Dear UTFA Colleagues,
We are writing to make sure you are accessing 2 of the key entitlements UTFA negotiated on your behalf in the COVID Letter of Understanding (the “COVID LOU”).
Course Credit/Workload Relief (see 3.5 of the LOU)
As a minimum standard, and if you have not already received at least a half course of workload relief for 2020-2021, “Any faculty member who was assigned and taught:
(a) six or more unique half course equivalents [in the 2020-2021 academic year], in each case requiring the development of a new online or dual delivery/hy-flex, [‘dual delivery/hy-flex’ here refers to the activity of presenting course material concurrently in two different modes], or,
(b) an aggregate enrolment of 1000 or more students in the 2020-21 academic year,
shall receive or shall have received, a one half-course release, or credit to be taken within the next three academic years.”
[Emphasis added. Enrolment should be prorated among faculty who co-teach a course. Y or full year courses should count as double the enrolment of H or half courses. Note that overload teaching does not count in either (a) or (b) above.]
Speak to your Chair or unit head if you think you are entitled to course credit but have not yet received at least a half course of workload relief. You may also seek help from UTFA via advice@utfa.org .
CERF Reimbursements
UTFA members are eligible to claim up to $750 in expenses related to the shift to remote teaching or professional practice.
- Log onto the My Research website to see these funds as a separate line item. My Research > My research on line > Accounts
- Eligible expenses must have been incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 and filing for reimbursement must be submitted by March 31, 2022.
- Any unspent balance in your CERF account will not be carried over and will not be available to you.
- If you have already been reimbursed for eligible expenses from your PERA/UTFA funds, you can have the amount of the reimbursement charged to the CERF, i.e., the amount of any reimbursements up to a total of $750 will be credited back to your PERA/UTFA balance, which does carry over.
Finally, UTFA will soon be conducting a COVID LOU Survey. We encourage your participation so that we will be better able to advocate on your behalf.
Sincerely,
Terezia Zorić
UTFA President
Jun Nogami
UTFA Vice-President, Salary, Benefits, Pensions, and Workload