Awards
CAUT DEDICATED SERVICE AWARD
(Photo: J. Longley)
Dedicated Service Awards To Janice Best and Erin Patterson
Each year the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), on recommendation of local faculty associations, gives a Dedicated Service Award to one or more members who have made important contributions to the association and its work. This year Awards were given to AUFA members Janice Best and Erin Patterson. They received certificates at the general meeting on January 18.
Janice Best came to Acadia in 1984. She is a specialist in French literature, and was recruited into the French Department which was later enlarged to be the Department of Languages and Literatures.
Her contributions to AUFA, to AUFA-Management Committees and to CAUT have been, and continue to be, outstanding both quantitatively and qualitatively.
The breadth and scope of Janice’s contributions throughout her career include:
a. Grievance work (as a member of the AUFA Grievance Committee (1990-1993) and as Grievance Officer on the AUFA Executive (1997 – 2000);
b. Negotiations work as a member of the AUFA Negotiating Team in 2002-03 (part-timers), 2003 (full-timers) in 2006-07, and 2009-10;
c. AUFA-Management committee work as a member of the Joint Committee to Administer the Collective Agreement (2007-08) and the co-chair of the Acadia Employment Equity Committee (2009-10);
d. AUFA Executive work as Vice President (2002-03 and 2006-08), President (2003-04 and 2009-10), and Past President (2004-05 and 2010-11);
e. CAUT committee work as the Chair of the CAUT Equity Committee (2005-07) and member-at large on the CAUT Executive (2005-07).
But what really stands out is the quality of Janice’s commitment to a truly level playing field in academia. Her deep commitment both to equity and to diversity has solidified our national reputation in equity-building and has provided a strong basis for leadership in diversity issues. Acadia, AUFA and CAUT are each stronger because of her focused effort and achievements.
Erin Patterson in an academic librarian who came to Acadia in 2001 to work in Vaughn Library. She has a strong interest in issues of intellectual property, and joined AUFA’s Patents and Copyrights committee. Over the next 10 years, Erin served the Association on a wide variety of committees including Working Conditions, Legal and Technical, Proposal Review Committee, Women’s Committee, Media Committee, and Communicator Committee. She is currently a member of the Joint Committee to Administer the 13th Collective Agreement.
Erin was AUFA President in 2008-2009, at a particularly challenging time in the Association’s history. A human rights case involving dismissal for cause led to a threat from CAUT to censure Acadia’s Board of Governors and Administration. Erin handled this an other matters that arose during her presidency with skill and diplomacy.
She served on two successive negotiating teams in 2006, for the 12th Collective Agreement, and in 2010 for the 13th. She was a valuable member of both teams, serving the vital function of minute and record keeper. In addition to other duties on the team, she was the designated negotiator for matters concerning librarians. She helped AUFA make substantial gains for librarians, and in the 2010 negotiations she led the successful attempt to bring the archivists into AUFA.
Erin has served on CAUT Council, and in 2010 was elected to CAUT’s Librarians’ Committee.
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The Award Committee is made up of previous winners. In 2010 it was composed of Jim Sacouman and Pat O’Neill. In the coming year they will be joined by Erin and Janice.
Last updated on: Mon, Apr 11 2011