UBC ams

Council Summary – April 24, 2019

Councillor of the Year: The Executive announced that the winner of this year’s Councillor of the Year Award is long-time Councillor Jeanie Malone.

 

Executive Goals: The Executive presented their final report on the past year’s goals, noting the following accomplishments:

  • A revised website and greater use of social media.
  • Obtaining greater consultation on tuition fees from the University.
  • Filling the vacant senior manager positions.
  • Discussing the usefulness of a strategic plan and focusing on AMS values.
  • Moving all the remaining groups into the AMS space in the UBC Life Building.
  • Clarifying the rules for Departmental Clubs.
  • Arranging for online club elections.
  • Updating the Operations Manual.
  • Increasing attendance at the Hatch Art Gallery.
  • Creating a Sustainability Subcommittee.
  • Changing the Student Life & Sustainability Centre into a Clubs Resource Centre.
  • Increasing psychological coverage under the Health & Dental Plan.
  • Increasing funding for clubs.
  • Expanding credit card use.
  • Increasing the return on investments.
  • Getting the government to eliminate interest on student loans.
  • Getting Vancouver City Council to endorse a SkyTrain to UBC.
  • Getting the government to introduce a mental health hotline.
  • Getting the University to review the implementation of Policy 131 on sexual violence.
  • Pushing for a revised policy on academic accommodation.
  • Getting the Senate to agree to discuss the cost of learning materials.
  • Getting funding for undergraduate research.
  • Getting new Work Learn positions for students.
  • Helping in the review of the UBC policy on disabilities.
  • Making progress on the Fall Reading Break issue.
  • Assisting in the creation by Indigenous students of an Indigenous Committee.

 

Services: The Services reported on developments in their areas, including:

  • Implementing new data collection software.
  • An increase in the numbers seen at Speakeasy.
  • An increase in numbers and a lowering of costs at Tutoring.
  • An increase in the number of visits to the Food Bank and an increase in donations to it, allowing for an increased selection of food; also a new welcoming mural for Food Bank.
  • Panel discussions and other events at Vice.
  • Continuing collaboration between Safewalk and the football team.

 

SACADI: AMS President Marium Hamid reported on the Senate Ad hoc Committee on Academic Diversity and Inclusivity, created in January 2018 to work for a culture shift to make the campus more inclusive towards marginalized groups in curriculum, awards, appeals, admissions, and mental health.

 

Renewing the Speaker: Council reappointed Kareem Ibrahim as Speaker of Council.

 

New Appointments: Council appointed Osaro Obaseki as the new Ombudsperson and Ahsan Ali Sahibzada as the new Chief Electoral Officer (the new name for the Elections Administrator).

 

Pharmacy: Council delayed approving a fee increase for Pharmacy students until a Pharmacy rep could be present to explain it.

 

AUS and VSEUS: Council approved a membership agreement between the Arts Undergraduate Society and the Vancouver School of Economics Undergraduate Society, prescribing which Constituency double majors will belong to (they will belong to both).

 

Code changes: Council approved a Code change to ensure that major contracts are run by the Managing Director and the Privacy Officer and also directed the Clerk of Council to ensure that gender neutral language replaces gender specific language throughout the Code.  Council also approved a Code change to allow groups that receive several sustainability project grants a year to apply for annual grants and it approved a new policy on credit cards.  But it declined to approve a change that would have removed the Ombudsperson’s authority to hear complaints from AMS staff.

 

Block Party: Managing Director Keith Hester said Block Party sold out and may have broken even.

 

Grad Class gifts: Student Life Committee Chair Jerome Goddard said gifts have been approved for the Food Bank and the Indigenous Committee; also one to revitalize the Goddess of Democracy.

 

Health and Dental Plan: VP Finance Kuol Akuechbeny reported that there will now be 100% coverage for flu shots.

 

Farewells: The outgoing Executive said good-bye.  VP Academic & University Affairs Max Holmes said he had seen Council go from no discussion to lots of discussion.

 

Next meeting: The next regular Council meeting will be at 6 pm on May 8, 2019 in the Michael Kingsmill Forum on the fourth floor of the Nest.

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