THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION | MAR 22, 2015 | KEY POINTS & UPDATES FROM SRA MEETINGS
KEY DISCUSSION POINTS WGEN Approved as a Full Service The Women and Gender Equity Network (WGEN) began as a pilot service this past year. They held three large campaigns including Indigenous Women’s Week and International Women’s Week. Working with the MSU Board of Directors, WGEN has also been able to secure a safe(r) space, and trained volunteers to support victims of gendered violence. Motivated by a clear need and the recent sucess of the pilot service, it was voted that WGEN would become a full service in the years ahead.
The SRA Votes to Leave CASA The MSU will not be a member of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) next year. CASA lobbies the federal government on behalf of 21 other post-secondary institutions. If the MSU stayed, we would have been expected to pay far more money than any other school, despite having received the same single vote that every other school receives. Some representatives were concerned that the MSU would miss an opportunity to influence the federal government in the lead up to next year’s election. However, the majority of people agreed that CASA wasn’t worth $25,000 of student money. Many also had an issue with the organization’s resistance to listen to the MSU’s concerns. Next year, the VP Education will explore alternative routes to having the voice of McMaster students heard at the federal level.
Vice President & Speaker Elections - April 12th in GH 111 With the winter academic term drawing to a close, so too are the terms of many MSU positions. Very soon, next year’s Speaker and Vice Presidents will be decided. These individuals will play a critical role in ensuring that the MSU continues to best represent and serve students. There are three Vice President roles that will be filled: the VP Administration, responsible for overseeing the MSU’s services and Welcome Week involvement, the VP Education, the academic advocate-at-large for the MSU, and the VP Finance, responsible for the MSU’s budget and business units. The Speaker is responsible for chairing SRA meetings. Starting at 10 am in April 12th, the incoming SRA will be seated in GH 111, electing these four positions. Keep an eye out for each candidate’s platform, and feel free to swing by the meeting or contact your representatives to share your thoughts!
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THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION | MAR 22, 2015 | KEY POINTS & UPDATES FROM SRA MEETINGS
Potential HSR Strike The union that represents the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) will be voting to proceed with a strike on March 29th, and could be officially striking by April 3rd. If a strike occurs for longer than 10 days, students will be reimbursed for a portion of their bus pass cost. However, it “remains hopeful that a negotiated settlement can be reached at the bargaining table.” Read more here.
Emergency Bursary Introduced Next year, students who encounter exceptional need will be able to apply for financial assistance through an MSU emergency bursary program. These individuals will be eligible to receive up to $500 through the application process. Many other schools have successfully implemented similar initiatives. In future years we hope to have the University contribute to the fund as well.
MSU Fee Changes The SRA approved an increase to the MSU fee of 1.4%, an amount less that the consumer price index (CPI). CPI represents the average increase in cost that all goods experience due to inflation. Typically, the MSU increases our fee by CPI to make sure that this passive increase in cost is covered. In the spirit of President Teddy Saull’s “freeze the fee” platform point, the MSU opted to increase our fee by a smaller amount. This will ensure the MSU has a minimal surplus in the year ahead.
General Assembly 2015 On Monday March 23rd, a group of passionate students brought forward a motion for the MSU to support the boycott, divest, sanction (BDS) movement. This initiative demands the MSU dissociate themselves from companies who profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestine. The motion passed, with 622 students in favor of the motion, 28 against and 77 abstaining. This result is binding on the SRA.
Compulsary Ancillary Fee Changes The MSU’s Board of Directors have been working close with Student Affairs to try and address the current lack of funding available for the Student Wellness Center, and the Student Success Centre. As a result, the SRA empowered the Board to agree to transfer money from the Student Life Enhancement Fund to support these services. Moving forward, any additional money that students invest in these services above CPI will have to be matched dollar for dollar by the University.
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THE McMASTER STUDENTS UNION | MAR 22, 2015 | KEY POINTS & UPDATES FROM SRA MEETINGS
Abilities Service MSU Diversity Services, in collaboration with the VP Education, and University Affairs Committee, held an Accessibility Forum back in November. A major theme of this and several other focus groups that followed was a clear need for better support aimed towards students with invisible and visible disabilities. Expect more discussion on the topic in the months ahead, and discussion on potentially adding an abilities service in the years ahead.
Bereavement Policy Passes The SRA voted to introduce an MSU Bereavement Policy. This document discusses the role of the MSU following the death of a student, and outlines some specific follow up steps. These include a $200 donation to a charity of the affected family’s choice, and a formal letter of condolence penned by the MSU President.
Science Student Survey Results The SRA Science Caucus gave a short report detailing the results of a faculty-wide survey assessing different components of their education. Students were generally happy, but wished to see more interdisciplinary courses, experiential education, and a dedicated space for academic collaboration between undergraduates.
GET INVOLVED Job Opportunities! The MSU has paid and volunteer positions that are open for next year! Opportunities include a number of Executive positions for MSU services, as well as positions with the Silhouette. You can find the list here.
FIND OUT MORE You can read all of the supporting documents from this meeting, as well as find complete minutes and next meeting’s agenda here. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the SRA Mailing List here.
NEXT MEETING Sunday, April 12th, 10:00 am in Gilmour Hall 111.
TO LEARN MORE VISIT
WWW.MSUMcMASTER.CA/SRA