Hello everyone! My name is Sadie McAlear and I am currently running for the position of Community Relations Rep on the Acadia Student Union Board. I am a second-year Science student majoring in Nutrition as well as a member of the Acadia Varsity Swim Team. Though I am a dedicated student and athlete, my passions reach beyond the pool and classroom: I simply love to learn. This is likely because I am fortunate enough to come from a long line of teachers who raised me in an environment that fostered a growth mindset in me which I apply to all aspects of my life. This has given me a diverse background made up of different experiences which will help me be the best representation between the students of Acadia and the permanent residents of Wolfville. I am a small-town girl through and through as I was raised in a community quite similar to Wolfville, and I understand the importance of having a unified and collaborative role within my community. There are few things I am more passionate about than creating a positive impact on those around me, and I believe this position is the perfect place for me to do just that. My ultimate goal is to help make Wolfville a place where students and residents live in harmony and work together to keep the town lively, respectful, and beautiful – as we all know it to be.
Tag: Council
Community Relations Representative: Wes Lepine
This is my last year at Acadia. I want to be as involved as I can in with the current students and residents of Wolfville. I love the community I live in. I have been a student leader in many clubs over the past few years, this year I want to be a student leader for all the off-campus students. My biggest goal is to help build positive relationships with the students and residents of Wolfville. I have a very large network of individuals who can help me make this happen. I have future plans to set up a few programs to help bridge the gap between these two parties. I want to find a safe and feasible way to increase student engagement in the community. I would love to take on the role of Community Relations Representative so I can represent the interests of the folks involved. I want to work at breaking down the division. Through my years at Acadia, I have developed the necessary skills in stakeholder management, communications, and public speaking where I feel I will be a very successful applicant for the position.
SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 5th
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are tasked with running the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU). The SRC meets every Wednesday at 5:30 PM in the Beverage Forum located off the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). Each meeting is open to the public and students are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.
Council met this week to discuss the Black, Indigenous, People of Colour Caucus (BIPOCUS) Proposed Budget, the updated Acadia Students’ Union Travel Policy, and the Vice President of Finance’s Position Report. All in all, this week’s council meeting proved to be very informative.
Black, Indigenous, People of Colour Caucus (BIPOCUS)
The Black, Indigenous, People of Color Caucus (BIPOCUS) is an organization within the Acadia Students’ Union created by Acadia students. The group focuses on equity on campus, including any issues that may impact a person’s experience or education at Acadia University.
Makenzie O’Quinn and Soyini Edwards are co-presidents of the Black Students Association and the Indigenous Students’ Society of Acadia. The BIPOCUS Working Document states, “O’Quinn and Edwards were being asked to work and provide insight on items which fell largely outside of the mandate of their societies. This has resulted over the past several years with labour far exceeding the labour experienced by other clubs under the ASU.” BIPOCUS is the result of the need of an assisting organization to help the two presidents balance all of their duties.
According to the BIPOCUS Constitution 2019/2020, the organization’s mission is:
- To provide solidarity between Black, Indigenous, or students of colour at Acadia University.
- To increase advocacy capacity for members of the Black Students’ Association and the Indigenous Students’ Society of Acadia, as well as Black, Indigenous, and students of colour at large.
- To begin breaking down systemic and historical barriers between Indigenous and Black students and the Acadia Students’ Union.
- To increase the availability of student leadership opportunities for Black, Indigenous and students of colour at Acadia University.
The group plans to fulfill its mandate by hosting weekly meetings and attending conferences. Additionally, BIPOCUS aims to increase the representation of students as well as the diversity of the council’s members by sitting on Senate. The caucus will be working closely alongside Edwards, who is also the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion officer of the ASU, as well as with the Black Student Advisor, the Office of Indigenous Affairs the Equity Office, Welkaqnik and the Wong International Centre.
While BIPOCUS does accept membership of individuals who are not black, indigenous, or students of colour, only members who are within the listed categories above will be granted voting rights in accordance with the Human Rights Act Section 6, Subsection c (ii). This being said, BIPOCUS welcomes everybody’s support.
ASU Travel Policy
ASU President Kyle Vandertoorn brought to council the ASU travel policy which includes conferences or board meetings that take place outside of Wolfville. Kyle began the discussion by announcing some exciting new changes to the policy.
Firstly, the changes addressed that in regard to travelling to places where meals are not otherwise provided, the previous budget was $7.00 for breakfast, $10.00 for lunch and $15.00 for dinner. ASU president, Kyle, comments, “it is embarrassing that people often cannot afford to tip or even afford their entire meal under this budget and they often have to dip into their own pockets”.
The policy has been updated significantly to $10.00 for breakfast, $15.00 for lunch and $35.00 for dinner according to the ASU Travel Policy Section 2, Subsection a (i – ii). Vandertoorn explained that the budget for dinner was originally $25.00; however, incidental expenses were incorporated. This change means travellers will have an extra $10.00 to help pay for any unforeseen expenses, such as toothbrushes or medication.
Secondly, students and employees who are commuting to conferences and other events in their own vehicles are now eligible for reimbursement for how far they travel. The ASU Travel Policy Section 5, Subsection c (iii) states, “employee may be reimbursed for mileage at a rate set by Nova Scotia Kilometrage and Transportation Allowance Rates for government and public-sector body employees”.
This new addition to the travel policy is extremely helpful in preventing Acadia University students and staff from having to spend their own money to attend events that are mandatory for their position.
Vice President of Finance Position Report
Brendan MacNeil, VP of Finance and Operations, kept the council up to date today on the ASU’s revenue and expenses. He explains that there are three main contributors to the ASU’s revenue: alcoholic beverages and food sold at The Axe, health and dental plans, and the student union fees that students pay.
While health and dental plans and student union fees each make up 25% of the ASU’s total revenue, MacNeil informs the council that retail sales are down, referring to Cajuns shop and the Union Market, which bring in about $40,000.00 to $50,000.00 per month. Additionally, The Axe is also experiencing a decrease in sales with a drop of approximately $30,000. This may seem like a rather large reduction, but MacNeil shared that labour expenses have decreased greatly as well which has helped the ASU to balance expenses. A full ASU budget will be out by the end of April.
Nonetheless, the ASU appears to be in good shape. Sales have decreased but expenses have also decreased, and largely at that. As a result, the ASU income has increased significantly from $18,000.00 to $400,000.00.
Moreover, the Investment Policy is in the process of being rewritten (it is due every 5 years to be revised and adjusted). On this, MacNeil is excited to announce, “I and the Sustainability Officer are exploring the possibility of adding a line that says our portfolio will not invest in fossil fuel companies.” There is more to come in on the ASU’s investment account in the next few weeks.
Announcements
The only announcement this week was from Sustainability Officer, Max Abu-Laban who wants to thank everyone who was involved in his “Talk to Me About Climate Change” event for all of their support. The event, which took place Tuesday, February 4th, was a huge success.
Abu-Laban announces to the council that there is another climate strike taking place this Friday, February 7th at the clock tower on Main Street, for anyone who is looking to get further involved. Abu-Laban also added that 10-year-old activist, Lily from Gloosecap, Nova Scotia, will be attending the event and will speak on U-Hall Hill. She has inspired students at Acadia with her passion for the environment twice already and will be back for a third time to do it again.
SRC Decoded: What You Missed January 29th
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who tasked with running the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU). The SRC meets every Wednesday at 5:00 PM in the Beverage Forum located off the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). Each meeting is open to the public and students are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.
Council met this week in order to hear ambitious and creative project proposals from each department. Needless to say, the meeting commenced with spirits high and ideas flowing.
Advertising Events
Council received feedback from the student body which informs the council that the many fun and new events that have been planned for this semester do not have enough advertisement; therefore, students who may have been interested in a certain event are unable to attend. Current advertising includes council members posting updates and information on events to social media. Feedback revealed the effectiveness of this method may be inadequate due to some posts being private and students not always following the particular council member who posts. On the other hand, council members pointed out weekly emails are delivered to students’ school email addresses informing them of upcoming events. In response to that point, often students are notified too close to the event and are unable to attend due to late notice.
There was a brief discussion regarding an event calendar that was available to all students and updated regularly, and suggestions were flowing about adding the theoretical event calendar to Acadia’s ACORN page in an effort to make it more accessible to students. The SRC has set a goal to send in the details of events early enough that each student will have plenty of time to add it to their busy schedules.
Arts Senator, Science Senator and Professional Studies Senator Project Proposal
Science Senator Nicole Kirkpatrick informed the council [RM(6] of an opportunity for Acadia students where they can take the MCAT, LCAT and other tests on campus. The plan was discussed alongside Arts Senator Paige Stewardson and Professional Studies Senator Cassidy Churchill. The three senators included in their plan that they would be surveying the student body to gauge which exams students are interested in taking. There will be more details to come (depending on how many volunteers are able to assist with the long shifts during testing) but as of now, testing was proposed to happen on March 7th and 8th, or only March 8th.
Sustainability Representative Project Proposal
Sustainability Officer Max Abu-Laban shared his upcoming event, “Talk to Me About Climate Change”, with the council. The event will be a student body discussion about climate change held on the main level of the ASU February 4th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The event is sponsored by the town of Wolfville, who has helped with posters and advertising and will generously provide popcorn and catering at the event.
Leading up to this event, Abu-Laban, along with other students who are passionate about the environment, surveyed people around the university town to gather what information people knew and don’t know about climate change. This event will be a big opportunity for an inspiring discussion among students about climate change. The goal is to start a dialogue about barriers and potential solutions to the very real environmental issues we face today. Abu-Laban states that drop-ins are always welcome – it’s just a big conversation!
Acadia Food Committee
The Acadia Food Committee is a group of students who evaluate the on-campus food, Wheelock Dining Hall. This committee is dedicated to overseeing food operations, ensuring good service for students and is always looking for ways to improve. In addition to current members of the Acadia Food Committee as of right now, they are looking to add one more member to sit on the committee.
Thoughts circulated through the council about the new member being available only to Residence Assistants (RA), either by recommendation from a Senior Residence Assistant (SRA) or by application. If the council does not lean towards recommendations for the position, President Kyle Vandertoorn suggested that an announcement be posted on the Residence Life Facebook page, since all RAs are qualifiable. The SRC agreed that RAs were ideal for the position as they all live on campus and eat the meal hall food themselves. Additionally, RAs will hear truthful opinions about the food directly from the students themselves, as most students adore their Ras and will be able to effectively deliver any student suggestions of what food to add/take away to the Acadia Food Committee meetings. While the discussion about adding a new member to the Acadia Food Committee was progressive, it has been pushed for further discussion to next week’s meeting.
Announcements
Council members wrapped up Wednesday’s meeting by announcing many exciting upcoming events!
First, Councilor Jonah van Driesum briefly addressed that a handful of Conservative Party leaders of the Federal Government have been contacted about visiting the Acadia campus, alongside a couple of Green Party representatives who have already responded with interest in visiting Acadia as well. Council is looking forward to updates in upcoming meetings.
Acadia Men’s Hockey Team is playing UNB at home this Friday (January 31st). Face-off is at 7:00 PM. Council encourages students to come out and support the Axemen! Students should also expect advertising for Nationals to begin around this time. This year Acadia is hosting Nationals in Halifax March 13th to 15th at the Scotiabank Centre. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a package that includes merchandise, transportation to Halifax and tickets to Friday’s game. If Acadia wins on Friday, those who have purchased packages will receive tickets for all of Acadia’s games for the rest of the weekend. For those interested, Acadia is “bringing Wolfville to Halifax” and Dirty Nelly’s will be Acadia students’ “meet-up” or “home-base” for the event.
SRC Decoded: What You Missed December 4th
The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is the body of students who are elected by their peers to run the Acadia Students’ Union. Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). All of their meetings are open to the public and students are encouraged to attend to learn more about their representatives and the decisions that are being made on their behalf.
Council met on December 4th to discuss the financial update as of November 30th, to vote on the new bylaws and to discuss the creation of an ad-hoc committee. Council also received a project proposal from Blake Steeves, First Year Officer. George Philp, ASU President, presented changes to co-op student membership of the Union, and Makenzie Branch, VP Academic and External, informed council of her involvement in CASA. The meeting received a large audience turnout, composed of students and Town of Wolfville Mayor Jeff Cantwell.
Financial Update
Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations, presented the ASU’s financial update for the last fiscal year (April to November). While most services were operating at an expected net income loss, such as the Info Desk and the Union Market, there were a few areas that saw a loss greater than anticipated. Bar services saw a profit of $26,277, which Craig attributes in part to the bar ban that took place at the beginning of the school year. Perkins was also an area of concern, with a net income loss of $8,234. Overall, Craig states that the Union is pleased with Cajuns, the Info Desk, and the Union Market.
By-Law Discussion and Voting
The Council spent a fair portion of the meeting discussing the new bylaws, which are a result of an extensive $10,000 dollar review. The Council was informed by Molly Anderson, in her role as Chair of the Governance Committee, of the creation of an ad-hoc committee, that will consist of either the Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson, four non-executive council members, and two regular union members (i.e. students). Councillor Chis Vanderburgh expressed his disappointment with the decision to move forward with voting, and Arts Senator Katie Winters defended this decision, stating that the creation of the committee would result in more extensive research into these issues. Following these discussions, all three By-laws were moved to be accepted as is, bylaw 1 (Council Positions) and Bylaw 2 (ASU Committees) come into effect of May 1st, 2019 and Bylaw 3 (Elections, Referendum, and Plebiscite) come into effect immediately.
Ad-hoc Committee
An Ad-hoc committee was created specifically to conduct research and consult with students about the controversial changes made in the by-law review, which removed the petition process, and the process of impeachment by constituents. This committee will be composed on the Chairperson, four non-executive members of council, and two regular members of the union. Dahlia Chahine, Student Board of Governors Representative, motioned to amend this committees’ terms of reference to include three regular constituents instead of two to enhance student involvement. This motion was passed unanimously, and Council also decided to include a mandatory progress report, to be presented to Council at the first meeting in March of next semester in hopes of keeping students engaged and ensure that progress is being made. Council then appointed Molly Anderson as Chair of the committee, as well as Chris Vanderburgh, Katie Winters, Zach Goldsmith, and Dahlia Chahine to fill the four council member positions.
Co-op Student Membership
George Philp informed council that in the past, co-op students have not been considered members of the ASU, despite their enrolment in one course during their work terms. Philp noted that the University still considers them students, and therefore motioned that the ASU also “interpret” them as students. This would mean that co-op students would be changed the part time membership fee of $10.30 per work term. This would ensure that these students can vote, sit on Council, and access student services offered by the ASU. Philp notes that he has consulted with the co-op office on this issue, and states that they support this change. The motion was unanimously accepted by council.
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA)
VP Academic and External Makenzie Branch informed Council that over the break, George Philp and herself attended meetings in Ottawa to discuss the current focuses of CASA. The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is a federal advocacy group, which represents over 350,000 students across Canada. Branch listed the main issues that this organization is advocating for this year, which is the improvement of Study Permits for international students, as well as recommendation that Canadian post secondary institutions be allowed to assist students with immigration consultation. The organization is also focusing on increasing funding for work integrated learning, since current funding is mostly going towards STEM students. Brach was admirably passionate about the group’s involvement in Sexual Violence Prevention. The organization is hoping to instate a minimum requirement for post secondary institutions to provide resources for victims of sexual violence. CASA’s other main focuses revolve around student research, which would increase the amount of funding that goes directly towards students, as well as changes that would allow graduate students to apply for grants.
Project Proposal
First Year Officer Blake Steeves proposed a “Last Class Movie Night” which will be taking place in the KCIC, on Dec 5th at 7:30pm. They will be screening the 2011 version of Footloose, and Steeves states that this event is a “Last Class Bash” for people who aren’t in the mood for the bar scene, are underage like himself, or are die hard Footloose fans.
Announcements
George Philp made several announcements to Council, the first of which being that a request has been put out for food service providers. Prospective companies will be coming in to tour the facilities before the break and will hopefully put in bids. Also, Philp announced a new policy, approved by the President’s Advisory Council, which allows students to change all university documents to show the name they prefer. This is a monumental change for students whose given name is not the one which they choose to go by. Finally, Philp announced that the budget advisory process for the university has begun, and there is talk of a 3% tuition increase. Philp states that Council will be highly involved in this process.
Following these announcements, Molly Anderson announced that there will be an event on Dec 6th at 4:30, for the Nation Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women.
Town of Wolfville Mayor Jeff Cantwell also announced that on New Years Eve, there will be several events going on around town to ring in the new year, including a free brunch provided by local businesses and chefs! Cantwell encourages any students who will be around to join in on the festivities.
Ailish Bergin is a second year Politics student and Columnist for The Athenaeum
ASU Releases Proposals for By-Law Changes
In advance of the By-Law Revision Consultation, the Acadia Students’ Union released the finalized drafts of By-Law One (Positions), By-Law Two (Committees), and By-Law Three (Elections) prepared by the ASU lawyer, Tom McEwen. This is the final consultation opportunity, outside of SRC meetings, before the by-laws are adopted in early December 2018.
Read the by-laws and make your own comments here.
By-Law Review Process
The By-Law Review process was started in the final months of the 2018 Winter Semester after the tumultuous 2018 General Election. Student representatives at the time stated that the desire of the review was to ensure that our by-laws are clear, concise and effective for the organization moving forward and to ensure that the documents reflect the values and mission of the Acadia Students’ Union, including diversity and inclusiveness.
Funded with a $10,000 budget from the ASU Wellness Fund, the By-Law Revision Project was pitched as an opportunity to fix the by-laws, eliminate contradictory language and reduce redundancy in an effort to make it easier for future student leaders to understand and interpret.
The project was pitched to include substantial student consultation to centre around the size and composition of Council and the opportunities to increase diversity and inclusivity within the Acadia Students’ Union. These consultations were held in early April 2018 with handful of students and Members of Council in attendance. Drafts were circulated during the summer among Members of Council; however, the first publicly released documents were released on November 8th, 2018, hours before the final consultation.
Major Proposed Changes to Council Composition
Two Councillors and the Student Board of Governors Representative would be eliminated, shrinking Council to sixteen (16) voting representatives. The Executive Board would be maintained at its present size and composition.
The VP Finance and Operations would be elected in the General Election along with the other Executive Team members. Currently, the VP Finance and Operations is hired by the outgoing Hiring Committee to ensure that the position is filled by someone with a strong skillset and background to be successful in the role.
The Diversity and Inclusion Representative (now known as the Equity Officer) would be hired by the Hiring Committee to ensure that it can be filled by an individual who represents a minority group on campus.
Major Changes to Committees
The Presidential Affairs Committee and the SUB Renewal Committee would be eliminated entirely, and the Student Funding Committee would be merged into the Financial Affairs Committee. There is also no mention of the Accessibility Advisory Committee which was constituted in 2017/2018 as a temporary ad hoc committee.
The Student Life Committee would lose its authority to ratify campus club to the VP Student Life.
The Campus Representation Committee would be renamed the Diversity and Inclusion Committee to reflect the name change of the current Equity Officer and the President would be added to the committee.
The Environmental Sustainability Committee membership would be amended to add two additional Members of council and to eliminate specific voting membership for representatives of specific campus clubs, including the ESST Club, Outdoors Acadia, the Acadia fork and Farm, the Environmental Science Students’ Association, the Fletcher Geology Club and Slow Food Acadia.
The Chairperson would be reduced to a non-voting position on the Review Board, Governance Committee and the Hiring Committee.
Major Changes to Elections
The campaign period would be shortened to ten (10) days, including five (5) days for voting. The nomination period would also begin on February 1st and end on the Friday two weeks before the Winter Study Break. Under these proposed rules, the 2019 General Election would commence and end on the same day (Friday, February 1st, 2019).
The by-law would create rules of fair play and community standards that are aimed at ensuring that elections remain fair and free for all candidates and accessible for all voters. These guidelines would set the standard for candidates and their supports to maintain throughout the campaign.
The complaint process would change to eliminate the disciplinary power of the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) who would be required to present their recommendations to the Elections Committee who would decide on disciplinary action against any candidate, side or election official. They would also entertain appeals of their decisions.
The referendum section would be consolidated into By-Law Three (Elections). Currently, a petition of 5-10% of the student body or a vote of Council could initiate a referendum; however, the proposal would allow only Council-initiated referenda. The proposal would also grant significant authority to the Elections Committee to set spending limits and campaign restrictions.
Oliver Jacob is a third year History and Politics student and News Editor of The Athenaeum and former Chairperson of SRC
ASU Election Results Released
At 4:32 PM today, ASU President George Philp sent out an all-student email announcing that the following candidates had been elected to the ASU Students’ Representative Council in the 2018 Fall By-Election.
First Year Officer – Blake Steeves
Equity Officer – Kate Hamre
The Students’ Representative Council is the body of student who are elected each year to run the Acadia Students’ Union. More information on what they do and how you can get involved is available at www.theasu.ca.
SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 13th
Every week, your elected student government meets on a Tuesday night to talk about issues concerning the ASU. Agenda items can seem long, mysterious and confusing without the proper background, making it difficult to see how these issues affect students. Here’s what happened at the last meeting on February 13th:
Changes to House Council Constitutions
There have been some changes made to the hiring process for executive members on House Councils, including the inclusion of a VP Events and VP Communications. There have been some slight changes to the elected representatives on House Council, mostly regarding titles.
SUB Renewal Proposal
The SUB Renewal Committee Proposal was tabled to the next regular meeting of Council.
Appointment to the Policy and Research Advisory Committee
VP Finance & Operations Liam Schreiter was appointed Vice Chair of the new Policy and Research Advisory Committee aimed to come out by the end of this academic year. His appointment was confirmed along with 2 non-executive members to sit on the committee alongside Liam.
Nova Scotia Heritage Day Speaker
This Saturday, February 17th, at 3:00pm in the KCIC, there will be a talk discussing Mona Parsons who is this year’s Nova Scotia 2018 Honouree, with speaker Andria Hill-Lehr, author and play wright, who will be leading the discussion.
Madison Hathaway is the Student Politics Correspondent for The Athenaeum and a third year Honours student in Politics & French