This Committee provides advice on all matters related to promoting membership engagement with and participation in UTFA.

In 2024-25, the Membership Committee focused on efforts to increase engagement and outreach to the members. The Committee is spearheading four initiatives on this front.

1. Implementing an organization and mobilization plan to increase the capacity of members to respond and advocate on workplace issues that cannot be adequately addressed under the current Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Administration. The plan involves a roll out of more flash surveys on emerging general issues, listening sessions by Executive members and Council representatives, increased social media presence, and more one-on-one engagement with members by members. With the expertise and guidance of Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association (OCUFA) educators, we are pushing to create strong social networks within and across units that will be able to play a key role in future bargaining and advocacy. Please get in touch at faculty@utfa.org if you are interested in becoming more involved in this important work.
2. Creating more social and educational events to bring members from across the campuses together.
   1. Though the AGM needed to be held online, we have restarted the tradition of having an in-person social event after.
   2. A subcommittee organized a very successful event on personal banking and investment options for UTFA members concerned about climate change. They were also able to secure special packages and offers from two local credit unions for members interested in changing their personal banking. My deep thanks to Hulya Arik, Deb Cowen, and Paul Downes for making this excellent event possible.
3. Working with the UTFA Executive and UTFA Council to identify and share best practices in (two-way) member communications. This will include consideration of how to hold more meetings open to the whole membership. An ad hoc committee will be formed to think about the logistical and technical elements of conducting special-topic, and perhaps other, open meetings with the goal of bringing recommendations forward.
4. Producing summaries of UTFA’s monthly Council meetings (and other important updates) and encouraging Council representatives to share them with their constituents. These updates are now posted on the UTFA website for ease of reference–and your feedback on them is encouraged via faculty@utfa.org.