The Council of Representatives provides two-way communication between the FAUW Board of Directors and FAUW members in each academic unit at Waterloo.
Your council member is a key point of contact between you and the board, which formally sets direction and policy positions for the Association. Council members let FAUW know about emerging issues, and keep you informed about what's going on within FAUW.
FAUW requests input on key issues throughout the year, and provides regular updates through Council meetings, notes, and monthly slides to share with you!
You can approach your Representative about any concerns you think should be brought to FAUW's attention. They can also direct you to FAUW resources when you have questions or need support.
How council members are selected
Each department/school selects its representative "in a manner acceptable to the members of the department or school," as per the FAUW Constitution. Some units elect their representative, some have an informal discussion, and others let their chair appoint someone.
We email each chair/director every September and ask who the representative will be for that academic year. What happens next is up to the department. If we haven't heard back by September 30, the FAUW Board of Directors can appoint a pro tem (temporary) member for that department or school until the unit selects its own appointee.
Representatives serve one-year terms, but there are no term limits and many reps stay on for a few years in a row. Council members (except those from the SJU-ASA, RAAS, and LAAUW) must be active FAUW members.
What council members do
Council members:
- Attend two joint meetings of the Council and Board per year (in the fall and winter terms).
- Attend the FAUW general meetings (December and April).
- Keep constituents informed about what's going on with FAUW, at department meetings or otherwise.
- Let FAUW know about relevant concerns or developments within units, including bringing anonymous feedback from constituents to the FAUW board or staff.
- Promote the benefits of membership in FAUW to faculty members.
- Recommend suitable colleagues for committee appointments.