All are welcome to attend the Student Union Society’s (SUS) Public Board Meetings, held once a month. The decisions of the SUS affect the learning environment and campus culture of students and staff at UFV.
UFV’s Student Union Society (SUS) held its monthly Public Board Meeting on Jan. 30. During the meeting, the board brought up the upcoming SUS AGM and provided monthly reports on their advocacy for key student concerns, including transit expansion and textbook affordability.
The SUS AGM will be held on Apr. 15, 2025, and is open to all UFV students. The board encouraged students to participate in discussions about SUS initiatives.
As part of UFV’s ongoing presidential search, four SUS representatives will interview finalist candidates from Feb. 24 – 28. Their recommendations will contribute to the final selection process for a new UFV president.
SUS president Jayden Hovey provided his monthly report with updates on student advocacy efforts, focusing on BC Transit transportation and cost of living issues. Hovey met with Dr. Joanne MacLean, UFV president and vice-chancellor, to discuss joint advocacy initiatives. Topics of discussion included full-time equivalency funding, international student concerns, and trades program funding for the Canada Education Park (CEP) campus.
In January, Hovey also met with Gordon Botha, director of transportation, to discuss expanding BC Transit services between Abbotsford and Chilliwack and securing better student rates for BC Transit Route 66. Discussions with Mayor Ross Siemens also led to connections with the Fraser Valley Regional District to explore possible transit solutions.
SUS Vice President External Roxy Granikovas outlined in her report how she met with Dr. James Mandigo, UFV’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic, to push for affordability initiatives. According to her report on a Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) program, Mandigo indicated that the university was interested in adopting a ZTC, which could be implemented as early as summer 2025.
A proposal to provide prompt access to course syllabi during registration is currently under review. As part of her work with the Learning Environment Advisory Group (LEAG), Granikovas also advocated for increased study spaces on campus as UFV receives new funding for classroom technology.
SUS is organizing several events to support students. In March, they will host Open Educational Resources (OER) Week, focusing on mitigating students’ textbook costs. Additionally, RBC will hold two financial literacy workshops on campus in February, with SUS in discussions to bring another financial institution to host similar events in the future.
Further, SUS is planning Health & Wellness Week, with 17 events on the schedule. SUS’ Vice President Students, Bilal Faisal Faheem, is working to increase student engagement at UFV’s Mission campus and has met with students to discuss ways to improve access to SUS services. Faheem also announced his event “Chai with Bilal.” This event is designed to increase SUS transparency, allowing students to sit in the atrium with Faheem and discuss the SUS, UFV, or any doubts they may be having.
Additionally, SUS has expanded its student perks program, partnering with six new businesses to offer student discounts. These businesses include Chilliwack Thrifty Boutique, Boardwalk Burgers, DelivFree, Cowork Chilliwack, FlightHub, and Vancouver Football Club.
Moreover, The Supplement House in Abbotsford is offering UFV students a 15 per cent discount on regular priced items, and will have a promotional table on campus during Health & Wellness Week.
The next SUS Public Board Meeting will be held on Feb. 20 from 2 – 3 p.m. in room S3103.
