INNOVATION March-April 2016

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passed: That Council consider the inclusion of territorial acknowledgement in all meetings. In December 2015, Executive Committee discussed the motion and reviewed a report from staff outlining the practices of other professional associations regarding territorial acknowledgment. Considering this information and advice received from the Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Executive Committee recommended to Council that territorial acknowledgment be included in large public meetings and events. Council approved the recommendation. Staff will contact local BC friendship centres to develop appropriate scripts and procedures to support territorial acknowledgement at these events. AGM Special Guest Policy Changes APEGBC has a Council-approved policy for special guest attendance at the APEGBC annual conference and AGM, that specifies the number of complimentary event tickets offered and expenses covered for all special guests. The Division of Engineers and Geoscientists in the Resource Sector (DEGIRS) requested amendments to the policy to allow divisions greater opportunity to interact with members, Council members, and staff at APEGBC annual conferences and AGMs. To ensure the process is fair, fiscally prudent and consistent, Council appointed a working group to review the policy. The working group reviewed each volunteer group category and discussed their participation at the AGM. Generally, the working group felt that the subsidies provided to most volunteer and guest groups were appropriate. Two groups discussed in further detail were divisions and branches. After consideration, the working group recommended that no change be made to the package offered to divisions, and that the package offered to branch representatives be made consistent with what is offered to the divisions, revising the policy to invite one representative from each branch to attend the Fall Branch Representatives Meeting, rather than two. Council approved the amendment. Refugees without Traditional Documentation At Registration Committee’s recommendation, Council approved a policy to create provisions for refugees, displaced persons and persons in refugee-like situations who are unable to

Council meeting, will review and confirm fees for future exam sessions. 2014–2017 Strategic Plan Update Council received information on progress towards achieving the goals indicated in the 2014–2017 Strategic Plan and reviewed the targets for Year 2 of the plan. Member Engagement with Council Meetings At the 2015 AGM, the following motion was passed: That Council consider increasing its transparency and accountability to members, whereby all members may access the Association’s website, in an easy and timely way, in order to view all agendas and supporting materials of Council meetings that are deemed ‘open.’ Currently, materials for Open Council Meetings are provided to members and the public upon request, and many APEGBC documents, including Key Performance Indicator (KPI) status, Council Governance Policies, and approved minutes of Open Council meetings, are posted on the association’s website. This includes the dates for all scheduled Council meetings. In order to facilitate member participation, Council approved a motion to publish its Open Agenda and supporting materials on the APEGBC website no fewer than five days prior to each Council meeting. Publication of Staff Salary Policy At the 2015 AGM, the following motion was passed: That Council consider publishing in the financial reports the total compensation (the sum of salaries and benefits) for all staff who receive over $100,000 per annum, as well as their reimbursed expenses. Council discussed this matter in depth. It recognised that members seek confirmation that APEGBC salaries are reasonable and that appropriate oversight is exercised in setting salaries. Council recognized that publishing staff salaries is not a practice followed by other regulatory bodies in BC or nationally, but wished to meet the intent of the motion without compromising staff privacy. Council therefore directed that the staff compensation policy as well as the processes followed for administration, compliance and oversight be published on the APEGBC website. The information can be found at www.apeg.bc.ca/About-Us/Governance/ Responsible-Financial-Management. First Nations Territorial Acknowledgement At the 2015 AGM, the following motion was

APEGBC’s Council of elected members and government representatives meets throughout the year to conduct the business of association governance.

FEBRUARY 12, 2016 Reduced Wait Time under Looking-to-Exempt Policy APEGBC’s Looking-to-Exempt Policy provides a means to recognise the academic qualifications of applicants with non-accredited engineering degrees who are able to demonstrate they have appropriate engineering or geoscience experience. Previously, applicants who met the defined level of academic qualification, demonstrated low-risk reference profiles, and had at least five years of experience in Canada or the US were brought directly to the Registration Committee for approval. However, they may have had to wait up to eight weeks between committee meetings for their registration to be approved. At the committee’s recommendation, Council approved changes to the Looking-to- Exempt policy that will see these applicants added to the list of ‘non-contentious’ items approved by the Director, Registration, or Associate Director, Engineering Admissions. The changes also take into account experience acquired outside of Canada or the US under this policy, if the required Canadian Environment competencies for registration have been demonstrated and vouched for by appropriate references. Professional Practice Examination Fee Set at $310 To achieve licensure, candidates for professional engineering and geoscience registration in BC must write and pass the Professional Practice Examination. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) provides the exam. In October 2015, APEGA converted to a computer-based exam from a paper-based exam. Increased charges of $55 for the multiple-choice section and $25 for the essay, which was previously handwritten, resulted. Currently, APEGBC charges exam candidates $230 to sit the exam. Council approved an increase to $310 for the June 2016 Professional Practice Examination session and, at the April 2016

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