ARTICLE 36 RELEASE TIME - UMFA OFFICERS

36.1 The parties acknowledge the right of the Association to secure release time for academic staff Members in order to serve in office in the Association in accordance with the following provisions.

36.2 Service in the Association, whether in an office for which release time is provided, or through service in other Association positions, is deemed by the parties to be service to the University community.

36.3 Individuals who are taking an office in the Association shall discuss potential arrangements with their department head and/or dean/director. Release time shall normally be applied to a reduction in teaching duties, or to related duties in the case of non-teaching Members or Members in special circumstances. The Dean’s approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

36.4 For the purposes of calculating release time, the total effort attributed to a Member’s duties shall be deemed to be fifteen (15) units. Units shall normally be attributed to teaching, research and service in accordance with the weightings in effect for promotion in the Member’s faculty/school at the time the request for release time is made (e.g. where weightings are 40% teaching, 40% research and 20% service, units attributed shall be 6, 6, and 3 respectively). Unit value shall be calculated as follows:

Unit value = Salary 15

Where: Salary is the average salary of UMFA Members as at April 1 of the year in which the term of office is to begin, rounded to the nearest thousand dollars.

36.5 Release time provided shall be without any loss of salary or benefits.

36.6 Normally, the units assigned to officers shall be:

President 6 units

Vice-President	1 unit
Grievance Officer	4 units
Contract Administrator	4 units
Chief Negotiator	2.5 units
Bargaining Team members	2.0 units

36.7 The Association may from time to time alter the units of release assigned to officers, or to secure the release of other officers, provided that the dean/director of any Member whose release time is to be increased is in agreement. The dean/director’s agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld.

36.8 Additional units of release time for other Members may be requested by the Association. Approval of the dean/director of duties from which the Member is to be released shall not be unreasonably denied. Compensation for such additional units of release time shall be calculated in accordance with paragraph 4.

36.9 The Association shall inform the University of the names of the officers for whom release time shall be granted, and the units of release in each case, not later than ten (10) working days following election or following the establishment of the nature of the release, on terms acceptable to the dean/director and the Member, whichever is later.

36.10 The Association shall provide payment at the same time as the notice cited in paragraph 9.

Questions or Comments? Contact Josie Lubega at (204) 474-8288