Overview:
- Biomedical Sciences/BMSA bona fide conclusions
- Honoraria Policy implementation and restrictions
- Joint resolution on Mental Health
- Calendar obligations of Departmental Clubs
- CnD Growth Report and alternative transaction resolution
- CECA Censure and reform request
- PhysClub and BUGS constitutional updates
Biomedical Sciences Decisions
Perhaps
one
of
the
most
contentious
decisions
in
Faculty
of
Science
student
government
was
made
recently,
which
involved
the
dissolution
of
a
temporary
member
society
of
the
Science
Society
Board
of
Directors.
On
March
16th,
2017,
by
a
vote
of
the
six
Yay
to
zero
Nay
to
three
abstentions,
the
Board
resolved
to
“dissolve
the
membership
of
Biomedical
Student
Association
(BMSA)
and
remove
their
voting
seat
from
the
Science
Society
Board
of
Directors”.
Further the
Board
“encouraged
the
Association
to
become
a
Federation
of
Students
club”,
and
“to
request
a
non-voting
seat
on
the
Board
in
the
future”
in
addition
to
“applying
for
external
funding
from
the
Science
Society
Board
in
the
future
terms.”
This
decision
was
not
made
lightly.
Due
to
the
impassioned
nature
of
this
matter,
the
Executive
in
conjunction
with
the
Board
has
resolved
to
clarify
the
nature
of
the
decision,
the
arguments
that
predicated
its
motion,
and
foremost
to
highlight
the
structure
of
the
Board
for
those
unclear.
More
information
regarding
this
decision
can
be
found
here: https://uwaterloo.ca/science-society/documents
Honoraria Policy
The Science Society Board of Directors acknowledged the industriousness of Society Volunteer Coordinators, and the tireless efforts or Executives and Board members, by implementing an honoraria policy. The Board restricted Honoraria to be used for expression of gratitude, provision of gifts and appreciation, or to confer distinction on the recipient for services beyond expectation. The Board delegated the allotment amount for Honoraria as a power of the VP Finance & Administration of the Society with case-by-case approval by the Board. The policy included changes to how the SciSoc Departmental clubs were allowed to provide honoraria including the provision of express approval for Honoraria by the VP Finance & Administration or the Board. The Board also decided no Financial Honoraria would be allowed in the Faculty of Science student government effective immediately.
Joint
Executive-Board
Resolution
on
Mental
Health
at
Waterloo
The
Board
unanimously
voted
on
“A
Resolution
on
Future
Action
to
be
Taken
by
Mental
Health
Services
at
the
University
of
Waterloo”.
The
Board
extended
thanks
to
the
courageous
efforts
of
those
individuals
in
Mental
Health
Services
who
work
diligently
to
address
student
concerns
but
felt
greater
action
must
be
taken
by
the
University
to
better
provide
support
services
to
their
students.
The
Board
requested
that
the
number
of
counsellors
employed
by
Mental
Health
Services
be
approximately
doubled
as,
currently,
there
are
22
counsellors
to
serve
the
30
000
plus
students
on
campus.
It
was
and
found
the
cost
of
the
extra
counsellors
could
be
funded
by
an
increase
in
school
fees
of
approximately
$44
per
student
per
year.
The Board also noted that steps should be taken to ensure all students are aware of the mental health services offered by the University. The Board discussed a variety of methods by which to accomplish these goals and suggested that a letter be included in each University of Waterloo admissions package reminding parents/guardians the importance of their support regardless of academic success, that the University establish a mandatory 10-minute meeting with a counsellor for each new student to explain the mental health services available to them, and that Residences add more support staff for on campus housing to allow for monthly meetings between each student and their don.
Mental Health Letter & Mental Health Resolution *
Calendar and Scheduling Responsibility Internal Requirements
The Board also mandated structural changes to the online calendar and event coordination between departmental clubs and the society.
You can read the resolution here: Calendar Requirements for Departmental Clubs *
Implementation of Debit Machines and CnD performance Metrics
Last year's restructuring of Science Society CnD by MNS Society and Chemistry Club which was implemented by Vaishnavy Gupta (President of SciSoc) and Brittani Brown (VP Finance & Administration of SciSoc) was massively successful. Returned earnings are continuing to increase and the Board's decisions to change CnD from a break-even to a competitive business model was highly successful.
CnD Retained Earnings and Growth Projections powerpoint *
The Board also called on the Society to implement, pursuant to the original mandate of restructuring and debt forgiveness, a Debit Machine or alternative means of transaction.
Censure of the Department of Co-operative Education & Career Action
The Board of Directors resolved that the Department of Co-operative Education & Career Action has not fulfilled to the best of their ability their mission in supporting the student Co-op experience at the University of Waterloo. While the Board highlighted "Co-operative Education as a cornerstone of the learning experience" with 18,730 students enrolled in co-op (more than half the undergraduate student body), it expressed frustration for the opaque nature of co-op fee expenditure and called into question the cost to benefit ratio for science students given new fee increases, which have recently risen by 4.9% surpassing a staggering $700.00 CAD in spite of tremendous student opposition. Determined to express the views of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science, highlight concerns regarding the growing inefficiencies and lack of transparency at CECA, and to encourage the Federation of Students to take a more adamant stance in the defence of ardent student concerns, the Board unanimously resolved to formally censure CECA. The Board’s primary concerns are as enumerated below included, but are not limited to:
- The lack of routine review and minimal student involvement in the management and oversight of the CECA; Even where there exist student representatives, student input and sentiment is not considerably acted on.
- The lack of easily accessible public reporting on expenditure, employment, and revenues of the CECA which is predominantly funded by levied Student fees;
- Unclear return on investment (ROI) given fee increases for students who arrange jobs through the WaterlooWorks (formerly Jobmine) system;
- The lack of forthright response to the complaints of students and the lack of meaningful reform based on criticism, complaints, and questions raised; and further the lack of verified anonymous reporting of concerns over CECA, its employees, or any other aspects of the organization;
- The lack of readily available, up-to-date termly job hiring rates for individual disciplines or programs;
The Board resolved that these actions constitute an under performance of CECA in the delivery of support systems for co-op students. The resolution provided for potential redress by the Board given reforms, including: increasing transparency in use and distribution of student fees in a concise manner; the implementation of a verified anonymous reporting system for concerns over CECA, its employees, or any aspect of the organization; and by providing readily available, up-to-date termly job hiring rates for individual disciplines or programs so as to help prospective and enrolled non-co-op students make more informed choices.
Constitutional Changes for Biology Undergraduate Student Society (BUGS) and Physics Club
*DISCLAIMER: If you cannot view these document, please contact the MNS Society or Science Society and we would he happy to read it or provide you with a copy in a format you can read.
Please feel free to reach out to the MNS Society or Science Society if you have any questions regarding the decision!