Board of Representatives

The Board of Representatives shall manage the affairs of the Association subject to the direction or approval of general meetings of the Association and in accordance with the By-Laws and Standing Rules of the Association.

If your constituency is not listed below, please contact the UMFA Office for information about becoming a representative. If you wish to arrange a constituency meeting with an UMFA representative, please contact the office.

UMFA Office: (204) 474-8272

Download the full BoR list here: UMFA BoR 2024-2025

Benefits and Responsibilities of Membership on the UMFA Board of Representatives

The UMFA Board of Representatives manages the affairs of the Association subject to the direction or approval of general meetings of the Association and in accordance with the By-Laws and Standing Rules of the Association. The duties and powers of the Board of Representatives are described in Section 4 of the UMFA Constitution, which is available here. Board Representatives are elected for three-year terms.

Benefits

1. Giving your constituency representation on the UMFA Board and ensuring that UMFA's activities are meeting the needs of members of your constituency.
   
   
2. Giving you a voice in how UMFA is managed and in decisions affecting all Members. This is especially important during a year of contract negotiations.
   
   
3. Providing you with an opportunity to learn more about members' rights and university governance.
   
   
4. Meeting members from other constituencies and learning about their concerns.
   
   
5. Service as a member of the UMFA Board of Representatives is considered service to the university community, and consequently counts towards your service responsibilities (Article 36.2 of the Collective Agreement).

Responsibilities

1. Attending meetings of the Board of Representatives. An "alternate" member of your constituency can attend in your place if you are not available. The Board of Representatives meets once a month, usually in the UMFA boardroom, for about 90 minutes. Coffee, juice, and cookies are provided at each meeting. Total time commitment including meeting-related reading and "travel time" would be 2-3 hours per month. There are not usually Board meetings over the summer.
   
   
2. Reporting on the concerns of your constituents at a meeting of the Board of Representatives once during the academic year.
   
   
3. Organizing constituency meetings as required. Normally, a constituency meeting is held prior to a round of bargaining, but a representative might wish to organize constituency meetings at other times.
   
   
4. Communicating with members of the constituency regarding UMFA business. Some representatives send e-mail summaries of meetings of the Board of Representatives to their constituents. Others communicate with their constituents about specific UMFA issues via e-mail. Some communicate informally with their constituents.
   
   
5. Advising the Association of possible violations of the collective agreement, for example, possible violations of evaluation processes, or hiring, tenure, or promotion procedures.
   
   
6. Advising Members who have questions or concerns pertaining to the UMFA Collective Agreement to contact the Association office at (204) 474-8272.
   
   More serious concerns should be directed to UMFA Legal Counsel or the Executive Director. Contact information can be found here.