What is the definition of "Immediate Family"?

Numerous members have inquired about whether or not a specific family member would be considered, for the purposes of the Tuition Reimbursement Fund (TRF), an immediate family member, and therefore be eligible to apply to the TRF. The TRF Terms of Reference, define an immediate family member as either a spouse or a child of an active ASPA member. This is further defined:

Spouse: Legal or common-law spouse, provided the common-law spouse is publicly represented as the member's spouse and that they have cohabited for one year or more.

Child: Includes natural or adopted children, stepchildren, and legal ward.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently reported that Canada will weather the global economic storm better than many industrialized countries. This is a positive indication for ASPA members and the campus community because the University of Saskatchewan uses IMF economic projections for University planning purposes. Vice-President Richard Florizone referred to the IMF as his source of economic projections in the recent Town Hall meeting.

View the video of VP Florizone at the Town Hall.

To read more about these IMF projections, see the full story on the CBC website.

Implementation of our new Collective Agreement, ratified in December by the members of ASPA and the Board of Governors, continues.

The effective "date of signing" for the agreement is being taken to be December 12, 2008. Articles of the new agreement that refer to the date of signing take effect as of that date.

Payment to members of financial provisions of the agreement are dependent on the date of signing, have already begun and include the following:

• The signing bonus for active employees has already been paid at the end of January;

• Adjustments to pay rates of individual members to reflect the 4% general salary increase and the 2% incremental increase, where applicable, followed at the end of February;

Nominations for positions on the 2009-10 Executive are now open. This year, the positions available for election include: Member-at- Large (2 vacancies), Executive Officer (1 vacancy) and President- Elect. The Nominations Committee, consisting of David Bocking, Patrick Dice and Laura Zink, are actively seeking nominations of candidates for these positions. Elections to fill these positions will be held in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting, to be held April 23, 2009.

The opportunity to serve fellow members of ASPA is very rewarding, especially when working as a member of the Executive team. Please give serious thought to becoming a candidate, and do not hesitate to contact any member of the Nominations Committee or the Executive if you have any questions.

The Winter 2009 edition of ASPAragus has been released. Paper copies have also been sent to all ASPA members.

What is the Tuition Reimbursement Fund?

The Tuition Reimbursement Fund (TRF) was established to provide financial relief for a portion of the assessed U of S tuition fees for qualified students who are immediate family members of ASPA members.

How much is available?

The source of the funding for the TRF is unexpended APDA balances and as such will vary from year to year. The available funds are distributed among all eligible applicants to a maximum of full tuition.

Who is eligible?

As per the memorandum of agreement establishing the Development Investment Grant (DIG), the next deadline to apply for the March allocation is February 28, 2010.

The DIG seeks to promote member development by providing an opportunity for ASPA members to enhance their knowledge, and engage in career progression at the University in a collaborative manner with their respective managers.

The Professional Development Plan activity funding requirement will be reduced by the member's available APDA fund balance. Remaining funding request will be a matching of funds from the DIG and the member's department/unit, up to a maximum contribution of $600 from the DIG fund per allocation period.

During the recent round of collective bargaining, the University and ASPA filed Unfair Labour Practice applications with the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board. Recently, the University approached ASPA with a proposal that the parties agree to mutually withdraw those applications.

ASPA has agreed with the University's proposal, in keeping with the Preamble to our Collective Agreement:

The University's Positive Space Program recently announced new online training opportunities for individuals who are interested in becoming Program members, but would prefer to complete the required training at their desk as opposed to attending an in-person session.

The Positive Space Program is a campus wide initiative for employees and students that is run by the Provost's Advisory Committee on Sexual and Gender Diversity, the USSU Pride Centre and Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Services. The Program reflects the University's commitment to welcome and include all members of the University community, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and create a campus community that is free of discrimination.

On Friday, the Provincial Government opened the New Year with an upbeat look at the province's economic prospects for the year 2009. To read the complete article, see:

http://www.gov.sk.ca/news?newsId=7e6a5bd3-3fcb-49e6-8b50-eda1aa1942ce

Premier Brad Wall said 2008 has been a remarkable year for Saskatchewan's economy. Furthermore, because of actions taken this year, our province is well-positioned to continue strong and steady growth in 2009 and beyond.