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Many faculty members at SFU Faculty of Science know Erin Legros, at least by name. In her role as senior advisor, faculty affairs, she provides vital administrative support for Science faculty, with a kind and compassionate approach that makes  her a well-deserving recipient of 2024 Staff Achievement Award for Workplace Excellence.

Legros is the go-to resource for science deans, departmental chairs and faculty, known for her ability to break down sometimes arcane university policies into intelligible language and find practical solutions to problems. She provides support for various administrative processes, including hiring, salary review and study leaves, as well as data analysis and validation.

She pairs a thorough understanding of SFU policies and procedures, the SFUFA Collective Agreement and EDI with a kind and compassionate approach that is much appreciated by her colleagues.

"I find real satisfaction in knowing that I’ve helped someone—especially when the support I provide makes their path a little easier." she says. "Faculty often come to me with deeply personal concerns—whether it's about mental health or workload. It's a privilege to be trusted with that, and I try to offer thoughtful, practical guidance to help them navigate whatever they’re facing."

"Delivering difficult news is one of the hardest parts of the job. But I always try to approach those conversations with empathy and care—because this isn’t just paperwork. It’s people’s careers and, in many cases, their life’s work." When Legros arrived at Faculty of Science in 2014 there were few administrative processes in place. Over the past 10 years she has worked to standardize processes across Faculty of Science’s eight departments, integrating EDI practices into human resources, and identified opportunities to streamline work.

"I love identifying gaps where a resource could make a difference—and then creating something useful that makes someone’s day-to-day a bit easier. That’s incredibly rewarding." Legros’ checklists, templates and systems are frequently used within, and sometimes outside of Faculty of Science. A calendar and a salary calculator she created were adopted by Faculty Relations and are now widely used across the university.

Legros also championed the faculty’s adoption of eTRACS for managing faculty data, a group effort where she played a key role in validating faculty data. "It was deeply fulfilling to see the faculty management system finally come to life. We’d been wanting it for so long, and I had always envisioned a dashboard that faculty could rely on as a go-to resource," she says.

Adopting eTRACS has streamlined many routine tasks such as validating applications for study leave, a process that used to require cross-checking information in applications with physical records. Now it may take as little as ten minutes to process each application.

Legros is hoping to automate other administrative processes to free up more time to focus on the more personal side of her work.

"My goal is always to make people feel heard. Even if I don’t have the answer, I want them to know I’ll help them find it. The most meaningful part of this work is the relationships I build along the way," she says.

"The work people are doing here is amazing—even if I’m not directly involved in the research or teaching, I get to support the structures that help them succeed. If I can clear a path or solve a problem that allows them to focus on their work, then I feel like I’m contributing in my own small way."