University of the Fraser Valley

UFV makes BC’s Top Employer list for fifth consecutive year

UFV makes BC’s Top Employer list for fifth consecutive year

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Employees at UFV get really enthusiastic about events such as Halloween. Here, the Chilliwack Student Services staff show off their prize-winning Russian doll costume ensemble.

Five-time winner has a nice ring to it. That’s a status the University of the Fraser Valley can claim this week after being named one of BC’s Top Employers for the fifth straight year.

UFV was selected because, among other reasons and criteria met, the university:

  • Provides employees, as part of their flexible health benefits plan, with a health spending allowance that can be directed to cover additional medical costs
  • supports new mothers with maternity and parental leave top-up payments and provides new fathers, and adoptive parents, with parental leave top-ups
  • helps employees plan for the longer term with retirement planning assistance, generous contributions to a defined benefit pension plan, and phased-in retirement work options for employees transitioning into life after work
  • encourages lifelong learning with tuition subsidies for courses related to an employees’ current role, subsidies for professional accreditation and a variety of in-house and online training programs.
AVP of Human Resouces Marnie Wright with President Joanne MacLean at the always popular employee welcome-back barbecue.

Marnie Wright is UFV’s Associate VP of Human Resources and is a relative newcomer to UFV, having joined the university in the spring of 2018. She’s impressed with her new workplace so far and thrilled with the fifth straight BC’s Top 100 Employer distinction.

“Receiving the BC Top Employers award is tremendous honour,” she says. “It is a reflection of our warm and engaging culture and a celebration of our incredible team of faculty and staff. We are so fortunate to have a mix of purposeful work and a fun environment that makes people want to stay at UFV.”

UFV’s longest serving employee, Dr. Alan Cameron, has been teaching at the university since its Fraser Valley College days and has been on the job for almost 44 years. He’s followed closely by Kartar Thandi, who has worked in Facilities for UFV for almost 40 years.

In contrast, Mai Anh Doan joined UFV as an assistant professor of communications last fall.

Modern Languages professor Alan Cameron and mechanical maintenance worker Kartar Thandi have both worked at UFV since the 1970s. They are pictured here at at UFV event with retired dean and VP Dick Bate.

“The best thing about UFV for me so far is the people,” she notes. “I am very lucky to be teaching for the communications department. I have a mentor and people I can call on with questions or for help.”

She also likes the focus on teaching and small classes at UFV.

Communications professor Mai Anh Doan joined UFV in 2018.

“I love the small class sizes and the close interaction that this allows us to have with our students,” notes Doan.

Doan is also taking part in the inaugural Faculty Development program for new professors. They meet weekly to discuss teaching and learning.

The BC’s Top Employers competition is run by Mediacorp Canada, which manages the well-known Canada’s Top 100 Employers project and the Eluta.ca job search engine, now used by over 5.4 million Canadians annually. In addition, Mediacorp hosts the nation’s largest annual conference for senior-level HR professionals. Founded in 1992, Mediacorp is Canada’s largest publisher of quality employment-related periodicals. BC’s Top Employers for 2019 are listed here.