The Athenaeum

Tag: SRC

  • VP Academics & External: Menat Tahoun

    VP Academics & External: Menat Tahoun

    Hello Acadia Students!! My name is Menat Tahoun and I am going up for the position of Vice President of Academics & External for the 2021-2022 year.

    I am a Second-year Kinesiology student who is passionate about advocating for students’ needs and wants. I have been a part of the ASU team for the last 2 years, in my first year I was the first-year representative for the ASU. In my role as the first-year representative, I got to represent all first-year Acadia students. I enjoyed my involvement in the ASU so much that in my second year I became the Professional studies senator, here I got to represent and advocate for all professional studies students. I also got to work closely with the current VP of Academics & External, Lydia Houck. Working with Lydia this year made me realize that I want to do what she does and advocate for all students within Acadia and outside. Being a part of the Academic Affairs team, I got to help with extending the drop with a W date. When the drop with a W date got extended to the last day of class, that’s when I knew that I wanted to become the VP of Academics.

    Voting for me means, voting for diversity, inclusion, and a candidate that cares about your needs!

  • VP Student Life: Georgia Saleski

    VP Student Life: Georgia Saleski

    Hey Acadia students, I’m Georgia! For those of you who haven’t met me yet, I’m a third-year Kinesiology student and I’m originally from Waverley, Nova Scotia. I jumped at the opportunity to come to Acadia and study Kinesiology once I heard about the amazing experiences associated with the university from my older peers. The reviews held true, and only shortly after moving into residence, I found myself in love with Wolfville. I immediately cherished the sense of community and the incredible people I met only weeks after settling in, I felt like I was home.

    I am so lucky to have had such a positive experience over my (almost) three years here at Acadia. As a candidate for Vice President of Student Life in the upcoming ASU election, I want to ensure that all Acadia students feel that same sense of belonging and support, whether they’re taking classes from Wolfville or elsewhere during these difficult times. The past year has put everyone in extraordinary circumstances, and this means that the support for students’ mental health and education must be extraordinary as well.

    It is my hope to be elected into this position so that I can ensure student wellbeing and health is a priority both on-campus and within the community. It is important to me that although we find ourselves more distant this year, we are unified as students and that we feel capable to represent the resilience and adaptability that our generation has adopted.

  • VP Finance and Operations: Fumiya Kanai

    VP Finance and Operations: Fumiya Kanai

    Hello, my name is Fumiya Kanai. I am third-year business student at Acadia, and I am running this election to be Vice President of Finance and Operation for 2021-2022 academic year.

    I really appreciate the opportunity to join the election this year. Let me talk about my history for short.

    First, I am an international student from Japan and I am studying as a business major. When I was in my first year, I joined the SMILE program to get involved with the community more. Then, I had great experiences. So, in my second year, I became an RA at Tower and a medical first responder on the Acadia Medical Team because I want to support people around the campus more. When I was in those two teams, I had very good experiences with many Acadia students and I have realized that students have lots of power. Also, academically, I was nominated as Dean’s List last year.

    Now, if I successfully got elected for this position, I would like to contribute all of my time for the year in trying to make this place better for students and the community as well. I am going to increase the revenue when I am in the office, and also want to give more value to the students.

  • Professional Studies Senator: Chiara Lu

    Professional Studies Senator: Chiara Lu

    Hello, my name is Chiara Lu. I am a business first-year at Acadia University who plays the piano and sings pretty okay in my free time. I came to Wolfville from Rome, Italy.

    I am ready to compete for the Professional Studies Senator position. I have planned and executed more than 15 projects and events for a youth fellowship in Rome and I proposed innovative ideas for DLY Italia s.r.l. regarding their bonus and communication systems. There is still a lot to learn but I will use my knowledge, empathy and enthusiasm to serve the professional studies student body.

    To all Business Administration, Communication, Community Development, Education, Kinesiology, Music and Recreation Management students: Your voice will be heard.

    Let us enhance inclusiveness and maximize each others’ potentials in this beautiful community!

  • Arts Senator: Ava Clarke

    Arts Senator: Ava Clarke

    Hi, I’m Ava! I’m a third year history major, minoring in classics. I’m running for Arts Senator because I believe in student empowerment and want to help make my peers feel heard. Even more so, confident that their concerns will be addressed. I strive to shape the Arts Department into a community in which everyone feels supported, valued, and inspired to reach their full potential.

    Some of my goals are:

    1. To help provide students with valuable academic resources

    2. Create opportunities where arts students can meet and form meaningful connections

    3. Build a judgment-free, safe environment where all students can voice their concerns, challenges, and ideas! If elected, I will be a fair representative of Acadia’s arts students but, bigger than that I hope to encourage more of the student population to vote and bring their opinions to light.

    Feel free to reach out and learn more. Thank you!

  • SRC Councillor: Aaron Majid

    SRC Councillor: Aaron Majid

    Hello, I’m Aaron Majid. I’m a third-year at Acadia with a focus on Politics. I’ve been lucky enough to have been at Acadia for three full years, entering my fourth and final year next year. I came to Acadia knowing no one, but sure enough, this University made me feel at home. I look to give back to my University and be a resource to those already attending and those arriving, which is why I’m running for one of two Councillor positions. I’ve always enjoyed helping others and getting to know the people I share a place with, as well as taking leadership roles in my community, and as Councillor, I look forward to working with my team, peers, faculty, and the people of Wolfville, making sure that we ALL enjoy the short time we are lucky enough to share together and that everyone’s voices are heard and considered.

  • SRC Decoded: What you missed February 5th

    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 Beveridge 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.

    The student’s representative council continued their weekly meetings last Friday, here is what you missed:

    Bylaws and Constitution: Out with the old, in with the new!

    The council started off by quickly adopting the minutes from their previous meeting and then the show hit the road. President Brendan MacNeil and ASU General Manager Meghan McDonald started with a presentation about the bylaws review that is happening within the Governance Committee. Brendan explained why this process was necessary and important; many of the rules regulating the SRC were at the wrong levels within the constitution, making them either too vulnerable to change or unnecessarily difficult to change. He explained that the Governance Committee was “cleaning up” those regulations to make both the SRC more accountable to their constitution and to make the constitution itself more reinforced and succinct.

    Brendan went on to discuss his hopes for the Union and student engagement. He is hoping that with this new level of transparency and clarity, students will be more engaged with the policies that govern their student government, as well as participating in it. He touched on the importance of the bylaws protecting their organization from third-party organizations who may be predatory on student governments and leave them bankrupted. Brendan wrapped up by explaining that the financial manager will be sitting on the finance committee to ensure there is a failsafe who knows the internal details of the Union’s finances and when decisions are being made by that committee. Meghan McDonald briefly mentioned the introduction of “society fees” which would support any society under the ASU to create their own society fees.

    Attendance

    The council went into a discussion about the nails and bolts of the bylaws, discussing the impeachment process for members of the SRC and ensuring the policies were logical across the different faculties and schools (especially the Divinity College and the Graduate School). Zachary, Theology Senato, brought up an interesting point regarding member attendance to the meetings; he questioned whether or not the council needed to motion to accept a member’s reason for regret when they miss a meeting, at the beginning of the said meeting. Brendan MacNeil answered cautiously that he wants to ensure attendance is the norm, not absence, and he worries that if accepting regrets becomes a part of the weekly meetings, then absences generally will be more frequent. Zach responded that he understands that absences should not be normalized, but wondered whether it was something the council should be doing if it is suggested in their bylaws and Chairperson Molly seconded that it maybe be quite helpful for there to be an explicit procedure to acknowledge absences so that they happen less frequently and for serious reasons only. The council decided to sit on that topic and discuss their opinions next week.

    Announcements

    Members gave a few high-level announcements and updates on their own initiatives.

    Election and Referendum

    Molly moved onto the issue of running an election with only one candidate as a YES/NO vote. Brendan and Zach, who were there a few years ago when the process changed, explained that this event has gone in and out of practice because its benefits and consequences seem almost equal: while having this type of election is a good safeguard for democracy and ensuring that a person does not fill a role when students do not deem them appropriate, the election has a history of being landslides votes ‘yes’ and being essentially redundant, while also being costly for the ASU. The discussion ended with the committee unanimously deciding to reimplement the YES/NO voting option for unopposed candidates in all ASU elections beginning with the winter 2021 election season.

    The committee finished up their meeting with a couple of quick announcements before signing off for the day!

  • SRC Decoded: What you missed January 29th, 2021

    SRC Decoded: What you missed January 29th, 2021

    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 Beveridge 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.

    After some general grounds-keeping conversations and new introductions, the Student Representatives Council started their meeting!

    This meeting centred mostly on the goals each council member had for the rest of the term.

    Lara Hartman began with her plans, highlighting her desire to ensure she is supporting arts students as best she can (as the arts senator).

    There was a short change of topic, while Lydia Houk discussed the possible re-emergence of a program wherein the Town of Wolfville councillors are paired with members of the SRC as part of a mentorship program. Lydia thought this would be an especially valuable opportunity for the new members. Brendan MacNeil then briefly touched on an opportunity for council members to collaborate with the Sustainability councillor for the Town of Wolfville before turning it over to Sadie McAlear, the new Community Relations Councillor.

    Sadie emphasized that she’d like to have a better understanding of the SRC, make stronger connections within the community, and also some projects that she would like to undertake. Lydia followed mentioning goals surrounding getting feedback from a diverse population of students and also having more collaboration between the students and the faculty. Robbie Holmes proceeded, sharing his aim of helping ensure a smooth transition within position roles, as he has much familiarity with the council. Brendan Keeler said he had plans to make information more readily available and straight-forward for future VP Finances as well as creating a full volunteer program for the Finance office.

    Alex Surette spoke about his goals to bring more students into the sustainability initiative as well as a sustainability project focused on reusing clothing. Blake Steeves went next and described his goal to run a successful social media campaign for the general election and to ensure Cheaton happens! Jodi Chaffer said he would like to continue growing and establishing his initiative from last semester researching campus and also to increase MCAT and LSAT studying support for students. Zach Goldsmith strives to be a good bridge between the Theology Department and the ASU and to hold the event which he organized last semester. Menat Tahoun put an emphasis on her desire to communicate well with the incoming professional studies senator and make a smooth transition. Molly Anderson said she would like to make decisions and discussion within the SRC as accessible and comprehensible as possible to students, and also properly storing and archiving outstanding documents. Finally, Brendan MacNeil shared his goals. He would like to increase the employability of students as Acadia and to equip them with as many tools as possible throughout their education so that they are prepared to enter the workforce. Additionally, like many others, Brendan aims to ensure the transitions of roles happen smoothly and effectively.

    The council wrapped-up with a few small conversations and the meeting was adorned!

  • Community Relations Representative: Sadie McAlear

    Community Relations Representative: Sadie McAlear

    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.

  • Community Relations Representative: Wes Lepine

    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 November 18th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed November 18th

    I hope everyone had a good reading break! The SRC did not meet for a couple of weeks because there were no motions to pass; however, they resumed their weekly meetings last Wednesday. Here is what they discussed:

    The first topic of discussion was centered around an audit which should close on December third (the statements will then be released). Of particular interest were the funds of the previous grad classes of Acadia (dating back around twenty years). Though Alumni Affairs has requested the possession of these funds on the basis of an alleged agreement, President Brendan MacNeil stated that no such contract has been recorded, so the funds will remain within the ASU. The logic behind this is that the reason the funds were initially paid to the ASU was so that the funds of previous students could be spent on current ones. MacNeil went on to explain that these funds would go into a capital fund and would likely be spent on a “large capital project”. When the funds are spent, recognition will be given to the grad classes who these funds came from.

    Academic Affairs

    Academic affairs reported a meeting had with students, largely in response to how their academic experiences were going this term. Overall, students are feeling overwhelmed, they lack motivation, and are just generally having a hard time. This most common feedback was that most professors are assigning a larger number of small assignments which results in more stress for students. Academic Affairs has compiled some possible recommendations they could bring forth to different bodies, such as providing a mental health “tool kit” that could be shared with students, having an evaluation during the term so profs can get real-time feedback and adjust accordingly, and finally extending the drop without F grade deadline until the end of the term.

    Governance committee and the review board

    These two bodies are both currently have enough missing seats to function at an appropriate level. The hope is that after the by-election, the issue can be re-visited and perhaps resolved. The SRC anticipates filling the rest of the governance committee positions after the by-election.

    Student Consultation Day

    Brendan MacNeil explained a new initiative he has recently planned where all the Deans, the Provost, and Peter Ricketts are given an opportunity to get feedback from their students and engage with them. MacNeil has recommended that senators find a way to share this information with the student in their discipline and encourage them to sign up for this opportunity on November 30th.

    A short announcement was made by Lydia Houck regarding the “councillors to councillors” initiative. This involves connecting councillors from the SRC with councillors from the Town of Wolfville to promote the university to community relations and create valuable relationships. The plan as of the meeting is the resume this initiative after the results from the by-election come in.

    Announcements

    Zach, the Theology Senator, is doing a Q&A to “ask a Theologian anything” in effort to help shine some light on the seemingly mysterious discipline of Theology (hint: it’s not the study of rocks). He will advertise this event via word of mouth and email. He, alongside his professor Steven, will discuss questions like: why study theology? How does theology apply to students outside of its discipline? And more. Questions can also be submitted beforehand or asked live!

    Diversity and Inclusion representative Soyini Edwards is planning an event where students can “beat the hell” out of piñatas to help destress. Stay tuned!

     

  • SRC Decoded: What you missed October 28th, 2020

    SRC Decoded: What you missed October 28th, 2020

    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 Beveridge 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.

    This week’s meeting started as usual with a land acknowledgment and the acknowledgment of the ASU’s statement of autonomy. Missing from this meeting was the Arts Senator, VP Student Life, and the Sustainability Officer. After rolls were called, the agenda was passed, and the meeting began.

     

    ELECTION UPDATE

     

    Chairperson, Molly Anderson, explained that the By-Election received no student interest and therefore the Council has the option of opting not to run an election with no candidates for the sole sake of the referendum question. The other option, she explained, would be for the council to run the election again. She opened this up to the floor. Lydia Houck, VP Academic, shared her thoughts, explaining that they could run the election again with much more success if they changed their strategy. Blake Stevees, VP Events and Promotions quickly agreed. VP Finance and Operations, Brendan Keeler, also agreed, adding that he felt the council as a whole fell through with the promotion of this election and that in the future each member should make sure they talk to those around them about these opportunities. Following this discussion, Anderson concurred that a second by-election would be logistically possible if better organization happens prior.

     

    Discussion: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Acadia

     

    President Brendan MacNeil let the next topic regarding the presentation by Polly, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer for the university that would be held the following week. On Polly’s behalf, he asked whether any member of the council had suggestions for topics to be covered. Houck spoke up to clarify what type of training they would receive (I.e. a bigger, open presentation or more specific training) and MacNeil answered that he thought it would be a bit of both, with some specific advice on how to operate responsibly and respectfully in certain situations. Anderson added that after reviewing the presentation that Polly gave the RA’s, named “Anti-Oppression 101”, she felt the presentation would be fairly general. MacNeil went on to stress the importance of bringing up topics to be discussed as there are “a lot of structural issues, systematic racism, and other things at Acadia that we should be addressing as leaders.”

     

    To “get the ball rolling” MacNeil started by explaining that one of the topics they will be discussing will be diversity in the hiring process of the Union; this would extend from language used during the hiring process to intentional outreach to student from all populations, to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment. Mary, the Graduate Students’ Senator, expressed that when she is among her fellow graduate students, she does not so much feel the effects of racism; she reasons this is because many graduate students are also international students and therefore understand each other.  However, she went on to say that when she is on campus, she definitely experiences racism. It presents itself in the more implicit forms, like people not wanting to talk to her or sit next to her in meal hall. Mary thinks this may be a result of a lack of education and that Wong International Center needs to do a better job educating people and allowing international students to express their diverse cultures and languages, as well as educating international students about culture in Canada to make their transition smoother.  Jodi Chaffer, Pure and Applied Sciences Senator, added with frustration that he believes Acadia’s International Society has been promoting itself for a while now but that at events when students are given opportunities, like Mary mentioned, to explore each other’s cultures, the turnout is almost exclusively international students. He thinks the focus needs to be on creating curiosity in domestic students to learn about how diverse Canada is inside and especially outside of the Atlantic. Many members agreed that one of the biggest issues was the fact that events tended to be promoted distinctly as events for international students or events for Acadia students in general, and that this distinction created a divide in the student body that reproduces itself.

     

    Council discussed possible solutions such as more inclusive advertising of such events and creating events that promoted the integration of international and domestic students. Moreover, Mary brought up the point that many domestic students see the Wong International Center as a place that is off-limits to them, even though events held there are advertised as open to all students. Members also agreed that the ASU becoming more involved with the Wong International Centre could be a significant help. To end this discussion, Bauffer suggested the ideas of working across clubs to promote inclusion and diversity, with examples like bringing Acadia International Society and Biology Society together to do a workshop about the importance of diversity in the sciences. At this point, Molly Anderson suggested this conversation be continued with Polly at the presentation as her input may prove to be helpful.

     

    SRC and Student Engagement

     

    Leading council into the next topic, Anderson expressed her concern regarding the lack of student engagement with the SRC. She said that it was “a really bad path to be heading down because . . . it can stop us from being able to move forward as an organization”. She went on to explain that as of right now, the Governance Committee does not have enough members to function. Along similar lines, the Review Board cannot either because it must be filled after the by-election, which couldn’t run because there were no candidates. Anderson worries in the past 12 months the SRC student engagement has declined so much that students don’t know who the SRC is or what they do. She continued that if this decline continues, the Union could be in a position in a few years times where no one runs for President or Members of the Executive and the resulting structure of the organization could jeopardize the legitimacy of student representation. Anderson suggested that rather than discussing this issue formally as a council, that they instead break off into smaller groups and discuss informally, as this could be more productive.

     

    ANNOUNCEMENTS

    To end the meeting, MacNeil shared that the Axe Student Bar and Lounge has reopened!

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 21st, 2020

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 21st, 2020

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is the independent organizational body that represents the students of Acadia. More than 50 years old, the SRC provides representation and communication for students at Acadia and manages the ASU. There are many positions involved in the SRC, even some that need feeling! Attendance at the meeting this week was the executive, made up of the President, VP Academic and External, VP Finance, VP Events and Promotions and VP Student Life (Robbie Holmes). Also in attendance were the Faculty Senators, the Diversity and Inclusion Representative, and Chairperson, who ran the meeting

    This week’s meeting started with a land acknowledgment of the Mi’kmaq land that Acadia University occupies, as well as reading the SRC’s statement of autonomy. All members of the SRC were in attendance, aside from the Diversity and Inclusion rep (absence not explained). The agenda and minutes of the meeting were passed, and the meeting began. Covered in today’s meeting was the Career Services Center report (as discussed in last week’s meeting) as well as a small update on the By-Election and an important discussion in the SRC’s role in the Fishery conflict happening in Nova Scotia.

     

    Career Services Center Research Presentation    

    The presentation, led by Matthew Rios, Vice President of the Acadia Alumni Association, and Quincy Cochrane, a third-year business student at Acadia, discussed their findings after a summer research project looking into the effectiveness of Acadia’s current (non-existent) Career Services Center. Interestingly, Rios is a 2014 Acadia graduate and served on the SRC for 5 years, spending his last two years as President. Rios explained how the Alumni Association had identified a need to support students in a very important transitionary period; life after Acadia. They want to enhance the career services offices university offers. In his research, Cochrane interviewed people from many universities in both the Maritimes and other places in Canada. He identified the key components of career services – things such as skill development, employers, staffing, etc. Rios went on to explain that, “for a career service to operate, there needs to be work done in all of these buckets. If all of us were to think right now of the work being done in any of these buckets, the answer would be nothing”. The duo gave three steps they would like to see Acadia’s career services move toward catching up, competitive advantage, and then cutting edge. Rios explained that he is excited about the prospect of Acadia students graduating with not only a degree but also “competencies” that will make students attractive to employers. This includes skills such as the ability to highlight one’s strengths, communicate effectively or speak articulately. The Alumni Association, as Rios explained, is considering supporting this project with an annual contribution of 50, 000 dollars. He went on to explain that the University claimed it is not currently in a position to make significant monetary contributions but said it could commit to funding the full-time employment that this service will create, as well as providing program funding and promotional support. During the following discussion period, Robbie Holmes, VP Student Life, stressed that “even though we are putting student dollars into this program, the fact of the matter is that students are going to get a lot of money out of it”. After the speakers left, the council had a short discussion about their plans moving forward and agreed to continue the conversation on with the project.

     

    Election Update

    Chairperson Molly Anderson explained with disappointment that most positions on council are still open and have not been applied for. Holmes suggested that perhaps, this is because deadlines for applications were not posted to students. Nevertheless, these positions remain open, and additional information on council positions and directions on how to apply can be found on the ASU’s Instagram page @acadiastudents.

     

    Fisheries Conflict 

    Regarding the conflict in the fisheries in Nova Scotia, the SRC is thinking about giving students resources to take action in support of Indigenous peoples. Vice President Holmes agreed that addressing this injustice is important as they are a council with a platform and an influence. He strongly believes that the council should release a statement condemning the unnecessary violence and discrimination that is happening in Digby while also offering ways to support Indigenous communities, lists of politicians to speak to and general support for Indigenous peoples here at Acadia. Other members agreed and added that the focus should be fighting the violence and racism and supporting those affected at Acadia while staying away from the “political aspect”. Lara Hartman, Faculty of Arts Senator, who is a First Nation’s person from British Columbia, shared her view. She, unlike other members of the council who spoke previously, felt it was important to “pick a side” rather than to remain impartial, as remaining impartial was, in her perspective, “picking a side”. She also mentioned that Zabrina Whitman, Indigenous Affairs Advisor of the University should be consulted before the council decides how to proceed with the matter. Hartman said that she knows herself, and likely others, are definitely feeling the impacts of this crisis. This motion to release a statement was passed and will be directed by the executive.

     

    Announcements

    President Brendan MacNeil finished the meeting by summarizing his meeting with the Board of Governors explaining that he left the board with three main priorities: university affordability, Open Educational Resources (things like online textbooks that make getting course material more affordable), and health services accessibility on campus.

     

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 14th, 2020

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 14th, 2020

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is the independent organizational body that represents the students of Acadia. More than 50 years old, the SRC provides representation and communication for students at Acadia and manages the ASU. There are many positions involved in the SRC, even some that need feeling! Attendance at the meeting this week was the executive, made up of the President, VP Academic and External, VP Finance, VP Events and Promotions and VP Student Life (Robbie Holmes). Also in attendance were the Faculty Senators, the Diversity and Inclusion Representative, and Chairperson, who ran the meeting.

    The SRC met online for their weekly meeting this Wednesday; after approving the meeting’s agenda and confirming no conflicts of interest, the meeting begun. Chairperson Molly Anderson reviewed the minutes of the previous meeting and declared that there were no presentations, tables of matters, reports to council, committee reports, and no notices of motion to be had.

    ASU By-Election

    The next topic of conversation was the ASU By-Election. Carried over from last week, Anderson noted that the nominations started the next day (October 14) so information needed to go out to the students. As previously mentioned, there are some positions open to students: Councillors, Community Relations Representative and First Year Representative. Anderson stressed the importance of ensuring this information gets out to first-year students as they can be harder to reach. Anderson also mentioned the importance of filling those seats on Council as Councillors help a lot with things like general planning and programming. Robbie Holmes, VP Student Life, then explained that Polly Leonard, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer of the university, had suggested to him that this information be sent out through the Wong Centre as well as through the ASU. She reasoned that this would be a more effective way to reach Acadia’s international students. She also encouraged the SRC to be mindful that the language it uses is always inclusive.

    To run for the SRC positions, you must get 25 signatures from Union Members and send that information to Danish Mohammed ([email protected]). For further information, visit @acadiastudents on Instagram or email Danish through the email given above.

    Referendum Questions

    Finishing up with the elections, the council moved on the talked about the yes/no referendum questions that were created in last week’s meeting which needed to be put to motion (I.e. decided whether or not to pass them). No member had any questions or concerns, so the first question was read: Do you support an amendment to the section of ASU constitution that reads, “A quorum, for a general meeting of the union, shall be 2% of the membership of the union or 100 members of the union, whichever is larger”? The motion was passed, and this question will be added to the ballot of the by-election this fall. The SRC will need to approval of two-thirds of the voter must turn out to pass this motion.

    The Hiring Board is Hiring

    It was announced that the hiring board has vacant seats for council members. Anderson explained that although the SRC had planned to wait until their new Councillors had been elected to fill those seats, there has been interest in those positions so and a hiring process will have to run before then. A non-executive member of the council will need to fill the hiring position (not to be confused with the positions on the hiring board), at least temporarily, so that interviews for those positions can be held. Lara Hartman, Faculty of Arts Senator, volunteered to fill that position for the time being and the council approved that motion.

    Announcements

    MacNeil began by announcing that he had invited Polly Leonard to present to and hopefully give a sort of workshop to the SRC. MacNeil thinks that this would be a good way to ensure that as student representatives, SRC is fulfilling their jobs equitably and with effective representation. Hartman suggested MacNeil to Leonard about doing a panel during this training, similar to the training that the Residence Assistants received, to allow not only Leonard, but also other groups to share their own voices. MacNeil went on the explain that this training will be between 30 minutes- 1 hour and will be recorded so it can also be viewed by societies and clubs during their training. MacNeil proceeded to make a second announcement regarding the Co-Op Program: there will be a presentation by the VP of the alumni association and a co-op student researcher to discuss work they have completed on a career services centre at Acadia. This presentation is the outcome of an ongoing mission between the ASU and the Alumni Association to investigate and add recommendations to the “abominable” lack of career services and support that Acadia gives to its students. The biggest recommendation was to form a more effective Career Services Centre at Acadia which gives students more resources and support so they can successfully enter into careers.

    Wrapping up the meeting, President Brendan MacNeil encouraged his fellow council members to have a “safe and responsible” homecoming and advised them and their peers to “consume safely and responsibly”.

    Happy Homecoming!

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed March 11th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed March 11th

    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 Beveridge 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.

    This week’s meeting consisted of discussion surrounding a notice of motion to re-implement the “No” vote during elections, a project reflection from the MCAT and LCAT practice tests that were held, and recruitment for council members to assist with the soon-approaching House Council interviews.

    Notice of Motion: Yes/No Promotion

    Councillor Jonah van Driesum asked for the council’s approval in re-implementing the “No” option for students during elections. Councillor van Driesum raised concern that this was the first year without the “No” vote and, uncoincidentally, this year’s election had the worst turnout of voters. Responding to the concern, VP Student Life Robbie Holmes explained that the decrease in the number of voters was also due to the lower number of candidates running for positions this year, and the lack of campaigning that took place during the election process. In van Driesum’s opinion, the turnout is a result of people wanting a Yes/No vote and not getting it; furthermore, putting the “No” box back in will raise the voter count and improve the democracy of the election system.

    ASU President Kyle Vandertoorn commented that the decision to take away the “No” option was in an effort to prevent a re-election from happening in the case that an individual candidate is voted the majority “No”, and the council cannot fill the position. Moreover, the ‘No” option was taken out because if a student is so strongly against a candidate running for a position with the ASU, then they should run themselves. Historically, the “No” option is seldom chosen from students – the lowest recorded “Yes” result for a candidate was in the high eighties percentile.

    Some council members also commented that if a student or a group of students are so opposed to someone running for council, that person or group of people should have an outlet to express their concern. This is because some students, although strongly opposed to whoever is running or on council, may be apprehensive about taking on the position themselves, for example, the role of President. Councillor Molly Anderson offered that the impeachment process should also be re-implemented then, to “give Acadia students back their power”. As of right now, only council members have the authority to impeach other council members, which can be problematic.

    VP Finance and Operations Brendan MacNeil then voiced that he is disappointed in the council and the way this was executed. MacNeil stated, “it’s not a question of impeachment, it’s a question of the fundamentals of democracy. Do we represent the student body, or not?”

    Arts, Professional Studies, Science Senator Project Reflection

    Arts Senator Paige Stewardson, Professional Studies Senator Cassidy Churchill and Science Senator Nicole Kirkpatrick reflected on the opportunity they provided for Acadia students to write the MCAT and LCAT practice tests. The event took place on Sunday, and despite fewer students than expected being in attendance, the tests proved to be useful to students.

    Stewardson commented that although the practice exams are not marked, they offer an opportunity for students to practice. Reviews from students who were able to participate concluded that the event was helpful to them. The handful of students who were unable to attend asked if there would be a chance to write the practice tests again next year. As a result of the event’s success, Stewardson, Churchill and Kirkpatrick wish to make MCAT and LCAT practice available to Acadia students in the following years.

    Hiring Panel for House Council Executives

    VP Student Life Robbie Holmes announced that he is recruiting council members to assist in the interviewing process of hiring Acadia students for positions of House Council for each residence on campus. The interviews will most likely be held between 4pm and 9pm on March 23rd, 24th, 26th, 30th and 31st and April 2nd of this year in each of the correlating residence buildings.

    Announcements

    Hockey nationals are taking place in Halifax this weekend. Buses will be provided to transport any students who wish to attend. A bus and a half are already filled, and tickets are still available for purchase online. Additionally, food and drinks specials will be available at Dirty Nelly’s, who will be hosting Acadia students before each game. On top of this, there will be a Dirty Nelly’s gift card giveaway of between $30.00 and $50.00. The Axe Bar and Grill will also be showing the game Friday night for any students who are unable to attend.

    Sustainability Officer Max Abu-Laban announced to council that he has written an article for the Athenaeum regarding an appeal to have a labour policy for all workers on campus. The goal is to get enough petitions signed and student rallies together in an effort to have the movement passed. The point of a labour policy for all people who work at Acadia University is to specify for both employees and employers what people are entitled to as workers. This is a perfect way of protecting everyone who works on Acadia campus and ensures that the responsibility of employees is put directly on the university.

    Tuesday, March 17th is the Cheaton Cup hockey game. Students have been provided a section in a neutral zone and tickets are on sale in the Student Union Building (SUB) and Student identification is required.  The same night, (Tuesday, March 17th ), Big Fish will be performing at the Axe Bar and Grill.

    This upcoming Sunday, March 15th, there will be a community clean up beginning at 1pm at University Hall. Stop in at any time to help keep campus clean!

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