Welcome to February! The shortest month is upon us, and as the days start to get longer and we get the odd reprieve from the worst of the winter weather, we can feel the promise of spring’s renewal coming right around the corner. This winter has been a busy one for ASPA, and as always, this work could not be done without the challenging work for the ASPA Executive Team and the ASPA Staff.
Thank you to our Vice Presidents Alexis Dahl and Candice Pete Cardoso for their continued challenging work and the expertise they bring to the APSA table, as well as to the Executive members and the ASPA committee members for their collective exemplary work this year. As well, thank you to the backbone of our office, ASPA’s Member Services’ Officer Shayne Meggs and our Financial and Administrative Assistant Angeline Hainstock. We are grateful for the work you do.
Holiday greetings to all ASPA members! My name is Rob Procyk, and I am the new president of ASPA. I joined the ASPA Executive as a vice-president in May 2025, and I assumed the role of president in November after our former president, Adi Manek, stepped down from the role after obtaining a new position at the university. I would like to personally thank Adi for his exemplary work ethic and enthusiasm as president.
His strength, wisdom, and innate kindness are the hallmarks of a great president, and we wish him the best in his new position. Luckily, Adi will remain as a member of the ASPA Executive, and I look forward to continuing working with him this year!
Hello my fellow ASPA members! Greetings to all of you in this beautiful month of September. My name is Adi (Aditya) Manek your president for 2025-2026. For all the new ASPA members, in 2023-2024, I was one of the two Vice-Presidents in my very first year on the ASPA executive and President for 2024-2025. I am a firm believer of open communication and encourage all of you to talk to me or the ASPA office if you are curious about your rights in the workplace or want to discuss any ideas that can help ASPA include positive and meaningful changes in our working conditions.
Hello my fellow ASPA members! Greetings to all of you. My name is Adi (Aditya) Manek and the ASPA executive at the May 2025 executive meeting selected me to continue serving as your President for 2025-2026. For 2023-2024, I was one of the two Vice-Presidents in my very first year on the ASPA executive and President for 2024-2025. Over the last two years, I was able to dive into the responsibilities of the ASPA leadership, make some meaningful connections with the university leadership, get involved with several committees that work towards the benefit of our ASPA members, and seek a lot of relevant training making it easier for me to continue in this leadership role. I am a firm believer of open communication and encourage all of you to talk to me or the ASPA office if you are curious about your rights in the workplace or want to discuss any ideas that can help ASPA include positive and meaningful changes in our working conditions. I also want to give a shout out to our ASPA staff members, Angeline (welcome back from maternity leave!) and Emily (term ended on April 30, 2025-thank you!) who do all the heavy lifting in our office. Your efforts are invaluable and always appreciated.
Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well and gearing up for the spring of 2025 and warmer weather.
I’d like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance and guidance I continually receive from past ASPA leaders and former Executive members. Recognition is also due to our current Vice Presidents, Philip Hitchings, and Dawn Giesbrecht, who are providing impartial insights that aid us in steering ASPA in the right direction. Furthermore, I want to recognize the Executive members for their contributions in devising various initiatives to enhance the membership experience. Our union is fortunate to have an exceptional contingent of ASPA members who volunteered their time for various committees. I encourage all ASPA members who can find some time to volunteer for ASPA committees and consider running for future leadership roles.
Hello everyone! I hope you are doing good and gearing up for the upcoming holiday season. Seems like the year just zoomed by and we are already in the most joyful month of the year.
I’d like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance and guidance I continually receive from past ASPA leaders and former executive members. Recognition is also due to our current Vice Presidents, Philip Hitchings, and Dawn Giesbrecht, who are providing impartial insights that aid us in steering ASPA in the right direction. Furthermore, I want to recognize the executive members for their contributions in devising various initiatives to enhance the membership experience. Our association is fortunate to have an exceptional contingent of ASPA members who volunteered their time for various committees. I encourage all ASPA members who can find some time to volunteer for ASPA committees and consider running for future leadership roles.
Hello everyone! I hope you had an opportunity to enjoy summer and were able to take some time for leisure and connecting with near and dear ones.
I’d also like to acknowledge the invaluable assistance and guidance I continually receive from past ASPA leaders. Recognition is also due to our current Vice Presidents, Philip Hitchings, and Dawn Giesbrecht, who are providing impartial insights that aid us in steering ASPA in the right direction. Furthermore, I want to recognize the executive members for their contributions in devising various initiatives to enhance the membership experience. Our association is fortunate to have an exceptional contingent of ASPA members who volunteered their time for various committees. I encourage all ASPA members who can find some time to volunteer for ASPA committees and consider running for future leadership roles.
I would also like to mention that our ASPA staff members – Glenn Billingsley and Emily Hinatsu – have been doing an incredible job over the last several months and without their invaluable support, we would not run like a well-oiled machine.
Finally, I would also like to thank Ken Glover for his work continually providing IT support to ASPA.
Hello my fellow ASPA members! Summer greetings to all of you. My name is Adi (Aditya) Manek and the ASPA executive at the May 2024 executive meeting selected me to take on the role of your president for 2024-2025. I am humbled to be able to serve you as your leader. For 2023-2024, I was one of the two Vice-Presidents in my very first year on the ASPA executive. I was able to dive into the responsibilities of the ASPA leadership, make some meaningful connections with the university leadership, and get involved with several committees that work towards the benefit of our ASPA members. I am excited to share that your current Vice-Presidents are Philip Hitchings and Dawn Giesbrecht. We make an amazing team, and I am grateful to have their guidance, and support in the upcoming year. I also would like to thank our former President Paul Jacob for his services as president for 2023-2024. I am a firm believer of open communication and encourage all of you to talk to me or the ASPA office if you are curious about your rights in the workplace or want to discuss any ideas that can help ASPA include positive and meaningful changes in our working conditions. I also want to give a shout out to our ASPA staff Glenn, Angeline (who is currently on maternity leave) and Emily (who is filling in for Angeline) who do all the heavy lifting in our office. Your efforts are appreciated, and I look forward to working with you this year.
The new ASPA executive held a retreat at the wonderful Wanuskewin Heritage Centre on June 14th where we had a meaningful conversation on what all we achieved last year, and we discussed goals for the upcoming year. Some of the key highlights of our discussion revolved around education opportunities for ASPA members and the ASPA staff, planning strategies for the next round of bargaining, and focusing on how we can serve the ASPA membership more effectively. Professional development is crucial for enhancing our skills and awareness. The education committee is working hard to pass on any training opportunities your way. We will keep you periodically informed as opportunities arise.
I would also like to give a shout out to all our ASPA members who are working from our satellite locations in Prince Albert, and Regina. Your involvement is equally important and always appreciated. I look forward to interacting with you in person this year as well.
Finally, I would like to thank the 23 ASPA members who put their name forward for the 6 open positions to join the ASPA executive this year. In the history of ASPA, this is the highest number of nominations we have ever received, and it speaks for the increasing engagement of our super talented members. Additionally, we witnessed an increased number of people who voted for these candidates. For those of you who could not make it in the top 6, please consider putting your name again for the next year. Also, if you are interested in joining any of the ASPA committees as a volunteer, please contact myself (aditya@aspasask.ca) or the ASPA office (aspa@aspasask.ca). We are always looking forward to hearing from you.
Here’s wishing you and your near and dear ones a wonderful summertime. Hopefully, you get to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones for whatever period over the next few months.
The ASPA president and two vice presidents and our admin assistant visited the PA campus on November 20, 2023. Currently, there are seventeen (17) members at the PA campus and twelve (12) of the ASPA members working on PA campus attended our lunch and learn gathering. ASPA members from PA campus appreciated our visit. They also had many questions to leadership regarding issues such as benefits, leave, salary revision/reviews, vacation accumulation, and hosting events/socials in PA. Thanks to Bonnie Kraska, Operations Manager, from PA campus for coordinating this event.
As we anticipate the upcoming academic year, I trust that everyone has been enjoying a summer filled with chances for leisure and reconnecting with others. As I take on the role of ASPA President for the 2023-2024 term, I want to extend my genuine gratitude to our outgoing President, LaVina Watts. Her outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment to enhancing the ASPA reputation and elevating the standing of all members have been truly commendable. LaVina is consistently supporting me, whether it was addressing minor operational queries or tackling significant questions about the interpretation of articles in our collective bargaining agreement.
