UBC ams

Council Summary – April 28, 2023

Here are notes from the AMS Council meeting of April 28, 2023:

Policies postponed: The meeting began with several students at large objecting to planned revisions to the policies on sexualized violence and respectful community, and later in the meeting Council voted to send these back to committee.

Policy revised: VP Academic Anisha Sandhu presented revisions to the survey policy, which Council approved.

Policy introduced: Council approved a policy to reduce air travel.

Budget! VP Finance Lawrence Liu presented the 2023-24 preliminary budget, forecasting a deficit of $271,000 resulting from lower contributions from the businesses, higher expenses for Food Bank, and the creation of a new equity department.  This is a lower deficit than last year.  Council voted unanimously to approve the budget.

Looking back: The Executive reported on the past year’s accomplishments, including:

  1. governance review
  2. cutting the deficit
  3. raising fees for the Health and Dental Plan
  4. moving Blue Chip Café
  5. fixing the reimbursement system
  6. garnering 3359 responses to the Academic Experience Survey
  7. amending the survey policy
  8. introducing a new financial system
  9. getting improvements in federal student loan and grant programs
  10.  getting provincial funding for student housing
  11.  installing laptop charging stations in the Nest
  12.  having a full calendar of exhibits at the Hatch Art Gallery
  13.  putting on a successful Clubs Fair
  14.  addressing the club storage crisis
  15.  looking at the booking process in the Nest.

Appointments: Council appointed Alec Lee to serve a second year as Ombudsperson and Max Holmes to serve as both Elections Administrator and Speaker of Council.

Code changes: Council tweaked an earlier Code change about the Executive Performance and Accountability Committee and adjusted the composition of the Advocacy Committee.

Councillor of the Year! Rachel Kim of Commerce took the honours this year.

Next meeting:

The next regular Council meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 5 in the Michael Kingsmill Forum in the Nest at 6 pm. 

Sheldon Goldfarb

Archivist & Clerk of Council

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