Mount Royal Faculty Association
Championing collective excellence.
Faculty Resources
General resources for faculty are aggregated, stored or linked here for faculty members’ reference. Resources are compiled from a variety of sources (MRU, CAUT, MRFA Committees etc.). If you think something should be included here, please send it to office@mrfa.net.
- 2020-08-28 – Advisory – Impact of COVID on Faculty Work
- 2020-10-07 – MRFA COVID Advisory
- 2020-12-07 – Medical Leaves, Return to Work Meetings and Accommodations
- 2021-01-18 – Grievances
- 2021-02-01 – Ergonomics and WCB Claims in the Home Office Environment
- 2021-02-19 – COVID-19 And Mental Health and Wellness
- 2021-05-13 – Covid-19 Return to Campus Fall 2021
- 2021-09-19 – MRFA Advisory on Resuming In-person Teaching on September 20
MRFA Presentations:
- Contract Faculty:
- Full Time Faculty:
- Full-time Faculty Orientation Slides
- Fall 2023 Tenure and Promotion Committee Workshop (workshop for all Committee Members)
- Fall 2022 Tenure & Promotion Workshop for Chairs (session with specific information for Chairs – not currently planned for Fall 2023)
- Grievances Process
- Workload Appeal Presentation
Links to further information
Faculty Funding Opportunities
- Service Honorarium (Contract Faculty)
- Student Scholarships
- Taking Courses at MRU
- Tuition Refunds
- PD Allocations
- FDC Funding
MRU Community Resources
Chair Advisories during Covid Pandemic:
- Chairs Advisory Introduction
- Covid 19 MoUs
- PD Funds during the Pandemic
- Workload during the Pandemic
- Return to Campus Fall 2021
Other Faculty Resources are available here.
If there is something you are looking for that isn’t here, please email office@mrfa.net.
- Payroll Transition Video (March 2022)
- Winter 2022 Contract Faculty Appointments Workshop – recorded session, related Greensheet #48, and PowerPoint slides from the session (to be posted soon)
- Fall 2020 Tenure & Promotion Committee Members Workshop
- Reappointment and Workload Allocation – Fall 2020 presentation for Contract Faculty
- Workload Appeal Presentation – January 2019
- Accommodations
- Disciplinary Processes
- Grievances
- Health and Safety
- Personal Harassment
- Contract Faculty PD Allotments
Annual Reports
- Notes from Academic Appointment Supports Committee Session on Annual Reports (Fall 2023)
- Session Slides
Winter 2023 Teaching and Learning Series
- Session – Active Learning
- Session – Developing and Using Case Studies
- Session – Alternative Approaches to Assessment
- Session – Designing for Inclusive Learning Environments
Teaching Evaluation
- Making the Most of your Peer Evaluations (Get Cracking Session Notes 2022-11-18)
- Hybrid Teaching – Best Practices (Slide deck from October 14, 2021 event)
- Managing Teaching Evaluation During Covid
- Session Notes
- FEC Chair, Renae Watchman, Presentation on Teaching Evaluation During Covid
- Faculty 180 – Annual Report Software Training Session
Remote and/or In-person Delivery
- Teaching in a Hybrid World event notes
- Three types of online interactions in Remote Teaching and Learning
- Bootstrapping an education technology podcast, by Erik Christiansen
- Fall 2020 PD Day Resources
MRU Resources
- Accommodated Exam Process Checklist for Faculty
- MRU & Community Resource List
- Summary of Student Supports on Campus (notes from PD Day Session – October 13, 2022)
- Student Advocacy Office Information Document
- Supporting Student Mental Health
- Toolkit on the Faculty MyMRU site: Mental Help Folder
- Student Counselling sessions are available for Faculty on how to respond to students in distress
- Faculty can consult with counsellors at any time to discuss ways they might respond to a student seemingly in distress
- Refer students to Student Counselling Services
- Complete an Early Support program form that initiates a check in with staff from the Office of Student Success.
- Inclusion and Accessibility:
- Students with Children
- More Links for How Faculty can Help Students:
- mruGradU8 (DegreeWorks)
- Advising
- IT Service Desk
- Blackboard support: blackboard@mtroyal.ca, 403.440.8775
- Tutorials for MRU Gmail, Blackboard, Secure WiFi and more: mru.ca/techtuts
- Other:
The MRFA is Committed to EDI
- The MRFA has a long standing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in its member approved mission statement. However, the Association will be engaging members in discussions on how this statement can best be updated and strengthened with respect to our commitment to EDI within the MRFA and in the wider MRU community moving forward.
- The MRFA will, also, be developing an Equity Diversity and Inclusion Policy early in the 2022-2023 academic year. Once drafted it will be made available for member comment here.
- To ensure that the Association’s commitment to EDI is integrated in all of the Association’s operations, the Association will be undertaking an organizational and structural review in 2022-2023 with the plan to bring forward bylaw changes in 2023 which will see the creation of an EDI council that will both reach outward to the MRU Community and be integrated in the MRFA’s standing committee structures.
MRFA Diversity And Equity Committee
The MRFA’s Diversity and Equity Committee (soon to be renamed the MRFA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee) regularly hears from and communicates with the membership on specific and important matters relating to EDI in the MRFA and the MRU community. Members are encouraged to view the committee webpage for more information about the work of this committee.
MRFA 2025 – Building an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Association
The MRFA has been developing the 2025 Plan since the 2020-2021 academic year, and the plan is to be officially launched on March 25, 2022. For more information on the development of this plan, please view the MRFA 2025 webpage.
The MRFA 2025 Working Group is in the process of developing an annual report card template which will be used to assess progress on the plan each Spring. That report card will be posted here for information and will be shared with the MRFA membership annually at the Annual General Meeting.
MRFA Census – Learning about and from our Members
The MRFA has administered an annual census since 2017. In recent years the census was modified to include self-identification questions and, in 2022, to include questions about members’ experiences of racism and discrimination on campus. The results of the census are analyzed annually to identify concerns and work toward improvements for our members.
EDI in the Collective Agreement
The current Collective Agreement is available here and members are encouraged to refer to the following articles relating to EDI:
- 22.1 Non-discrimination
- 22.2 Harassment
- 22.3 Occupational Health & Safety
- 24 Diversity & Equity
EDI at MRU
- MRU Offices, Committees, and Related Pages:
- MRU Resources:
- Students’ Association (SAMRU) Pages and Groups:
Pay Equity at MRU
- Slides from August 2022 Pay Equity Information Session
- Related Documents from 2020-2021 Academic Year:
EDI in MRU Policy
Content to be added
MRU Joint Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
MRU Taskforce on EDI
- EDI Taskforce Terms of Reference
- Taskforce Members – MRFA Appointees
- Jebunessa Chapola
- Joseph Osuji
- Paul Varella
Events & Observances
The Faculty of Science and Technology compiled a calendar to assist members of the MRU community to be culturally inclusive. This calendar is available here. Members may add this calendar to their google calendar by clicking on the “+Google Calendar” in the bottom right corner.
(from the Science and Technology Faculty Website) “”The Faculty of Science and Technology is committed to respecting the religious, cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices of all members of our community. This calendar list is a diverse collection of traditions, holidays and celebrations that may be considered when planning events, activities, and course schedules and due dates. The significant days provided here will be updated by 2021 year end to align with the University’s religious and spiritual traditions/observances/holidays.
Our list may not entirely capture representation of our community’s many diverse faiths. We welcome you to share your holy days with us and provide feedback to edifst@mtroyal.ca so that our calendar remains accurate and inclusive.”
The MRFA is a Member of the Trans Affirming Network in Calgary
The Calgary Trans Affirming Network (TAN) is a collection of local businesses who all share the value that it is essential to create spaces that are welcoming, respectful and inclusive of trans and gender diverse folks and are committed to working to provide these spaces themselves. All members commit to the implementation of certain actions to ensure inclusion and respect.
When the MRFA joined TAN in 2023, Staff and Officers attended a training session. The key takeaways and related actions of the Association is detailed in these TAN training notes from Winter 2023.
Further Information and Contact Info
Members with any concerns, questions or comments relating to EDI issues are welcome to submit these to the MRFA at edi@mrfa.net. All emails will remain confidential.
MRFA Organizational Review Session Notes (Fall 2020)
Presentation on Pronoun Use – the First International Pronouns Day
- Conceptualizing a Holistic Approach to Educational Leadership at MRU
- Surviving Service: Making Service Effective, Efficient and Enjoyable (February 21, 2018)
Fall 2022
- Covid Bulletins – MRFA Executive Board Message Regarding Return to Campus Fall 2022
- Covid Advocacy – MRFA Executive Board letter to Tim Rahilly urging enhanced safety precautions (2022-11-21)
- COVID Bulletin #1- Association Approach to COVID Fall 2022
- COVID Bulletin #2 – Masking on Campus
- COVID Bulletin #3 – Rapid Tests and Reporting
- Covid Update October 3, 2022 – CO2
Fall 2021 Faculty Resources:
- MRU Instructor Toolkit
- MRU Covid Response and Protocols
- Academic Development Centre
- Faculty FAQs: Asked and Answered
Health and Safety Links (from 2021-2022)
- RECORD OF DECISION – Alberta Public Health Order 42-2021 (2021-09-16)
- Information about Refusal of Unsafe Work
- Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act
- MRU Incident Reporting Form
- Links on Covid aerosol transmission and control measures (including info on healthy in-person teaching)
Statements on the Return to Campus
- MRFA Advisory on Resuming In-person Teaching on September 20 (2021-09-19)
- MRU Coalition Statement on Return to Campus (2021-09-09)
- MRFA Letter to the Minister of Advanced Education (2021-09-09)
- Return to Campus Information (2021-09-09 First day of classes memo to members from Lee Easton)
- MRFA Statement on the Return to Campus (August 20, 2021)
- CAFA Statements
Faculty Resources related to Teaching during the pandemic:
Managing Teaching Evaluation During Covid
- Session Notes (fall 2020)
- FEC Chair, Renae Watchman, Presentation on Teaching Evaluation During Covid
Remote and/or In-person Delivery
- Teaching in a Hybrid World event notes (Fall 2021)
- Three types of online interactions in Remote Teaching and Learning (Fall 2020)
- Bootstrapping an education technology podcast, by Erik Christiansen (Spring 2021)
- Fall 2020 PD Day Resources
General Reference and Timelines
- Tenure and Promotion Handbook
- Tenure and Promotion Forms
- Faculty Specific Tenure and Promotion Criteria
- Fall 2022 Tenure and Promotion Committee Workshop Slides
- Tenure and Promotion Timeline Google Calendar (click this link to add the tenure timelines calendar to your Google Calendar)
- Tenure Timelines
- Promotion Timelines
Dossiers and Annual Reports
- General Considerations when Applying for Promotion (Session 1 & 2)
- Event Notes and PowerPoint Slides from Session 1 – Initial Considerations when Applying for Promotion
- Event Notes and PowerPoint Slidesfrom Session 2 – Building your Promotion Dossier
- General Information on the Tenure Process and Tenure Dossiers
- Event Notes (Get Cracking Session Notes 2023-01-06)
- PowerPoint Slides
- How to Add Annual Reports and Scholarship Plans to your Tenure Dossier
- Annual Reports
Peer Evals and SPoTs
- Making the Most of your Peer Evaluations (Get Cracking Session Notes 2022-11-18)
Teaching
- Resources for teaching are available here and on the ADC Website
Scholarship
MRFA PD Scholarship Series Event Notes (2021-2022)
- What Constitutes Scholarship at MRU
- Grant Writing, An Insider Scoop on Where to Start
- Engaging Students in Research
Service
- Surviving Service: Making Service Effective, Efficient and Enjoyable (February 21, 2018)
Pandemic Impacts
- Pandemic Impacts on Tenure and Promotion (March 2023) ~ Information session hosted by Irene Shankar, Kim Williams, and Lee Easton
MRFA PD Scholarship Series Event Notes (2021-2022)
These notes are provided here for those who may have missed the opportunity to attend these sessions:
- Session 1 – What Constitutes Scholarship at MRU
- Session 2 – Grant Writing, An Insider Scoop on Where to Start
- Session 3 – Engaging Students in Research
- Session 4 – to be held on April 26 at 10:30am at the Retreat – Juggling Multiple Demands – How to Ensure you Carve out Time for Your Scholarship
Documents:
Transitioning to Retirement:
- For those who do plan on retiring in the near future, you should consider signing up to attend MRU HR’s retirement information session. You can sign up from the MRU Benefits page, click on “Planning For Personal Freedom” under the “Your LAPP” heading. Add yourself to the waiting list that is linked in the document.
- View the Resource for Transitioning to Retirement (currently being revised by the Retired Members Association)
- email office@mrfa.net to let us know you plan to retire so we can include you in our annual retirement celebration and ensure you are included in the MRU Retired Faculty Association.
External Affiliations:
- MRU Faculty Retirees’ Association – Current President: Gerry Cross (gcross@mtroyal.ca)
- College and University Retiree Associations of Canada