By Karen Aney (The Cascade) – Email
Date Posted: September 29, 2011
Print Edition: September 28, 2011
The Student Union Society’s recent attempt to host an Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 23rd was unable to proceed as planned, as it failed to reach quorum – the amount of people that must be present to make a voting faction. Only approximately 50 individuals showed up, which was significantly short of the approximate 100 needed to represent one per cent of the total student body. Though the meeting could not go forward, SUS chose to host a discussion forum regarding the topics that will be voted on next week at the second attempt at an AGM.
Items discussed included the excess fees paid by those in programs that don’t follow the typical semester format (such as the teacher program and some trades programs); this is an issue the SUS is aware of and is working with the president to resolve as soon as possible. As it’s a technical issue with the student registration system, they have no immediate control over it. Another topic of discussion was the switch from Casey’s to Aftermath; this was done partially to address the issue of the deficit that Casey’s has traditionally run. Issues with the U-Pass were covered as well – namely, the possibility of opting out of the program. This isn’t currently an option, but any issues with the program can be addressed to the U-Pass program coordinator, Kieran Sampson, at chilliwack@ufvsus.ca.
An overview of the following topics, which were on the meeting’s agenda and are to be discussed at the upcoming AGM, are available on the SUS website: first, there is a proposal to change the job title of “Students With Disabilities Representative” to “SUS Accessibility Representative.” Secondly, it is proposed that this position (and the six others that fall into the ‘Community Representatives’ category) be changed to require a 10 hour work week, rather than a five hour work week. With this would come an honorarium of $500 per month.
This is of even greater importance because two more propositions being voted on would add two more Community Representatives: the “Gender and Pride Representative” and the “Sustainability Representative.” This would mean nine positions in total would now be paid a combined $4500, funded by student fees. Any member of SUS is available to discuss the services these positions provide – their contact information is also available at the SUS website.
Another item on the meeting’s agenda is in regards to last year’s audit and this year’s proposed amended budget. This can be viewed, again, on the website. As some of the changes are fairly significant, students are encouraged to check out both the website and the upcoming AGM for themselves (for example, the proposed budget for Mileage Allowance is $12,000. The actual cost of mileage claims in the 2010/2011 year was $2,744.36). If you attend the AGM, you have the power to vote for or against each of these proposals, and hear the explanations for each item yourself.
The second attempt at the AGM will be held on September 30th at 12 p.m. in the theatre on the Chilliwack campus. Because this is the second attempt, SUS does not need to hit quorum in order to vote on these matters. This means that decisions can be made regarding these issues without input from the student body. Empower yourself by attending this meeting; find out what your SUS can do for you and if you feel the decisions they’re making are in your best interest.
