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Bullying and Harassment Training

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http://bullyingandharassment.ubc.ca/training-events/
http://bullyingandharassment.ubc.ca/

Effective November 2013, British Columbia’s Workers Compensation Act was amended to include three new policies addressing workplace bullying & harassment. Sections 115, 116 and 117 of the Act set out the general duties of employers, workers and supervisors.

Who Should Take the Training Course?
The new legislation requires all UBC Faculty & Staff (including students employed by the University) to receive training about the new workplace bullying and harassment policies and requirements on how to recognize, prevent, and address workplace bullying & harassment.

Training Course Objectives
Participants completing this online training will be able to:
•    Define workplace bullying and harassment
•    Recognize workplace bullying and harassment
•    Identify behaviours that do not constitute bullying and harassment
•    Describe the duties of employers, supervisors, and workers, with respect to workplace bullying and harassment.
•    Respond to situations involving workplace bullying and harassment

Evaluation Process
To complete the online training course, participants must confirm their understanding of the course content by obtaining a score of 100% on a short multiple choice quiz. Those that do not pass the quiz can reread the course material and retest as many times as necessary. Upon successful completion, participants will receive a printable Certificate of Completion for their records. Please scan and email a copy of your Certificate of Completion to the LFS Grad Office (lfs.ta@ubc.ca) ASAP. TA’s may claim a maximum of 30 minutes in order to complete the online course

Training Course Duration
The online course is self-paced. The duration will depend on the individual participant and their prior knowledge of the subject matter. On average, the course will take 20-30 minutes to complete.

TA Performance Review

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The following information was emailed to all 2014-15 LFS Instructors and TA’s on September 9 on behalf of Gwen Chapman.  The evaluation and orientation forms can be found under Resources

Hello 2014-15 Winter Session instructors (and cc’ed TAs):

I’m pleased to let you know that we are rolling out a new TA performance review process for all LFS TAships.The process has been developed as a way to facilitate discussions between a TA and the instructor in order to encourage growth and improvement in the TAs skills, to enhance teaching performance, and to recognize successful teaching.  Teaching assistants are potential academics in training.  These positions provide an opportunity for students to be further integrated into the learning environment and to encourage teaching development.

The evaluation process includes 3 components, all of which were pilot tested in the summer term:

1)      A preliminary orientation meeting, to be held as soon as possible at the start of term.  At this meeting, the TA and instructor will go through the attached “orientation guide” checklist to ensure that both are clear about the expectations of the TA’s role and the TA / Instructor relationship.

2)      An informal check-in approximately half way through the term, where the “TA Informal Check-In” form will be completed.

3)      The formal Performance Review to be completed at the end of term: “TA Performance Review”.

Each of the three forms should be returned to the LFS Grad Office UBC (lfs.ta@ubc.ca) (electronic scanned copy is preferred)  as soon as it has been completed to be added to the TA’s file. All of these steps are intended to enhance communication between the TA and Instructor, and to provide positive two-way feedback to encourage the TA’s professional growth and the instructor’s supervision. Instructors who have serious concerns with the performance of a TA should discuss them with the TA as soon as possible and notify the Graduate Programs Manager (Shelley Small) and/or the Director, HR & Administration (Barb Hsiao).

Time used for this performance evaluation is part of the TA contract hours – we anticipate that it will only need to take a total of ~1 hour.

If you have any questions or feedback about this process, please let me, Shelley, or Barb know.

Best regards,

Gwen

Gwen Chapman PhD RD
Professor and Associate Dean Academic | Faculty of Land and Food Systems
246 Food, Nutrition and Health Building | 2205 East Mall
The University of British Columbia | Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4
Phone 604 822 6874 | Fax 604 822 5143
gwen.chapman@ubc.ca | www.landfood.ubc.ca

CUPE 2278 – Notice of Meeting for ALL 2014-15 LFS TA’s

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CUPE 2278                                  Please note new time of meeting

SCHEDULE C – NOTICE OF MEETING   MANDATORY for all 2014-15 LFS TA’s

It is understood and accepted that each Department shall give to each of its employees and to the Union written notice of the orientation meeting. Such notice shall be consistent with the sample form set out below.

The Union and employees shall be given such notice at least two weeks in advance of the date of the orientation meeting.

NOTICE OF MEETING                                     

In accordance with Article 3.02 of the Collective Agreement between the University of British Columbia and the Teaching Assistants’ Union, the Employer shall arrange and hold an induction/orientation meeting of all members of the Bargaining Unit in each Department (Faculty in non-departmentalized Faculties). All members of the bargaining unit are expected to attend. During this meeting, time shall be provided for a representative of the Union to discuss the function of the Union, expectations, responsibilities and duties of teaching assistants and markers as well as their rights as members of the Union

Date of Meeting:                         TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

Time of Meeting:                          2:00 pm (for approximately 30 minutes)       

Location of Meeting:                    AGORA Café, Macmillan Building     

This orientation meeting is MANDATORY for ALL LFS 2014-15 Winter Session TA’s.  If you are unable to attend, please contact:
Sara Moukarzel mksara@alumni.ubc.ca

 

 

2014-15 LFS TA Training Orientation SEPTEMBER 9

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Hello LFS TA’s:

You are invited to the LFS TA Training Orientation!  This event is for new and returning TA’s (teaching assistants, markers and PBL tutors) for 2014 Winter Session, terms 1 and 2.   If you will be TA’ing in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems in any capacity during the 2014-15 academic year, the Faculty STRONGLY encourages your attendance and participation. The Orientation Day will  include an orientation meeting run by the TA Union, CUPE 2278, which is mandatory for all UBC teaching assistants. The new LFS TA evaluation process, which all LFS TA’s will participate in starting with term 1, will also be discussed.

At the orientation, you will become familiar with:

  • Resources on campus that can be used to build your teaching skills
  • Key people and policies relevant to the TA role
  • The expectations of you as a TA and what you can expect in your position
  • Connect: What it can and cannot do for you as TA
  • The new LFS TA evaluation process

Date: Tuesday September 9th
Sign-In and Coffee: 9:30 am
Sessions: 10am – 3:00pm (3:00-3:30 pm: coffee social)
CUPE 2278 Orientation Meeting:  2:00 pm (for approximately 30 minutes)
Where: AGORA Cafe, MacMillan Building (2357 Main Mall)

**Free morning coffee, lunch, and mid-afternoon refreshments provided.

Please use the following link to register for the TA Orientation Day
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGdxcWtSM2pnOGNvNU8wUlBXZVNXckE6MA

If you have any questions or are unable to attend, please email mksara@alumni.ubc.ca

Applying for a SIN (or renewal) for International Students

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As of June 1, eligible international students no longer need an off-campus work permit to work off campus. (See http://students.ubc.ca/career/resources/working-canada for more details.) As a result, Service Canada changed the way they issue SINs to international students. This also affects international students who want to work on-campus.

  • In the past: Service Canada issued SINs to students with either (1) a valid work permit, or (2) a valid study permit AND an on-campus job offer letter.
  • Now: On-campus job offer letters are no longer accepted. Service Canada will issue a SIN to students with a study permit ONLY if it contains the phrases “may accept employment” or “may work.” These phrases should be theoretically written on most post-secondary study permits after June 1, but in practice we are seeing many written in the old format without these phrases.

If a student’s study permit does not say “may accept employment” or “may work,” the student must follow additional steps to get a “confirmation to work” letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. (Even though the letter is technically a confirmation to work OFF-campus, it is still required for on-campus work when the study permit does not explicitly state “may accept employment” or “may work.”) They must then present this letter with their study permit to Service Canada in person to get a SIN. Detailed instructions are here: http://students.ubc.ca/enrolment/finances/financial-advice/taxes-international/sin.

The processing time for the confirmation to work letter is currently approximately 2 weeks. According to CIC, students cannot request a “confirmation to work” letter until after they arrive in Canada and are issued a study permit.

Please note:  The “Proof of Enrolment” letter is NOT issued by the LFS Graduate Office.  You can download and use a letter of enrolment from the Student Service Centre provided it states your status is full-time AND you are in a program of six months or more leading to a degree, diploma or certificate.  If it does NOT include these two pieces of information, then you need to email a request to questions@askme.ubc.ca or if your request is urgent, you can go in person to Brock Hall to request the letter.

 

 

Problem Based Learning (PBL) workshop

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To All 2014 Winter Session LFS TA’s:

The LFS Learning Centre is pleased to offer our 3- day intensive Problem Based Learning (PBL) workshop again this summer. The 3 day workshop will run Aug 18-20th. The workshop is free of charge for ALL LFS TAs and snacks and coffee will be provided.

The workshop is free and provides great training in Problem Based Learning and all TAs, involved in a PBL course are encouraged to participate. In this workshop you will learn how and gain experience working with PBL.

If interested please contact The LFS Learning Centre through cyprien.lomas@ubc.ca. The session runs all day for three days and participants are required to commit to attending all days. AT the end of the workshop you will receive a certificate.