Council. She began her work at UTFA as a representative of the contract faculty. Cynthia went on to chair the Status of Women Committee, the Teaching Stream Committee, and the Appointments Committee.
UTFA Presidential Election Results
I am happy to inform you that we have concluded our presidential election and Cynthia Messenger has been elected to a 2-year term beginning on July 1, 2016.
I want to also congratulate Paul Hamel for his participation in this close election.
Both Cynthia and Paul demonstrated a commitment to a fair and friendly election.
Last, I want to express my appreciation to the UTFA staff and volunteers who ensured a smooth, fair, and transparent election process.
Darren Dias
UTFA Chief Returning Officer for 2016
Report of the President, 2014–2015
The University of Toronto Faculty Association stands at an important juncture. We are in the final stages of completing something of a makeover of the Association, one that sees our capacity to advocate effectively across a range of monetary and non-monetary issues affecting conditions of work for our members greatly expanded. The Special Joint Advisory Committee (SJAC) process, established via a mediated agreement in April of 2012, has resulted in important changes.