Get Involved

Membership Categories

  1. Affiliated Members: Open to Brock tenured and tenure-track faculty members, Emeritus Professors, professional librarians, LTAs, ILTAs, and post-doctoral fellows who have successfully applied for affiliation to the SJRI.  
  2. Faculty Steering Committee Members: Open to all affiliated members who have successfully applied to serve on the SJRI FSC.
  3. Research Associates: Open to anyone eligible to be an affiliated member as well as Brock-based visiting scholars and adjunct professors who are working on projects with a social justice focus. 
  4. Participating Members:  Open to anyone inside or outside of Brock who wishes to have a connection with the SJRI but is not an Affiliated Member or Research Associate.  

Processes for Membership

  1. Affiliated Members:
    • Applicants must submit a one-to-two page statement of intent outlining the relevance of their research to social justice and their planned contribution to SJRI along with an up-to-date CV. The FSC will review all applications and recommend affiliation or not. Final voting on membership will take place by affiliated members at a semi-annual general meeting.
      • Affiliated members will be asked to re-affirm their affiliation with the SJRI every five years. 
      • Members of the SJRI may resign their membership through a letter to the Director. 
    • In extraordinary circumstances, affiliated members can have their status rescinded by a vote of more than 50% of the FSC.    
  2. FSC Members:
    • Applicants must submit a one paragraph statement outlining their interest in serving on the FSC and their capacity to do so effectively, along with an up-to-date CV. The FSC will review all nominations, with particular attention to ensuring a diversity of representation on the FSC and bring forward the names of appropriate candidates for voting by other affiliated members at a semi-annual general meeting. 
      • Normally, FSC members are appointed for two-year terms, which commence July 1. 
      • FSC members may request to have their terms extended, by a vote by the wider membership at a semi-annual general meeting.  
      • Members may resign from the FSC through a letter to the Director. 
    • In extraordinary circumstances, affiliated members can have their status rescinded by a vote of more than 50% of the FSC.    
  3. Research Associates:
    • Applicants submit a CV together with a short (1 page maximum) letter indicating why they would like to be a Research Associate, why their research program is a good fit with SJRI’s vision, and how they hope to contribute to the SJRI community and research culture. Applications will be voted on by the FSC.  
      • The tenure of the appointment will normally be for the duration of the applicant’s appointment (or visit) to Brock. If a Research Associate would like to retain the title once they leave Brock, this will be addressed on a case-by-case basis, based on the benefits to SJRI of retaining this connection. 
    • In extraordinary circumstances, affiliated members can have their status rescinded by a vote of more than 50% of the FSC.    
  4. Participating Members:
    • Prospective participating members are welcome to sign-up to receive information about our activities (e.g., E-Bulletins), invitations to events, and gain the potential to collaborate with a vibrant community of social justice researchers, activists, and community leaders.    
    • In extraordinary circumstances, participating members can have their status rescinded by a vote of more than 50% of the FSC. 

Privileges and Responsibilities of Membership

  1. Affiliates may serve as principal applicants to the SJRI Grants Program and are encouraged to participate in the governance of the SJRI by attending FSC meetings (without a vote) and semi-annual general meetings (with a vote) where they are responsible for voting on membership and governance motions. Affiliates may serve on committees, lead workshops and other SJRI activities, and participate in SJRI workshops and other activities. Their research and external funding ‘outputs’ may be disseminated by SJRI and included in annual reporting. SJRI will not provide honoraria or payment for SJRI affiliates except post-doctoral fellows. 
  2. FSC Members are required to participate in the governance of SJRI by attending, with a vote, monthly FSC meetings to provide guidance to the Director and staff regarding the institute’s vision, goals and objectives. They are also expected to attend SJRI events and, if needed, to sit on FSC sub-committees. Like other affiliates, FSC members are expected to attend semi-annual general meetings where they are responsible for voting on membership and governance motions. Otherwise, their privileges and responsibilities are the same as other affiliates (see above). 
  3. Research Associates may not be the principal applicants to the SJRI Grants Program, but they can apply as co-applicants. They may be involved in organizing SJRI events and can attend SJRI semi-annual general meetings (without a vote). They cannot become members of the FSC. Their research activities connected to SJRI may be disseminated by SJRI and included in annual reporting.
  4. Participating Members have a less formal relationship to the SJRI and thus limited rights and responsibilities: they cannot be main applicants to the SJRI Grants Program, but can be co-investigators; the can be involved in co-organizing SJRI events and may attend SJRI-sponsored workshops and, but may not attend SJRI semi-annual general meetings. 
Click here to learn how to become an Affiliate
Click here to learn how to become an FSC Member
Click here to learn how to become a Research Associate
Click here to learn how to become a Participating Member