January 2022 - BCIA MONTHLY UPDATE | BC Institute of Agrologists

Celebrating 75 Years in 2022!

BCIA Monthly Update of News, Activities, and Important Announcements for January 2022

Note: 2021 PD Reports must be filed by January 15, 2022; registration renewal fees are payable by February 15, 2022. More details below.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Regional Electoral Councillors Nominations
Agrologist of the Year 2021 Nominations
Mentor of the Year 2021 Nominations
BCIA Ethics for Professionals Courses
Village Indigenous AwarenessTraining Courses
2021 BCIA Scholarship Recipients
Errors & Omissions and Commercial General Liability Insurance
Council Approved 2022 Budget

REMINDERS

January 15th Deadline to File 2021 PD Report
2022 Registration Fee Invoices
Professional Development Guidelines
Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training Requirement
2022 BCIA Conference in Penticton
BCIA Virtual AGM

UPCOMING BRANCH AGMS AND EVENTS

Fraser Valley Branch AGM, January 25th
Vancouver Branch AGM, Date TBD
Okanagan Branch AGM, February 10th

RESERVED PRACTICE INFORMATION

PD EVENTS/CONFERENCES BY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS

EMPLOYMENT POSTINGS

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Announcements:

Upcoming Registrant Councillor Nominations: Regional Electoral Districts 1, 2 & 3

BCIA will be issuing a call for nominations in early January, for one (1) Registrant Councillor for each of the three districts. Nominations will be accepted from Monday, January 10, 2022 to Friday, January 28, 2022 at 11:59 pm Pacific time. Watch for an additional email notice to arrive very soon that will contain full details and outlines the nomination process.

Agrologist of the Year 2021 Nominations

Do you know an outstanding Agrologist? The Agrologist of the Year award is to recognize and pay tribute to an agrologist who has made a significant contribution to British Columbian agriculture, natural resource and environmental science. If you know of an agrology professional who deserves recognition for their achievements in agrology, please read the nomination criteria posted on the BCIA website. Please submit nominations to nominations@email.bcia.com by March 1, 2022.

Mentor of the Year 2021 Nominations

Calling all articling Registrants and newly minted PAgs and TAgs! Please consider nominating your mentor for Mentor of the Year 2021 award. The award may be presented to an active Professional Agrologist (PAg) or Technical Agrologist (TAg) who epitomizes the values and leadership of a mentor. Unfortunately, there were no nominations received last year. Read the nomination criteria posted on the BCIA website. BCIA would like to see an award presented every year to an eligible Registrant, so please submit nominations to nominations@email.bcia.com by March 1, 2022.

BCIA Ethics Courses - Online

For new Registrants who have yet to take the online BCIA Ethics for Professionals course, space is available in the January course beginning on January 14th (consider first - plenty of room). Alternately, register for the next course scheduled to start on February 14th. This 8 hour course includes a 2.5 hour Zoom discussion of case studies following the online modules and fulfills the ethics requirement for articling and new Registrants.

The next Ethics Refresher is scheduled to start on January 17th. This online 4-5 hour self-directed course is intended to be a refresher of the BCIA Ethics for Professionals course, for those who have completed the workshop three or more years ago. There is added information relating to the PGA and includes the Duty to Report.

Village Indigenous Awareness Training Courses - Online

As of January 1, 2021, all registrants are required to complete an Indigenous foundational knowledge course by December 31, 2022 (see the list of courses approved by BCIA). BCIA will retroactively accept courses containing the required content taken since January 1, 2019, to meet the requirement. Follow the link for instructions on how to DECLARE Indigenous training PD. (do not claim under Continuing Education)

The next available 2 part courses that BCIA is offering are:

Village workshop Indigenous Training - begins January 17th (consider registering first - plenty of room)

Village workshop Indigenous Training - begins February 14th

*Articling Registrants whose acceptance dates are January 1, 2021 and later will complete the foundational Indigenous Awareness training as part of their Articling Program.

Congratulations to the 2021 BCIA Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to Elizabeth Houghton and Madeline Stuart as the 2021 BCIA Scholarships recipients! Each scholarship recipient is awarded $1500. Thank you to the scholarship review committee for their work evaluating the applications.

Elizabeth Houghton, a BCIA student member, was awarded the BCIA graduate scholarship.

Madeline Stuart, a BCIA student member, was awarded the BCIA undergraduate scholarship.

Errors & Omissions and Commercial General Liability Insurance

The BC Institute of Agrologists is pleased to announce the renewal offerings for Errors & Omissions (E&O) and Commercial General Liability (CGL) policies for Registrants, from Hub International Insurance. BCIA has secured renewal offerings for the next three years, from May 1, 2022 to May 1, 2025, at the same premiums as Registrants have paid for the last three years (May 1, 2019, to May 1, 2022). Read More. For questions or purchase or change your coverage, contact: Jordan Fellner, Account Manager, Hub International Insurance, Toll-Free: 1-800-606-9969, or in Vancouver: (604) 899-3939.

Council Approved Budget 2022

The Council approved budget for 2022 is located HERE for your review (log-in).

Reminders:

Submit your 2021 PD Report - by January 15th (NEW)

Council approved a late PD filing fee for Registrants as per Bylaw 97(c) and Schedule C . Effective for 2022 renewals, this $75.00 fee may be enforced and applied if the 2021 PD Report is not received by January 15, 2022. Retirees and students are exempt from PD reporting.

This new January 15th deadline to submit a PD Report allows for increased accountability of one's professional development with a more appropriate time frame for claiming the previous year's PD entries and area(s) of practice.

2022 Registration Fee Renewals - payable by February 15th

All Registrants should now have received an email or mailed notice regarding their BCIA 2022 Registration Fee Invoice. Please log into your BCIA profile to view your 2022 FEES Invoice. Kindly ensure your 2021 PD hours and declared Area(s) of Practice are entered ASAP and by the due date of January 15, 2022 The annual fee is payable by February 15, 2022. Full details and Annual Fees FAQs.

There is a 'Declarations' form and the annual demographic survey to complete prior to making payment, if not already done.

PAg(Ret) and Student members are only required to submit a status declaration (a link found in a red warning box within the invoice) in order to complete the renewal process.

PD Reporting and Enforcement of Compliance Document

The BCIA Council approved document, Enforcement of Compliance with Professional Development Requirements, outlines the enforcement process if a Registrant is found not to be in compliance with professional development requirements.

Regulated Registrants are reminded to file their 2021 PD Report under 'PD Reports' in the individual's BCIA profile, and by the PD filing deadline of January 15, 2022.

Do NOT wait until the registration fee deadline of February 15, 2022 to make claims and payment, as staff may be limited in their abilities to guide you through the process due to a high volume of phone calls and emails.

Regular PD reporting is encouraged, as it allows better tracking and maintenance of your PDH. If you are uncertain about how to report your PD, please review frequently asked questions (FAQs) under "Registrants".

The BCIA Professional Development Guidelines are also an excellent resource for BCIA's PD requirements and best practices on how to report your PD.

Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training Requirement

Programs to encourage reconciliation with Indigenous people are mandatory under the Professional Governance Act. View the requirement and how to declare View the requirement and how to declare. BCIA offers foundational Indigenous training throughout 2022 - check the events page for upcoming Village courses.

The foundational Indigenous cultural awareness course must be completed and declared in a professional development report by December 31, 2022. Otherwise, BCIA will remove the Registrant from the Register, and they will be unable to practice agrology in British Columbia. Articling Registrants with an acceptance date of January 1, 2021 or later must complete a foundational knowledge course on Indigenous cultural awareness as part of their Articling Program to graduate.

Registrants who currently work in a position specifically with Indigenous peoples or training, i.e. Agrologist in Indigenous Relations, may be granted exemptions. Contact the Provincial Professional Development Coordinator to verify if your work qualifies you for an exemption.

The 2022 BCIA Conference will be May 4th to May 7th, 2022 at the Lakeside Resort and Conference Centre in Penticton in partnership with ASTTBC. Stay tuned for further details and registration.

The 2022 Virtual Provincial AGM will be held on Wednesday, June 1st at 1:00pm (PST).

Articling Program Registrants who have not submitted their signed mentoring agreements in the two months after the notice of acceptance into BCIA will have their articling term held in abeyance (put on hold) until the mentoring agreement is received. This action will extend the articling term to however long the signed mentoring agreement is outstanding.

Upcoming Branch AGMs and PD Events

There are three branches holding branch AGMs in January and February. BCIA strongly urges registrants to participate in their branch executive. Serving on a branch executive provides registrants with opportunities to network, to learn how to conduct meetings, to plan and organize PD events and to earn PD hours. Please consider volunteering or nominating a fellow agrologist for branch executive position and/or an award.

Be sure to register online for any of the following virtual branch AGMs. Attending a branch AGM = 2 PD hours.

Fraser Valley Branch Virtual AGM, January 25th
Vancouver Branch AGM, Date TBD
Okanagan Branch Virtual AGM, February 10th

Take note: five branches (CCI, Kamloops, Kootenay, PR, Vic & Is) that held AGMs in the fall have new executives and listings may be viewed at https://www.bcia.com/branches 

Important Reserved Practice Information

For Registrants to be aware of:

There are four protected BCIA designations (AAg, PAg, ATAg and TAg) that allow one to continue to be employed under the new Reserved Practice legislation granted to BCIA recently, with enforcement mechanisms in place by September 2022. Reserved Practice means that only registered agrologists have the right to provide agrology services in British Columbia, as of September 1, 2022.

It is highly recommended that Registrants inform their co-workers of their obligations to be registered, if in the practice of agrology. Just as important is for Registrants to apprise their employers of the impending deadline as there will be increased pressures to ensure their employees are registered, if in the practice of agrology.

For further information relating to the Professional Governance Act, Regulated Practice, and Reserved Practice, please visit the BCIA website at www.bcia.com.  The Office of the Superintendant of Professional Governance (OSPG) website is a valuable resource to reference as well.

Informative illustrated materials on this topic are in development for Registrants, external stakeholders and the public. Don't hesitate to contact JP Ellson, CEO/Registrar and Legal Consul, with any questions or concerns in the interim at jp.ellson@bcia.com.

PD Events/Conferences by Different Organizations

Nutrient Management Webinar Series - January 24, January 31 and February 7
Western Canadian Dairy Seminar - March 8 -11

Employment Postings

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Announcements:

Reminders:

Upcoming Branch AGMs and PD Events

Important Reserved Practice Information

PD Events/Conferences by Different Organizations

Employment Postings

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Announcements:

Reminders:

Upcoming Branch AGMs and PD Events

Important Reserved Practice Information

PD Events/Conferences by Different Organizations

Employment Postings

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