Department Head’s Message
August 25, 2024
Dear EDST Colleagues,
There is language in the new Collective Agreement (2022-2025) regarding Indigenous scholarly activity (ISA) that came into effect on July 1, 2024.
The Collective Agreement’s definition of Indigenous scholarly activity can be found in Article 1.01 of Part 4 (page 69):
“’Indigenous scholarly activity’ means research or creative activity of quality and significance that is partially or entirely in the field of Indigenous scholarship and/or in collaboration with Indigenous community partners and peoples; and the appropriate dissemination of the results of that scholarly activity”.
EDST has received from the Office of the Associate Dean (Faculty Affairs), Laura Hurd, the latest updates on ISA, a new aspect of the Collective Agreement. This update builds on the guidance and resources prepared by Faculty Relations and released by Mark Trowell, the Executive Director, Faculty Relations & ALDP. The present email summarizes this exchange with DNSO and Faculty Relations, as available so far.
The attached documents on ISA are relevant in three major respects we are all called to be aware of. They assist with the transition to this new language and:
(a) provide clarity and guidance to faculty members engaged in Indigenous scholarly activity, who will be subject to review for reappointment, tenure and/or promotion in the 2024/25 academic year, UBC and the UBC Faculty Association have agreed to revise the initial file submission date from July 1, 2024 to September 1, 2024 (Part 4, Article 5.03);
(b) educate all members of a unit, such as EDST, who are eligible to participate in Department Standing Personnel Committee (DSPC) affairs, about how to engage ISA;
(c) ensure that procedural steps are equitably applied in a range of files submitted for Appointment Reappointment Promotion and Tenure (ARPT) consideration.
The new Indigenous scholarly activity language in the Collective Agreement applies to files submitted on or after July 1, 2024. The University and the Faculty Association have partnered to develop additional resources to support academic leaders and faculty members who will be subject to review for reappointment, tenure and/or promotion in the 2024/25 academic year.
For your attention and information, attached please find the following documents to support these reviews:
- Indigenous Scholarly Activity (ISA) – Overview Document: This document provides a brief summary of the new Indigenous Scholarly Activity collective agreement language. The document also provides further examples of ISA and shares a set of contextual considerations that may be helpful when considering ISA files. These examples and contextual considerations were derived from the work of the Joint Consultation Committee on Indigenous Scholarly Activity that made recommendations to both parties in the last round of collective bargaining.
- Indigenous Scholarly Activity Referee Letter: This sample template referee letter is recommended to be used in cases where ISA is a component of the faculty member’s scholarly activity under review. The template letter is based upon the current “Sample Letter of Request for Reference for Review of Scholarly Activity” found in Appendix 8 (page 82) of the SAC Guide.
- Community Letter of Reference: There may be ISA files in which feedback from Indigenous Community members may help inform the quality, impact and significance of a faculty member’s scholarly activity in Indigenous communities. This template letter is recommended to be used in such cases. These letters do not replace the required Letters of Reference from external referees on the quality and significance of the scholarly achievements of the candidate and it is recognized a Community Letter of Reference is not arm’s length.
- Protocol for Community Letters of Reference: Related to #3 above, Indigenous communities and organizations may have diverse protocols for soliciting feedback on a faculty member or activity, and these may differ significantly from Western academic norms. Care must be taken to preserve and honor established relationships between the Candidate and the Community/Organization and respect the processes requested by the Indigenous Community/Organization involved. This document provides a set of instructions to support this goal.
UBC’s Faculty Relations anticipates the resources and support for ISA will continue to evolve as UBC and its units gain more experience in applying the new Collective Agreement language. The materials Faculty Relations and DNSO are sharing will be included in the next revision of the Senior Appointments Committee (SAC) Guide in the upcoming months.
It is incumbent on all faculty members in EDST to be aware, understand and act on the guidance included in the attached supporting documents (and subsequent updates), particularly as they pertain to each eligible member’s participation in and contribution to DSPC affairs. This applies both to the head, acting heads appointed for specific files, and to any and all eligible DSPC members.
Thank you for your attention, care, and follow-up.
With all best wishes,
André