MSU Board of Directors Year End Report 2019/2020

YEAR END REPORT 2019/2020

Organizational Overview

What is the MSU? The McMaster Students Union is the largest student organization on campus. All full-time undergraduate students (enrolled in 18 units or more) at McMaster University are members of the MSU.

What does the MSU do?

The McMaster Students Union serves students through two main functions: political representation and the enhancement of student life. The MSU provides political representation and advocates for decisions that are in students’ best interests at the university, municipal, provincial and federal levels of jurisdiction.

The MSU also offers many of the student services available at McMaster University. One might get to know the MSU through Welcome Week and the Campus Events department, visiting the Compass Information Centre, having lunch at TwelvEighty, listening to CFMU 93.3FM, volunteering with more than 30 distinct student services, the funding and assistance of more than 300 clubs on campus, or as a major partner in the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC). The MSU employs more than 300 students each year to run committees, oversee student services and work at businesses, such as the Union Market convenience store or Underground Media + Design. The MSU provides health and dental plan coverage and a universal bus pass with the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR). As a member of the McMaster Students Union, undergraduates have a student-run, multimillion dollar organization at their disposal to help navigate through the challenges, provide services, and protect their interests within and outside the walls of McMaster.

The following pages offer insight into some of the major projects, both completed and ongoing, as led by the Board of Directors in 2019/2020.

Though many things can be implemented in one term, often the MSU’s goals and advocacy work can span successive leadership teams. Therefore, this document will outline both highlights of accomplishments, as well as detail the groundwork that has been laid, on which future success can be built.

President

Joshua Marando MSU President president@msu.mcmaster.ca 905-525-9140 ext. 23885

Completed Projects ClubSpace Renovations ClubSpace is the hub of the MSU Clubs Department.

This year, numerous enhancements were made to the physical space. New, adaptable furniture was ordered and installed. The seating boasts hospital grade fabric to ensure everything is best suited to remain in good quality for years to come. In addition, some new visual pieces such as pole and wall wraps were added to brighten the space. Moving forward, office spaces, currently shared by a small group of clubs, will be converted to bookable meeting rooms to better equip clubs’ needs into the future.

Upgrades to McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) The MUSC Board of Management approved the MSU’s recommendations for the 2019-2020 capital budget for furniture maintenance and upkeep.

It specifically includes upgrading and improving furniture on the second and third floor of the Student Centre. Additionally, MUSC will update its waste disposal area, which will allow for more storage and reduce pests. This measure will greatly support the longevity and use of the building.

In early July, the basement of MUSC flooded due to a burst pipe, severely damaging several MSU spaces including the Silhouette office, CFMU FM93.3 and Campus Events. The flood delayed initial efforts pertaining to enclosing the MUSC third-floor patio; however, progress was made on this project, nonetheless. MUSC is in the process of recruiting an architect to conduct a space audit and provide recommendations for covering/closing the thirdfloor terrace, making it suitable for year-round use.

Expanded ClubsFest ClubsFest switched from a single day to a twoday event this year. The goal was to give both students and clubs more space and time for meetand-greets. The days were split by Club category, making it easy for students to find what groups they were interested in joining. In addition, snow cones, cotton candy and popcorn were given away. Administratively, steps were taken to make budgeting clearer and to better facilitate event planning into the future. A partnership has been developed with Campus Events to help support ClubsFest on an annual basis.

Students promoting their club at the Expanded ClubsFest in September

President Review of Clubs Department Near the end of this year, major policy changes to the Clubs Department were adopted by the Executive Board. The planning, consultation, research, and development of which were months in the making. The changes aim to address and overcome gaps in clubs support, while simultaneously enhancing the Clubs Department, as well as the student experience within the Clubs system. Specifically, new policies relating to clubs’ finances, operations, and recognition have been

developed. Moreover, two new comprehensive committee structures were created to oversee the approval of new clubs, as well as the appeals process. In addition, clubs banking will move inhouse and additional staff have been hired in the MSU accounting office to facilitate the financial needs of MSU Clubs. Finally, the Clubs Administrator will move from a one-year contract role into a fulltime position.

Ongoing Projects Sidewalk Snow Removal Lobbying

International Student OHIP+ Status

Sidewalk snow removal was a priority within the MSU’s 2019-2020 municipal budget submissions.

Student leaders lobbied all City Councillors on this topic ahead of the City budget’s final approval. The feedback from Councillors was mixed and therefore lobbying for this issue continues. Many in the community see snow removal as an essential aspect of increasing accessibility within Hamilton, as well as the McMaster community. The MSU is working hard to illustrate the value of this expense to the City of Hamilton.

At the last OUSA General Assembly, student leaders decided to research and craft an International Student Support paper. Part of the lobby effort is the inclusion of international students to the OHIP+ system. Delegates will be reviewing this policy at the next assembly and hopefully this priority will become an ongoing OUSA advocacy initiative.

Bike Lane Lobbying The President worked with the Ward 1 Councillor, Maureen Wilson about the possibility of increased City investment into bike lanes and associated infrastructure. The MSU looks forward to the next budget cycle in hopes of seeing additional funds allocated to this initiative and assess whether it should be added to the next municipal budget submission.

Improving Campus Maintenance and Physical Accessibility Both the MSU and McMaster University have prioritized the maintenance and physical accessibility of campus as a key point of interest inside an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) framework. The campus has created an EDI steering committee, which oversees several working groups including the McMaster Accessibility Council, the Age Friendly University Committee, and other groups to support this vision. A key outcome is completing an accessibility audit and utilizing the information to determine next steps and a long-term plan to improve physical accessibility on-campus.

Vice President (Education)

Shemar Hackett VP (Education) vped@msu.mcmaster.ca 905-525-9140 ext. 24017

Completed Projects MSU Mailing List The MSU has long lacked the ability to directly email all students, outside of specific issues of interest under FIPPA (Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act). Thankfully, the Vice President (Education) and associated staff negotiated an agreement with the Registrar’s Office to safely and appropriately utilize student email on a more consistent basis. The MSU invested in a reputable third-party email management system and began generating email content for students.

The pilot agreement will continue for the next year, at which point a cost benefit analysis will be done to determine if the new expenditures prove to be a worthwhile investment.

Student Wellness Review The MSU conducted a Health Services Review in 2017, but noted that at the time, the review had a relatively low response rate and did not holistically review support services on campus and areas for improvement. Therefore, a follow up survey was developed this year, which focused on the barriers that students experience in accessing health services on campus and areas in which the MSU and the

University could improve. The survey generated hundreds of responses and provided valuable feedback to use for future advocacy and policy work.

Federal Election Campaign In October of this year, there was a federal election.

In every election cycle for every level of government, the MSU deploys a “MacVotes” awareness campaign, to help students understand when, where, and how to vote. The campaigns include a variety of outreach measures including education events, video and social media awareness, as well as candidate debates and social events. For the federal election, McMaster was fortunate to receive an advanced, special polling location. This satellite was unique in that a student, with the correct ID, could vote in any riding in Canada – including McMaster’s Hamilton-West, Ancaster, Dundas riding if they felt most comfortable doing so.

Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Sexual violence is a systemic issue and there is still lots of work to do on campus to better support survivors. The provincial government released their SVPR (Sexual Violence Prevention and Response)

Vice President (Education) climate survey in the fall and the findings illustrated that many students are unaware of the support protocols the University has in place. With input from many stakeholders, including the MSU, McMaster updated its SRVP policy at the beginning of this year. The MSU’s advocacy policy paper guided the organization’s input, which included changes to the

appeal process, reducing the jargon within the policy, and making changes to the self-incrimination clause.

Another area of importance was to increase the amount of in-person support available at McMaster.

This priority resulted in the University adding a second staff member to the SVPR team within the Equity and Inclusion Office.

AVP Provincial and Federal Affairs promoting the Federal Election

Vice President (Education)

Ongoing Projects On-Campus Accessibility In 2005, the provincial government announced plans to make Ontario fully accessible by 2025. Since then, much progress has been made, but there are still significant strides to be had. Accessibility on campus remains a priority, as such the VP (Education) helped author OUSA’s Student Accessibility and Disability Inclusion paper, which will drive future advocacy efforts on this front. Another project that remains ongoing is improving accessibility within classrooms, this includes the push for wider adoption of ECHO360 amongst instructors. The MSU partnered with the McPherson Institute to discuss ways in which this can be accomplished. An ad hoc committee of dedicated students was launched in December, but this effort will need continued leadership into the future.

Landlord Accountability A large percentage of the student body live or will live in student housing throughout their undergraduate career. Unfortunately, these students will not have access to credible avenues to hold their landlords accountable. To counter this concern, the MSU worked with a third-party vendor to establish a Landlord Rating System; however, the vendor’s website has since gone offline. The issue was

brought back to the University and a process of revamping the off-campus housing website is now in place. There is interest in adding a section regarding landlord accountability to the ongoing website build.

Local/Campus Employment Opportunities Employment opportunities for students can be difficult to come by. Given the reduced financial aid inside OSAP, more students will be forced to work while they study, with many working an increasing number of hours each week. The reduction in OSAP support and eligibility affected McMaster’s work study program, as OSAP enrollment is the criteria for work study involvement. This shift needs to be reflected within the criteria for the program, with an overall increase in average hours. Moreover, the MSU has asked the City of Hamilton to follow the lead of other municipalities and create one-year internships for new graduates, under the banner of an Urban Fellows Program. Several City Councillors and senior staff members have shown interest in this idea. This initiative should remain advocacy priority for future MSU leaders.

Student housing in Westdale, neighbouring McMaster University

Vice President (Administration)

Sarah Figueiredo VP (Administration) vpadmin@msu.mcmaster.ca 905-525-9140 ext. 23250

Completed Projects Improve the Human Resources Focus of the MSU The Vice President (Administration) worked diligently this year to add more formalized support to MSU human resource functions. The former Operations Coordinator role became the Human Resources Generalist, along with added focus on the internal policies and procedures necessary to improve the MSU’s operations. Moreover, through an organizational review conducted by KPMG in late winter, it became clear that the human resources area remains in need of support. Future leadership teams will be able to build upon the newly developed structure and make further enhancements as necessary to support MSU staff and volunteers.

Revamp Training for all Part-Time Manager (PTM) Positions The VP (Administration) developed new training protocols for the hiring of all PTMs this year. This training taught hiring panels about different types of biases and allowed the hiring board to get familiar with each of the unique Part-Time Manager roles.

Boards were better equipped to analyze applications and were better prepared for the in-person interview

process. As COVID-19 forced the closure of the MSU office and in-person interviews were suspended, hiring panels moved into virtual spaces. The MSU quickly adopted best-practices for remote interviews and successfully completed the hiring cycle for the 2020/2021 school year.

Create the Administration Team Research Assistant Position Previously conceptualized as a potential Associate Vice President Equity role, the Administration Team Research Assistant position helped facilitate the work to improve MSU operations and policies.

The role supported both the Vice President (Administration) as well as the Human Resources Generalist by updating the Workplace Anti-Violence Policy, improving both Part-Time Manager onboarding and training, and planning a forthcoming community needs assessment.

Vice President (Administration)

Ongoing Projects Improve the Human Resources Focus of the MSU Through an organizational audit of the workplace policies of the McMaster Students Union, conducted by external consultants, students and staff identified a lack of clarity as to the MSU’s workplace anti-violence policy. Working with the Admin Team Research Assistant, the Human Resources Generalist, and the Equity and Inclusion Office,

the VP (Administration) overhauled the policy to created a single, codified vision of expectations and outcomes under the newly minted MSU Workplace Anti-Violence, Harassment, and Sexual Violence Policy. The policy has been created to centre around survivors and clearly defines a system that will hold individuals accountable. The final stages of policy creation are near, as it will soon be reviewed by staff and the Equity and Inclusion Office for feedback.

The Union Market Manager (middle) with some Union Market staff

Vice President (Finance)

Alexandrea Johnston VP (Finance) vpfinance@msu.mcmaster.ca 905-525-9140 ext. 24109

Completed Projects Student Choice Initiative Campaign The Student Choice Initiative (SCI) was the backdrop to the beginning of this year. The provincial government labeled many democratically established student government fees as ‘nonessential’, while other university fees remained mandatory. This significantly disrupted the financing of student associations across Ontario, including the MSU. To help educate students about their choices, the MSU created its “Choose Student Life” campaign.

Backstopped by its own microsite, the campaign informed students of the power they had to have their voices heard. The MSU created a suite of materials, including multiple videos, tailored social media assets, print materials, and in-person educational events to help the public understand the potential consequences this policy could have on student services. All services and business units of the MSU were engaged in the campaign’s design and delivery. In addition, the Vice President (Finance) hosted financial transparency days throughout September to help communicate to the student body the ways in which the MSU enhances and

supports student life. The success of the campaign was evident in that there were noticeable differences in opt-out rates between certain fees, meaning students were making informed choices in what they supported financially.

In November, SCI was deemed unlawful by the Ontario Divisional Court; however, it remains in the appeal process. For this reason, the Finance Committee researched the SCI strategies of numerous schools and provided recommendations for the MSU in the future, should the SCI fee model return.

Expanded The Grind The VP (Finance) made it a priority early in her term to lead a team that expanded the floor plan, seating capacity, and menu options of The Grind. Completed for the start of September, capacity of the popular coffee and crêpe shop was doubled. Taking advantage of underutilized space inside TwelvEighty, The Grind was able to add stylish décor, seating, and space dividers. In addition, the menu was expanded to include affordably priced bagel melts, which have proved very popular.

Vice President (Finance) Implemented Financial Transparency Weeks In collaboration with the Finance Committee and members of the Student Representative Assembly, the VP (Finance) coordinated two weeks of pop-up events to share MSU financial and service delivery information. At the start of each semester, a team of student leaders deployed to high traffic areas of campus to display finance-related infographics, budget details, and take feedback from students.

Many students used the opportunity to ask about how they could get involved with clubs or services, inquired about job and volunteer opportunities, and were able to learn more about upcoming events.

Created TwelvEighty 2-Go Students were looking for more choice in the food service offered by TwelvEighty. The menu remains very popular, but there isn’t always time to sit down in the restaurant to enjoy great food.

The answer was TwelvEighty 2-Go – an express takeout option for students who wanted great food to go. A new reception desk and waiting area were added to the entrance of the restaurant to facilitate student takeout orders. New signage, branding, and promotional efforts were added.

Now, the entire menu is available for takeout, and nearly a dozen menu items are featured as “express options” offering a ten-minute prep time. Sales from TwelvEighty 2-Go have been strong, accounting for more than 10% of all the restaurant’s sales since its inception.

Facilitated Welcome Week Rep Support Faculty reps are the backbone of Welcome Week. Their enthusiasm and event management assistance are essential to the spirit of the week.

Supporting reps is a continued priority for the MSU. This year, the VP (Finance) expanded the Rep Support program to include snacks, pads, tampons, tea & honey, Gatorade, meals, and first aid kits. TwelvEighty served over 700 five-dollar meals

in two days with the help of Maroons volunteers.

Additionally, another 400 meals were served at no cost to reps at an appreciation event, post Welcome Week. Moreover, through the advocacy of the VP Finance, an additional $12,500 has been put aside within the Welcome Week Advisory Committee budget for next year to continue rep support initiatives, including a rep suit bursary.

The Hub: The Student Activity Building Gets a New Name In partnership with McMaster University, the MSU is building a new 40,000 square foot student space expansion. Scheduled to open in the summer of 2021, the building will include a peer support hub, a grocery store, multi-faith prayer space, community kitchens, and more. In consultation with both students and University administration, several names for the new building were short-listed and put to a vote. The top three names were: Student Life Center, Marauder Activity Center and The Hub. With nearly 3000 votes, The Hub won the naming contest.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a temporary pause in construction. The impact to the project’s timeline is yet unknown.

MSU Wide Feedback Survey It was a priority for the VP (Finance) to engage with students across all academic divisions and years, when conducting the MSU Wide Feedback Survey.

Feedback about all aspects of MSU operations was collected over a five-week period in late fall.

Utilizing email, the MSU’s SMS system, promotional video, and quality incentives to draw attention, the survey generated over 1000 responses. The survey overwhelmingly revealed that students felt the MSU improves student life on campus while offering important services. However, the survey also illustrated a disconnect between many students and the more specific aspects of the organization, such as the political and advocacy efforts. The most

Vice President (Finance)

common touch points between students and MSU are the Clubs department and utilizing the business units (Grind, TwelvEighty, Union Market, and Underground Media + Design).

Renew HSR Bus Pass Agreement In October, the VP (Finance) led a research project to asses students’ opinions as to their PREST0 HSR bus pass. Data gather included average trip

length, usage frequency and suggestions for service improvements. The data was helpful to guide the contract renewal process, which took place in November, and included student leaders of Mohawk and Redeemer. The MSU-negotiated deal went to referendum alongside the Presidential election in January. The preferred option of a 12-month bus pass with expanded HSR service at peak times passed by a landslide vote. The new deal will come into effect in September of 2020 and last for three years.

Ongoing Projects New MSU Website The MSU website has been in need of a visual and structural update. AODA compliance is essential as the organization moves forward and the current website does not meet those standards. Department heads were consulted as to understand how they use the website and what they would need in a new site. A core team developed to lead the project and source a vendor to build it. After reviewing numerous

bids, the MSU singed a contract with McMaster’s Media Production Services (MPS) for development services. The project was slated to be finished in April 2020, but is now delayed, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, MPS and the MSU continue to work together and completion of this project is expected for the next academic year.

The Board of Directors posing on the future site of The Hub.

Students enjoying the newly expanded space in The Grind.