Board of Directors Meeting #10 - January

University of Toronto

Students’ Union

Local 98, Canadian Federation of

Students

Board of Directors

Package #10

Monday, January 14, 2013

6:00pm

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Building, Rm. 114

NB: Vacant seats and non-voting members are not listed. Last updated: 2012-11-15

Board of Directors, University of Toronto Students’ Union LAST NAME FIRST NAME CONSTITUENCY or POSITION

¨ Ackbarali ¨ Arif ¨ Baig ¨ Bello ¨ Bollo-Kamara ¨ Brown ¨ Buttrey ¨ Chester ¨ Choksi ¨ Cudjoe ¨ Delwar ¨ Ding ¨ Easterbrook ¨ Emadi ¨ Farah ¨ Gallipoli ¨ Gamponia ¨ Gobert ¨ Guo ¨ Hassan ¨ Havili ¨ He ¨ Henry ¨ Jadidzadeh ¨ Khan ¨ Kurusamy ¨ Levy ¨ Lomax ¨ Lunianga ¨ Mathur ¨ Mitchell ¨ Pardhan ¨ Pecoskie-Schweir ¨ Phan ¨ Qu ¨ Saafan ¨ Sajjad ¨ Scott ¨ Seto ¨ Shepherd ¨ So ¨ Staibano ¨ Ulaganathan ¨ Unnithan ¨ Zhang

Fazia Nabil Noor Ali Mustafa Yolen Cullen Michael Laurel Madiha Abigail Mo Jonathan Gregory Yasmeen Farhia Alessia Stephanie Shak Grace Dania Hassan Chen Ella Eric Khalid Gowthaman Mark Virginia Kevin Sanchit Calvin Fatema Kassandra Helen Kathleen Ro’a Munib Corey Seann Shaun Agnes (Wing Yan) Anthony Nimalan Vijay Will (Wenhao)

Woodsworth College University of Toronto Mississauga Vice-President Equity New College Vice-President Campus Life St. Michael’s College Toronto School of Theology New College St. Michael’s College Vice-President External Faculty of Engineering Faculty of Medicine Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education Woodsworth College University College Faculty of Nursing Faculty of Music Victoria College UTMSU Representative University of Toronto Mississauga University of Toronto Mississauga University of Toronto Mississauga Faculty of Law Transitional Year Program New College Victoria College University of Toronto Mississauga University College Arts & Science At-Large Faculty of Engineering Trinity College Woodsworth College University of Toronto Mississauga Professional Faculty At-Large St. Michael’s College University of Toronto Mississauga Vice-President University Affairs Vice-President Internal & Services Faculty of Pharmacy President Innis College Faculty of Dentistry Arts & Science At-Large Professional Faculty At-Large Faculty of Engineering

NCA Credo for Ethical Communication Approved by the NCA Legislative Council in 1999 Questions of right and wrong arise whenever people communicate. Ethical communication is fundamental to responsible thinking, decision making, and the development of relationships and communities within and across contexts, cultures, channels, and media. Moreover, ethical communication enhances human worth and dignity by fostering truthfulness, fairness, responsibility, personal integrity, and respect for self and others. We believe that unethical communication threatens the quality of all communication and consequently the well-being of individuals and the society in which we live. Therefore we, the members of the National Communication Association, endorse and are committed to practicing the following principles of ethical communication: • We advocate truthfulness, accuracy, honesty, and reason as essential to the integrity of communication. • We endorse freedom of expression, diversity of perspective, and tolerance of dissent to achieve the informed and responsible decision making fundamental to a civil society. • We strive to understand and respect other communicators before evaluating and responding to their messages. • We promote access to communication resources and opportunities as necessary to fulfill human potential and contribute to the well-being of families, communities, and society. • We promote communication climates of caring and mutual understanding that respect the unique needs and characteristics of individual communicators. • We condemn communication that degrades individuals and humanity through distortion, intimidation, coercion, and violence, and through the expression of intolerance and hatred. • We are committed to the courageous expression of personal convictions in pursuit of fairness and justice. • We advocate sharing information, opinions, and feelings when facing significant choices while also respecting privacy and confidentiality. • We accept responsibility for the short- and long-term consequences for our own communication and expect the same of others. This portion of www.natcom.org is managed by Jennifer Peltak. If you have suggestions or additions, please contact her directly. NCA: 1765 N Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036; 202- 464-4622; 202-464-4600 (fax) Source: http://www.natcom.org/policies/External/EthicalComm.htm (1/19/2005 8:24:42 PM)

AGENDA Meeting of the Board of Directors of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Monday, January 14, 2013 | 6:00pm | Astronomy & Astrophysics Building, Rm. 114 1. CALL TO ORDER

2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION Moved: Seconded:

Be it resolved that the agenda for the January 14, 2013 UTSU Board of Directors meeting be approved as presented.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION Moved: Seconded:

Be it resolved that the December 17, 2012 minutes package including the following documents be approved by the UTSU Board of Directors:

Board of Directors November 15, December 17 (pg. 6, 22) Elections & Referenda Committee January 8 (pg. 29) Executive Committee January 7 (pg. 33)

Policy & Procedures Committee January 9 (pg. 37)

4. APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS FOR 2012-2013

MOTION Moved: Seconded:

Be it resolved that Yale and Partners be appointed as the external auditors for the University of Toronto Students’ Union for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2013.

5. MOTIONS REFERRED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW III Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw III, Article 4 be amended to read:

a. “Proxies are not permitted”

MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW VI Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott

BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw VI, Article 3 b. be amended to read:

b. “Candidates in an election for an executive position shall be nominated by no less than one-hundred (100) members and submitted to the Elections and Referenda Committee”

MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW II Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw II, Article 1 d. be amended to read:

AGENDA Meeting of the Board of Directors of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Monday, January 14, 2013 | 6:00pm | Astronomy & Astrophysics Building, Rm. 114

d. "Members of the Executive Committee may be members of the Union as per Bylaw II.1.a-c"

6. FYI – SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING UPDATE

7. FYI – NEXT BOARD MEETING

8. OTHER BUSINESS

9. ADJOURNMENT

Minutes of the

Board of Directors

November 15, 2012

6:00pm

OISE 5280

MINUTES Board of Directors Meeting of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Thursday, November 15, 2012 | 6:00 pm | OISE 5280

IN ATTENDANCE Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity Ali Mustafa Bello, New College Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life Cullen Brown, St. Michael’s College Laurel Chester, New College (6:35pm) Madiha Choksi, St. Michael’s College Mo Delwar, Faculty of Engineering (6:40pm) Allessia Gallipoli, Faculty of Nursing (8:54pm) Shak Gobert, Victoria College (8:45pm) Grace Guo, UTMSU Representative Chen He, University of Toronto Mississauga Ella Henry, Faculty of Law Eric Jadidzadeh, Transitional Year Program Khalid Khan, New College (8:55pm) Virginia Lomax, University College Kevin Lunianga, Arts & Science At-Large (8:57pm) Sanchit Mathur, Faculty of Engineering Calvin Mitchell, Trinity College Kathleen Qu, St. Michael’s College Munib Sajjad, Vice-President University Affairs Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services Seann Seto, Faculty of Pharmacy (9:07pm) Shaun Shepherd, President Agnes So, Innis College Vijay Unnithan, Professional Faculty At-Large PROXIES

Fazia Ackbarali, Woodsworth College to Nabil Arif, University of Toronto Mississauga to Grace Guo Yolen Bollo-Kamara, seconded to Yasmeen Emadi Laurel Chester, New College to Ali Mustafa Bello Abigail Cudjoe, Vice-President External to Noor Baig, seconded to Yolen Bollo-Kamara

Jonathan Ding, Faculty of Medicine to Munib Sajjad Gregory Easterbrook, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education to Noor Baig, seconded to Shaun Shepherd Yasmeen Emadi, Woodsworth College to Shaun Shepherd Farhia Farah, University College to Virginia Lomax Allessia Gallipoli, Faculty of Nursing to Andrea Somers Stephanie Gamponia, Faculty of Music to Corey Scott, seconded to Abigail Cudjoe Shak Gobert, Victoria College to Corey Scott Hassan Havili, University of Toronto Mississauga to Grace Guo, seconded to Dania Hasan Khalid Khan, New College to Bollo-Kamara Gowthaman Kurusamy, Victoria College to Noor Baig, seconded to Corey Scott Mark Levy, University of Toronto Mississauga to Kassandra Pecoskie-Schweir, seconded to Munib Sajjad Kevin Lunianga, Arts & Science At-Large to Madiha Choksi, seconded to Calvin Mitchell Fatema Pardhan, Woodsworth College to Corey Scott, seconded to Fazia Ackbarali Kassandra Pecoskie-Schweir, University of Toronto Mississauga to Munib Sajjad, seconded to Grace Guo Helen Phan, Professional Faculty At-Large to Stephanie Gamponia, seconded to Shaun Shepherd Ro’a Saafan, University of Toronto Mississauga to Grace Guo Seann Seto, Faculty of Pharmacy to Vijay Unnithan Anthony Staibano, Faculty of Dentistry to Corey Scott, seconded to Munib Sajjad Nimalan Ulaganathan, Arts & Science At-Large to Munib Sajjad, seconded to Noor Baig Will Zhang, Faculty of Engineering to Sanchit Mathur GUESTS

Zane Schwartz, The Varsity Andrea Somers, Faculty of Nursing

1. CALL TO ORDER

The meeting is called to order at 6:20pm.

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Lomax


Be it resolved that the agenda for the November 15, 2012 UTSU Board of Directors meeting be approved as presented.

DISCUSSION

Scott states that he would like to add a motion to designate an interim OISE representative on the Board.

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Shepherd

Be it resolved that Appointment of Interim OISE Director be added as an emergency motion to the November 15, 2012 Board of Directors agenda.

CARRIED

MAIN MOTION

CARRIED

3. EXECUTIVE REPORTS

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Qu

Be it resolved that the UTSU Board of Directors approve the Executive Report as presented at the November 2012 Board meeting.

DISCUSSION

Scott states that the report is smaller because of little time between meetings.

Shepherd provides an overview of the meetings with UofT Housing Services and states that Executives put forward a number of recommendations to improve the service and protect students. He states that some rooming house conditions are terrible, with students living in hallways.

Scott states that Varsity Athletics is looking at moving some teams, and shifting resources to other athletic services. He states that there are a series of consultations happening, and encourages Directors to attend the consultations. He states that he will send more information to Directors via email.

Sajjad provides an update on the Food and Clothing Bank and the fundraising events that have been happening. He states that the Yoga Zumba Nia fundraiser was a success. He states that we will be hosting another fundraiser with Brooks Brothers, and they will be having a party in their store. He states that Directors should contact him for more information.

Baig reports back on Powershift. She states that the keynotes were amazing, and that climate justice was connected to many other social justice issues throughout the conference. She encourages Directors to contact the Executive for more information.


Qu asks for more information on the Council on Student Services consultations.

Scott states that he is meeting with Varsity Athletics tomorrow. He states that the sense is that this shift would remove a lot of the services available to the team, and being a club would mean that they would not have access to the same services as they would as a team. He states that it also removes the university’s commitment to sports medicine for the teams, which is extremely concerning. He states that there have been ongoing issues with booking space for these teams as well. He states that we hope to get more information from those affected.

Qu asks if there is anything that Directors can do to help.

Scott states that Directors can best help right now by attending consultations, and that afterward we can work toward building a campaign based on what students want to see. He states that we need to see if those administering consultations are actually receptive.

CARRIED

4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Seto

Be it resolved that the November 15, 2012 minutes package including the following documents be approved by the UTSU Board of Directors:

a. Board of Directors, October 30 (pp. 4) b. Executive Committee, October 27, November 5 (pp.14, 22) c. Community Action Commission, October 17 (pp. 26) d. Sustainability Commission, October 25 (pp. 30) e. Elections and Referenda Committee, November 9 (pp. 34) f. Budget Committee, November 9 (pp. 38)

DISCUSSION The Chair explains the process of approving the minutes and making formal amendments. He states that the Elections and Referenda Committee (ERC) minutes cannot be externalized.

Brown asks what the procedure is for committee nomination.

The Chair states that he will explain the procedure at the beginning of committee nominations.

Mitchell states that Lunianga would like to externalize items six and seven in the October 30, 2012 Board of Directors meeting minutes. He states that he would like to externalize the ERC motion for further discussion. Mitchell states that Lunianga is concerned that there was a lack of clarification as to why is says that he stated that the meeting was held on the 12 under motion six. He states that Lunianga requests that the minutes be changed to read “Lunianga states that the All Candidates meeting was held on October 13, not March 12. Mitchell states that under motion seven, Lunianga does not remember an exact date being mentioned at the last Board of Directors meeting, and that he would like to see the minutes changed to read “Scott states that the proxy forms will be available for pick-up in a couple of weeks


Scott states that he did mention a date, and that he believes that he said “the proxy forms will be available in a couple of weeks, and should be ready by November 9.”

The Chair asks that the minutes be changed to read “the proxy forms will be available in a couple of weeks, and should be ready by November 9.”

The Chair states that the ERC minutes cannot be externalized.

Mitchell asks if he can ask a question about the ERC report.

The Chair states that he can ask a question.

Mitchell states that the motion does not provide enough details about how the legal review will be implemented, and asks for clarification on the process that the ERC plans to use to look into this issue.

Scott states that we have received a reform package for what some students would like to see the elections process look like. He states that the ERC is being struck at this meeting. He states that the current ERC decided to seek a thorough audit of fairness and objectivity of the Elections Procedure. He states that the new ERC will flesh out the details. He states that his hope is that the review is completed prior to the next election.

Mitchell asks for more clarification on how the current ERC can select someone while they are advocating for the current procedures.

Scott states that Directors have a fiduciary duty as the Board of Directors to act in the best interest of our members. He states that the Directors who sit on the ERC have a fiduciary responsibility to be acting in the best interests of students. He states that the motive behind opting for an independent legal review was to ensure that we eliminated bias by employing a third party to objectively assess the UTSU’s elections procedures.

Mitchell asks about the process used to choose the independent law firm.

Hudson states that this particular issue has not yet been discussed at the ERC and that it is for the next Committee to determine.

Mitchell states that it is problematic to present a motion without having the proper steps in place.

Brown states that it is important to remember that there need to be mechanisms in place, and that it is not about individual members.

CARRIED

4. APPOINTMENT OF INTERIM OISE DIRECTOR

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Qu

Be it resolved that Yasir Yousif be appointed as interim OISE Director without a vote on the 2012-2013 Board of Directors.

DISCUSSION


Scott states that no one ran for the OISE position in the Fall By-Elections. He states that it is a year-long position. He states that the interim director would not have a vote on the Board because they had not been elected. He states that it is an opportunity to maintain our connection with that faculty, and that Yousif is the Vice-President External for the OISE faculty association.

CARRIED 5. ADOPTION OF 2012- 2013 OPERATING BUDGET

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Baig

Be it resolved that the 2012-2013 Operating Budget be adopted as recommended by the Budget Committee.

DISCUSSION Scott states that this is the final stage for the budget. He states that we continue to have Budget Committee meetings, and will be revising the budged based on actuals next term. He states that the majority of changes have been to move funds around from long term and start-up funding because we were not able to approve a policy for start-up funding earlier in the year, and we don’t anticipate as many people will apply for it. He states that he can go over the budget for new Directors. He provides an overview of the budget. He explains the purpose of the bracket system. He explains the salary breakdown into the expense lines. He states that this year we broke down the clubs funding allocations to better reflect actual clubs funding. He states that our new clubs funding policy, reconsideration funding, comes out of long term funding, if long term funding has not all been allocated for the year. He explains elections operations funding, and states that this item is there to ensure that members don’t go into debt by running in elections.

Mathur states that the Trinity College Meeting is protesting because they don’t want to fund clubs anymore.

Scott states that some colleges recognize campus groups, and that some college-based clubs can’t apply for UTSU funding.

Mitchell states that there is not any protest against UTSU funded clubs. He states that there was an incident where a club had received sufficient funds from UTSU, and because it was a UofT-wide operation, they didn’t meet the number of Trinity College members required to receive funding from Trinity College.

Mathur states that friends of his were asked to sign a form because the UTSU funding for the Hindu Students’ Council was in jeopardy. He states that Trinity students were protesting that they didn’t want UTSU funding clubs.

Mitchell states that he hasn’t heard anything, but will look into it.

Qu asks if the Hindu Students’ Council’s funding is in jeopardy.

Bollo-Kamara states that they were issued funding this year.

Brown states that it seems to be something that they would fill out for representation.


Qu asks if reconsideration funding would be shown in the final draft of the budget.

Scott states that he’s not sure how it will be presented, but it will be in the Clubs Committee minutes. He states that adding a line item would be difficult year to year, when the funding is dependent on a surplus in the long-term funding.

Brown asks why the staffing schedule is not defined and specific.

Hudson states that we have a number of responsibilities to staff, including a number of things that need to be kept private, including personal wages. She states that as employers, there are a many things that legally need to be kept confidential.

Mitchell asks if each staff position can be listed with the salary, without providing names.

Hudson states that who the staff is is public information, and that certain information, such as salaries is kept confidential. She states that as employers, the Board has a responsibility to keep this information confidential.

Shepherd states that this is a matter of us being diligent about labour laws and following common practice. He says that we have been as open as we can.

Henry suggests that the Board get a legal opinion before looking into releasing staff salary information. She states that the release of this information could lead to the harassment of staff, and that it could open up the Union to a lot of litigation.

Mathur asks when we will be moving to the Student Commons. He asks how much were spending on maintaining the old building.

Scott states that we are signing the Operating Agreement with the University soon, and explains the process. He states that the plan is to move in 2014. He states that it has been difficult negotiating with the university. He states that repairs made are only the immediate concerns, such as health concerns or where the building is actually falling apart.

Hudson states that we have a tentative final negotiation date set for December, and that the final move in date would be two years afterward.

Qu asks if we can know the number of staff we have, and the total amount of money allocated to wages. She asks for clarification on the breakdown of wages into line items.

Scott states that having the whole amount listed was flagged as confusing, so that’s why it has been broken down in this way. He states that all full time staff are listed on our website, and additional staff are generally on the front desk.

Qu asks if the line item for salaries can be broken down into full-time and part-time staff.

Scott states that that might just confuse the budget more.

Hudson states that the budget document is to plan for the rest of the year, and what is set here is what the Union is going to need to spend to fulfill that. She states that the point of a budgeting process is to determine if funds are sufficient to run the priorities for the year.


Brown asks where the funds raised for food bank are shown in the budget.

Hudson states that they go to sundry then come out of the services line item.

Qu asks who receives the membership mail out.

Scott states that it goes out to the mailing addresses that the university gives us. He states that sometimes they go to home addresses outside of Toronto. He states that this year we had issues with residences, and that the university mailed them out to residences before people moved in this year, and that residence staff threw out the mailer. He states that we continue to try to get membership information from the university so that we can correct some of these problems.

Qu asks if it would be better to stick to something electronic.

Scott states that the university doesn’t always have electronic information.

Shepherd states that the mail out goes out in the summer, but that we send out emails throughout the year.

Delwar asks if we pay for postage, or if the university covers that.

Hudson states that the union pays for postage, and the university does not pay for anything.

Mathur asks how we determine the amount of handbooks to order, considering some faculties and colleges provide their own handbooks.

Scott states that the number is based on last years’ numbers. He states that we ordered fewer handbooks this year than last year.

Mathur states that it is a waste of UTSU money if members are getting two handbooks.

Scott states that handbooks are ordered for approximately half of the membership, and that they are almost completely out at the office. He states that this is one of our most successful services, and demand is very high.

CARRIED

1. STRIKING OF STANDING COMMITTEES

Budget Committee

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Guo

Whereas the Budget Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Eric Jadidzadeh from Division I, Mo Delwar from Division II, Hassan Havili from Division III, and Madiha Choksi and Fazia Ackbarali as the two additional Directors from either Division I, II or III be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Budget Committee.


VOTE In favour: Abstentions: Opposed:

CARRIED Elections and Referenda Committee

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Bello

Whereas the Elections and Referenda Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Virginia Lomax from Division I, Ella Henry from Division II, and Michael Buttrey as one additional director from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Elections and Referenda Committee.

VOTE In favour: Abstentions: Opposed: CARRIED Policy and Procedures Committee MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Seto

Whereas the Policy and Procedures Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Nimalan Ulaganathan from Division I, Jonathan Ding from Division II, and Dania Hasan from III be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Policy and Procedures Committee.


CARRIED Student Accessibility Committee MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Lomax

Whereas the Student Accessibility Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that one director from Division I, Yassir Yousif from Division II, and Kassandra Pecoskie-Schweir from Division III be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Student Accessibility Committee.



CARRIED Executive Review Committee MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Brown

Whereas the Executive Review Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Shak Gobert from Division I, Helen Phan from Division II, Ro’a Saafan from Division III, and Gowthaman Kurusamy and Seann Seto as the two additional Directors from either Division I, II or III be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Executive Review Committee.


CARRIED St. George Clubs Committee MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Qu

Whereas the Clubs Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Agnes So from Division I, Will Zhang from Division II and Yasmeen Emadi as one additional director from either Division I or II be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Clubs Committee.

Be it further resolved that three non-Director members of UTSU be appointed to the Club’s Committee from the applications recommended by the Vice-President, Campus Life.

DISCUSSION

VOTE In favour: Abstentions: Opposed: CARRIED Organizational Development and Services Committee MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Lomax

Whereas the Organizational Development and Services Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Cullen Brown from Division I, Sanchit Mathur from Division II, Nabil Arif from Division III, and Kathleen Qu as one additional director from either Division I, II


or III be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Organizational Development and Services Committee.


CARRIED Student Refugee Program Committee MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Bollo-Kamara

Whereas the Student Refugee Program Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Ali Mustafa Bello from Division I, Gregory Easterbrook from Division II and Mark Levy from Division III, be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Student Refugee Program Committee.


CARRIED Bursary and Grants Committee MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Bello

Whereas the Bursary and Grants Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that one director from Division I, Anthony Staibano from Division II and one director from Division III, be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Bursary and Grants Committee.

VOTE In favour: Abstentions: Opposed: CARRIED

6. ORIENTATION REPORT

MOTION Moved: Bollo-Kamara Seconded: Lunianga

Be it resolved that the Board of Directors accept and approve the 2012 Orientation Report as presented at the November 15, 2012 Board of Directors meeting.

DISCUSSION


Bollo-Kamara states that there are a lot of good recommendations for next year.

Chester asks for budget breakdown for Orientation.

Hudson states that there is a budget section in the report, and explains that not all the numbers have come in yet, and that she can provide that information if requested.

CARRIED

7. OTHER BUSINESS

Lunianga asks how to address typos in the Orientation report. The Chair states that Lunianga can raise concerns about typos in the report with the Policy & Student Rights Coordinator. Brown asks what the Executive Committee’s opinion is on the electoral reform proposals being circulated on campus. Scott states that the decision to adopt or not adopt recommendations is not up to the Executive. He states that it is his opinion that electoral reform is a good thing, and that is why the Executive Committee has sought a legal opinion on our Elections Procedure Code, and we look forward to working on it with the Elections and Referenda Committee. Brown asks whom Directors can tell members to contact regarding Elections Procedure Code changes. Shepherd states that recommendations for change are welcome, and that they need to go through due process. He states that recommendations are to be made to the Elections and Referenda Committee. Brown asks why certain issues from the Executive Report weren’t discussed verbally. Shepherd states that the verbal presentation of the Executive Report was kept short, as this meeting was long.

Brown states that some St. Michael’s College students were unable to pick up proxy forms, and provides an overview of discussions he has had with two members who were having difficulty getting forms. He apologizes for the actions of one member and states that this raises concerns about the accessibility of proxy forms. He asks how we can make proxy forms more accessible to our members.

Hudson states that she interacted with the complainants. She states that the second person that complained returned with a printout proving her membership was provided with a form. She states that the first person was offered an alternative for his friend to pick up a form after office hours, and the person responded with aggression and harassment. She states that we are trying to be as accommodating as possible, including


being available after hours. She clarifies that it has to be the person carrying the proxy that picks up the proxy form and collects the proxies.

Qu asks what happened with the first person.

Hudson explains that the member was attempting to pick up a proxy form for another member, which is not permitted.

Brown states that the person’s actions were not solution-oriented, and apologizes for their behavior.

Lomax reminds Directors to always carry their t-card, and to remind their constituents to as well.

Qu asks if there is a way to have a kiosk or other location to pick up proxies in the future.

Hudson states that we are unable to have proxy forms available at secondary locations because the privacy laws of the University limit the number of people who are allowed to access membership lists.

Chester asks about the Bylaws being approved by the Board of Directors. She states that she did not see the bylaw amendments in the last Board of Directors package.

Scott states that the Bylaw amendments were in the last Board of Directors package in the Policy and Procedures Committee minutes.

Mitchell asks about the process for making amendments to the agenda. He states that members weren’t provided with a deadline to submit agenda items and that he would like to provide this information to his constituents.

Scott states that there is a procedure in place for Bylaw amendments, and that the submission he received came after the October 30, 2012 Board meeting. He explains that the procedure for amending bylaws states that Bylaw amendments must be approved by the Policy and Procedures Committee, and then by the Board of Directors. He states that due to the timing of the submission, the amendments could not be reviewed by the Policy and Procedures Committee and Board of Directors before the agenda was due to be published. He states that he is more than happy to address concerns at a policy level.

Mitchell states that responses were seven days later than the original request, and that there seems to be some communication issues. He asks how these items can be included in the AGM agenda.

Scott states that the two-week notice is the advertising notice, not an agenda item submission notice. He states that the length of time that it took to respond to the submission request was in part due to him dealing with the Elections and Referenda Committee concerns that had been raised.

Mitchell asks when the submissions should have been sent in order to be considered for the AGM agenda.


Scott states that agenda proposals would have had to be submitted to the Policy and Procedures Committee prior to the October Board of Directors meeting.

Mitchell asks how members could have known when to submit their proposals and asks what Directors can do to get that information out to their constituents.

The Chair states that amending Bylaws is not a static process where changes can only be submitted at particular meetings. He states that suggestions for Bylaw changes can occur at any time of the year, and if approved by the Board, they will be voted on at the subsequent AGM. He states that if members want to see amendments to the Bylaws, they should submit them to the Policy and Procedures Committee now, and that if the amendments are passed, they will be on the agenda for the next Annual General Meeting.

Lomax states that it is the responsibility of Directors to bring this information back to their constituents.

Shepherd states that it is the responsibility of all Directors to attend the AGM.

Qu states that Annual General Meeting (AGM) minutes are not ratified until the following year. She asks how members know what happened at the last meeting without having access to the minutes from the last AGM.

The Chair explains a record of decisions made can be shown, but you cannot show a transcript of the meeting without it being approved, which happens at the following AGM.

Henry states that it is standard practice for AGM minutes to be approved at the following meeting. She states that in organizations such as the UTSU, the AGM is the highest decision-making body, and that without having minutes approved it can cause problems.

Lunianga asks how the Vice-President Campus Life can hold proxies if they are not a voting member.

The Chair explains that the Bylaws outline that the Vice-President Campus Life is an At-Large position, so the same constituent limitations don’t apply, and that they can hold proxies.

Chester asks how minutes are accurately ratified with a changing member base.

The Chair states that it is standard practice in not-for-profit corporations because we are by law supposed to hold general meetings, and the law doesn’t care about the paradox. He states that some of that will be addressed in the changes to the Canada Corporations Act in the coming years, but for now we have to abide by the old Act.

Baig asks if we can revisit nominations because a nominee wanted to accept their nomination.

The chair states that in order to do this we need unanimous consent.

MOTION Moved: Baig Seconded: Qu


Be it resolved that the Bursary and Grants Committee and Accessibility Committee nominations be reopened.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

Bursary and Grants Committee MOTION Moved: Qu Seconded: Lomax

Whereas the Bursary and Grants Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Farhia Farah from Division I, Anthony Staibano from Division II and Fatema Pardhan as one additional director, be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Bursary and Grants Committee.


CARRIED

Student Accessibility Committee MOTION Moved: Qu Seconded: Brown

Whereas the Student Accessibility Committee is a standing committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union,

Be it resolved that Eric Jadidzadeh from Division I, Yassir Yousif from Division II, and Kassandra Peckoskie-Schweir from Division III be elected by and from the Board of Directors to serve on the 2012-2013 Student Accessibility Committee.


CARRIED

Scott states that he will be circulating a doodle poll to schedule meetings for the next term and asks Directors to advise him of any changes in their schedules.

Qu thanks everyone for attending the meeting and states that she wants to start an opt-in assassins game for Directors.

Scott states that the bylaw amendments were found in the October 30, 2012 Board of Directors’ minutes.

The Chair states that the behavior of certain members at the last Annual General Meeting was unacceptable. He states that our collective responsibility as the Board of Directors is to keep disrespect and disruption from happening. He sates that debate is welcome, but


that we need to draw that line at disruption. He states that the University has a policy on disruption. He states that as the chair’s role at the Annual General Meeting is to enforce our bylaws. He states that when he makes a ruling, the Board has a responsibility to enforce it, because he is enforcing our bylaws.

Lunianga asks what measures can be taken to address Directors who continually proxy to meetings.

The Chair states that there needs to be some accounting for why people miss meetings. He states that the Executive could contact Directors to find out why they are absent.

Lunianga asks if there is a way for Directors to get involved in ensuring that other Directors attend meetings.

The Chair states that Directors could contact other Directors as well.

Hudson states that childcare will be provided at the AGM.

Lunianga asks if there are other ways that he can get involved in helping out with the AGM.

Hudson states that the administrative tasks are handled by staff, that child minding and food have been taken care of, but that Directors can help distribute food.

Jadidzadeh asks where the AGM agenda is published

Hudson states that the agenda is on the UTSU website, will be in The Varsity, and is on the posters.

Guo reminds Directors to send AGM motions to the Board. She states that it is unacceptable for Board of Directors meetings to stretch on for so long and that Directors should be contacting the Executive Committee to discuss many of the items discussed in this meeting.

8. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION Moved: Mathur Seconded: Choksi

CARRIED

The meeting adjourns at 10:58pm.

Minutes of the

Board of Directors

December 17, 2012

6:00pm

Hart House

MINUTES Board of Directors Emergency Meeting of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Monday, December 17, 2012 | 6:00 pm | Hart House

IN ATTENDANCE: Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity Ali Mustafa Bello, New College Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life Michael Buttrey, Toronto School of Theology Laurel Chester, New College Madiha Choksi, St. Michael’s College Abigail Cudjoe, Vice-President External Yasmeen Emadi, Woodsworth College Farhia Farah, University College Grace Guo, UTMSU Representative Dania Hasan, University of Toronto Mississauga Ella Henry, Faculty of Law Eric Jadidzadeh, Transitional Year Program Khalid Khan, New College Gowthaman Kurusamy, Victoria College Virginia Lomax, University College Kevin Lunianga, Arts & Science At-Large Sanchit Mathur, Faculty of Engineering Helen Phan, Professional Faculty At-Large Kathleen Qu, St. Michael’s College Ro’a Saafan, University of Toronto Mississauga Munib Sajjad, Vice-President University Affairs Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services Seann Seto, Faculty of Pharmacy Shaun Shepherd, President Agnes So, Innis College BY PROXY: Ali Mustafa Bello, New College to Laurel Chester Cullen Brown, St. Michael’s College to Madiha Choksi

Mo Delwar, Faculty of Engineering to Sanchit Mathur Allessia Gallipoli, Faculty of Nursing to Corey Scott, seconded to Anthony Staibano Hassan Havili, University of Toronto Mississauga to Munib Sajjad, seconded to Ro’a Saafan Chen He, University of Toronto Mississauga to Grace Guo, seconded to Munib Sajjad Mark Levy, University of Toronto Mississauga to Grace Guo, seconded to Ro’a Saafan Kassandra Pecoskie-Schweir, University of Toronto Mississauga to Ro’a Saafan, seconded to Corey Scott Agnes So, Innis College to Corey Scott, seconded to Yolen Bollo-Kamara Anthony Staibano, Faculty of Dentistry to Corey Scott, seconded to Munib Sajjad Nimalan Ulaganathan, Arts & Science At-Large to Munib Sajjad, seconded to Noor Baig Vijay Unnithan, Professional Faculty At-Large to Corey Scott, seconded to Shaun Shepherd Will Zhang, Faculty of Engineering to Sanchit Mathur, seconded to Shaun Shepherd GUESTS:

Christopher Balette John Debono

1. CALL TO ORDER


2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Baig

Be it resolved that the agenda for the December 17, 2012 Emergency UTSU Board of Directors meeting be approved as presented.

CARRIED

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

MINUTES Board of Directors Emergency Meeting of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Monday, December 17, 2012 | 6:00 pm | Hart House MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Hassan

Be it resolved that the December 17, 2012 minutes package including the following documents be approved by the UTSU Board of Directors: Bursary & Grants Committee December 12

Clubs Committee October 29, December 2, December 9 Elections & Referenda Committee December 6, December 12 Executive Committee December 11 Social Justice & Equity Commission November 14 Sustainability Commission November 23

DISCUSSION

Lunianga states that 2013 should be changed to 2012 in the December 11, 2012 Executive Committee minutes.

MOTION Moved: Bollo-Kamara Seconded: Sajjad

Be it resolved that Motion 19 from the December 2, 2012 Clubs Committee minutes be externalized for further discussion.

CARRIED

Qu asks if the Elections and Referenda Committee minutes can be externalized.

The Chair explains that the UTSU Bylaws state that Elections and Referenda Committee motions cannot be externalized, but the Board can discuss the minutes as a whole.

Scott states that there have been misconceptions about the purpose of the legal third party review. He states that it is not a review of the legality of our Elections and Referenda system, but a review of the objectivity to ensure that we are employing the best elections practices possible. He further states that the purpose of the legal review is to seek recommendations to improve our elections system overall.

Qu asks what happens when the Board receives the legal review.

Scott states that any changes to the Elections Procedure Code still must be discussed and passed at a meeting of the Elections and Referenda Committee, and that any recommendations received are still subject to the formal process as outlined in the UTSU Bylaws and Policies.

Qu asks if the legal opinion will be publicized on the UTSU website.

Scott states that the intention is to publish the report.

Qu asks about the timeline for the report.

Scott states that we expect the review to be complete by February.

Chester asks if concerns from outside groups will be included in the legal review.


Scott states that the document from external groups was presented to the legal team as well.

EXTERNALIZATION: CLUBS COMMITTEE, DECEMBER 2, 2012 – MOTION 19,

MEN’S ISSUES AWARENESS RECOGNITION

MOTION Moved: Bollo-Kamara Seconded: Scott

Be it resolved that Men’s Issues Awareness be denied UTSU clubs recognition. DISCUSSION

MOTION TO GO IN CAMERA Moved: Bollo-Kamara Seconded: Sajjad

CARRIED

The meeting goes into camera at 6:18pm.

MOTION TO GO OUT OF CAMERA Moved: Seto Seconded: Phan

CARRIED

The meeting goes out of camera at 6:40pm.

CARRIED

MAIN MOTION

CARRIED 4. UTSU GENERAL MEETING

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Shepherd

Be it resolved that the UTSU General Meeting be held between the period of February 4 to February 8, 2013.

DISCUSSION

Scott states that the General Meeting will be hosted sometime between February 4 and 8, 2013. He states that the Executive is working with the university to determine the best space for the meeting. He states that the meeting date will be announced as soon as possible. He states that the UTSU had a meeting with Vice-Provost, Students, Jill Matus, who raised concerns about the UTSU’s audited statements not being ratified at the Annual General Meeting, and noted that the UTSU may have difficulty receiving the remainder of our funding as a result, as we are bound by the University’s Policy for Non-Academic Compulsory Fees which requires the submission of ratified audited statements


each year. He states that the audited statements must be passed at the General Meeting in order for us to receive the remainder of our funding for the year.

Shepherd states that he was not impressed with some students’ demeanor at the Annual General Meeting, and that he was confused by the actions of some of our UTSU Directors. He states that it is the responsibility of the Board to know and understand what the processes are, and that it was concerning to see Directors before and during the meeting who did not seem to know what was happening. He states that the Executive has been clear and open about the processes for changing bylaws and policies. He states that what happened at the Annual General Meeting created problems for the staff and Executives in the aftermath, including costs, as hosting an Annual General Meeting is not free.

Hudson provides an outline of the costs associated with the Annual General Meeting. She states that students were unable to ask questions from the auditors, which was unfair for those who had questions to ask.

Sajjad states that it was also a waste of a lot of people’s time and dedication. He states that the UTSU is hosting many other events in January, and that the General Meeting will inevitably overshadow much of that work. He states that it is frustrating and hurtful that those who put in the time and effort to attend had their time wasted. He states that Directors should keep in mind that we are working on many other important student issues.

Baig states that one of the predominant objectives of Annual General Meetings is to inform our membership about our work, and to get input on what we can do for the upcoming year. She states that the focus of discussions should be on the projects that Directors were most interested in, what plans they have for the year, and how they can better engage our members in our services, campaigns, and projects. She states that Directors should start thinking about that now in order to have an engaging, positive, and constructive conversation at the General Meeting.

Henry states that Directors know and understand the Bylaws better than the general membership. She states that the procedure is set out in the Bylaws, and that it is important for Directors to explain the processes to their constituents.

Scott states that the Executive did try to have discussions with College Councils, but that one person attended the meeting. He sates that members who initially brought these issues up prior to and at the Annual General Meeting failed to attend the agreed-upon meeting to discuss their concerns.

Mathur suggests including the registration time in the advertisements. He states that due to the large crowd, the last meeting would have run past the advertised end time, and asks what would happen if the meeting was not able to finish due to time constraints.

Hudson states that we had three rooms booked as contingency plans in case the meeting went on longer than anticipated. She states that it would have been possible to finish the meeting.

Lunianga states that a lot of people are confused about the procedure for submitting Bylaw changes. He suggests providing a template to Directors to bring to their constituents.


Shepherd states that has attempted to host meetings with interested individuals, setting the dates and times of the meetings according to the individuals’ schedules. He states that it is disrespectful for individuals to bring up these issues then not attend the meetings. He states that the Executive will continue to try to arrange these meetings over the next couple of weeks.

Lomax states that she drafted a step-by-step email on Bylaw changes, and asked constituents to contact her or cc her on emails to the UTSU Executive.

Sajjad states that our Orientation video shows what we can accomplish together, and that this should be highlighted by each Director to show the work that we do.

Bollo-Kamara states that there is a Bylaw on how to make changes to the Bylaws, and encourages Directors to discuss this with Executives and share with constituents. She states that we have been clear that the deadline to submit proposals is January 8, 2013. She states that we want this meeting to be about issues that affect students. She states that the process is in place to ensure that frivolous amendments aren’t proposed, and explains the access that Directors have to this information.

Emadi asks where to find minutes from the meetings with individuals that were mentioned.

Shepherd states that the Committee minutes are included in the board package, and that these particular meetings with individuals are not minuted.

CARRIED

5. FYI - POLICY AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE MEETING

Scott states that the Policy and Procedures Committee will be meeting on January 8, 2013. He encourages Directors to contact him if they would like information on how to write a Bylaw amendment. He states that amendment proposal documents are due by January 8, 2013.

Qu asks for clarification on the process of changing Bylaws.

Scott states that the Policy and Procedures Committee will receive the proposals which will be discussed at the next meeting of the Committee, and if the Committee approves the amendment, they recommend it to the Board for approval, then the membership at a General Meeting for ratification.

So states that the Annual General Meeting agenda was not representative of students’ wishes. She asks whether there will be a record of the motions that are not sent to the Board for approval, and asks if the proposed amendments will be published.

The Chair states that the Committee minutes are the record of the motions. He sates that they will be available in the Board of Directors package.

Lomax states that just because the UTSU advertises the deadline to submit Bylaw amendments, not everyone will read it. She encourages Directors to remind their constituents of the deadline.

6. FYI - NEXT BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING


Scott states that the next Board of Directors meeting is on Monday, January 14 at 6:00pm. He states that January 14 to 18 is also the Winter Week of Welcome, and encourages Directors to volunteer at and attend the events.

7. OTHER BUSINESS

No other business.

8. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION Moved: Farah Seconded: Jadizadeh CARRIED


Minutes of the

Elections and Referenda

Committee

January 8, 2013

6:00pm

UTSU Office

MINUTES Elections and Referenda Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Tuesday, January 8, 2013 | 6:00pm | UTSU Office IN ATTENDANCE: Michael Buttrey, Toronto School of Theology Ella Henry, Faculty of Law Sandy Hudson, Executive Director (non-voting) Virginia Lomax, University College Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services 1. CALL TO ORDER


2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Lomax

Be it resolved that the Tuesday, January 8, 2013 Elections and Referenda Committee agenda be adoption as presented.

CARRIED

3. CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER APPOINTMENT MOTION Moved: Seconded:

Be it resolved that _______________________ be hired as the Spring 2013 General Elections Chief Returning Officer.

DISCUSSION

Scott states that all members of the Elections and Referenda Committee were invited to be on the interview panel and submit questions for applicants. He states that Hudson, Henry, Buttrey and himself interviewed three candidates. He states that the Committee should go in camera to discuss merits and recommend a final candidate.

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Henry

Motion to go in camera.

CARRIED

The meeting goes in camera at 7:10pm.

MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Lomax Motion to go out of camera.

CARRIED

The meeting goes out of camera at 7:15pm.

MINUTES Elections and Referenda Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Tuesday, January 8, 2013 | 6:00pm | UTSU Office MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Henry

Be it resolved that Eric Luong be hired as the Spring 2013 General Elections Chief Returning Officer.

CARRIED

4. 2013 SPRING ELECTION SCHEDULE

MOTION Moved: Lomax Seconded: Buttrey Be it resolved that the following dates be approved for the 2013 Spring Election schedule:

• Nomination Period: February 14, 2013 – February 28, 2013 • Campaign Period: March 4, 2013 – March 14, 2013 • Election Dates: March 12, 2013 – March 14, 2013

DISCUSSION

Scott states that he has been working with the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union to ensure that the elections dates do not overlap.

Hudson states that the nomination period can be one or two weeks based on the timing of Reading Week.

Lomax states that having election dates early in March will help minimize students being distracted from midterms and exams.

Henry states that there is no calm period for every faculty. She states that giving the Chief Returning Officer more time to prepare will also help the exams run more smoothly.

Buttrey states that voting days for the second week of March is better for stretching out the election period and ensuring candidates have ample notice.

Lomax states that having a two week nomination period that starts on Reading Week is acceptable. She asks if the nomination period can open the Thursday prior to Reading Week.

Hudson states that nominations can open a workday earlier but that it will affect the notice period. She states that the nomination period starting earlier can also give the staff more time to validate nominations and communicate with candidates.

CARRIED

5. LEGAL REVIEW UPDATE

Hudson states that the lawyers have informed the Union that they will be able to complete the review of the UTSU Election Procedure before the end of January.

6. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Moved: Henry Seconded: Scott

MINUTES Elections and Referenda Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Tuesday, January 8, 2013 | 6:00pm | UTSU Office CARRIED


Minutes of the

Executive Committee

January 7, 2013

9:30am

UTSU Office

MINUTES Executive Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Monday, January 7, 2013 | 9:30am | University of Toronto Students’ Union Office IN ATTENDANCE: Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life Abigail Cudjoe, Vice-President External Sandra Hudson, Executive Director (non-voting) Munib Sajjad, Vice-President University Affairs Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services Shaun Shepherd, President

1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting is called to order at 9:32am.

2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Sajjad

Be it resolved that the Monday, January 7, 2013 Executive Committee agenda be approved as presented.

CARRIED 3. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

Scott states that the Special General meeting has been scheduled for early February. He states that the deadline to submit motions is Tuesday, January 8, 2013. He states that two items have been sent in to be considered for the agenda. Sajjad asks if a date and location has been determined. Scott states that space is still being confirmed but will likely be in McLeod Auditorium or Earth Sciences Building.

4. OSAP ISSUES

Shepherd states that an invitation for testimonials regarding issues with OSAP has been sent out over the clubs listserv and the general listserv. He states that students can email [email protected] to provide a testimonial.

5. BULK PURCHASING PROGRAM

Scott states that the ordering guide from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario has been received and that an email will be sent out to clubs as soon as possible.

6. WEATHER PROTECTED BIKE STORAGE

Shepherd states that he has been working with Bikechain on securing a space for weather protected bike storage. He states that he has had several preliminary conversations with Hart House.

MINUTES Executive Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Monday, January 7, 2013 | 9:30am | University of Toronto Students’ Union Office 7. WINTER WEEK OF WELCOME

Sajjad states that the Winter Week of Welcome starts next week. He states that the task list has been drafted and volunteers are needed for outreach and programming.

8. ECOFEST

Sajjad states that EcoFest is being hosted in late January. He states that the organizing committee has looked into booking a guest speaker for the week.

9. MONTREAL READING WEEK TRIP

Scott states that the registration forms for the Montreal Reading Week Trip have been confirmed.

10. EXPRESSION AGAINST OPPRESSION

Baig states that two speakers have been confirmed for eXpression Against Oppression in February. She states that Hurricane Carter and Wynonna Laduc have been confirmed to speak but that dates are still being confirmed. Scott states that he will begin working on a Student Initiative Fund application. Hudson states that APUS has indicated an interest in partnering on the event.

11. MEETINGS WITH JILL MATUS

Sajjad states that follow-up tasks from the last meeting with Jill Matus include providing information on EcoFest, water fountain requests, research on library spaces and extended hours and contacting course unions regarding space bookings.

12. PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD MATERIALS

Shepherd states that he is working with the Canadian Federation of Students to create a consumable summary of the newest lobby document. He states that the materials will make the lobby work more accessible to members.

13. CLOSE ST. GEORGE STREET CAMPAIGN

Cudjoe states that the lobby document is still being prepared. She states that she is meeting with members of the community association to review logistics and goals.

14. OHIP FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CAMPAIGN

Shepherd states that a letter has been drafted to be co-signed by David Naylor. He states that the letter is currently being reviewed by the University’s President’s Office.

15. INTERIM FEDERAL HEALTH PROGRAM CUTS CAMPAIGN

MINUTES Executive Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Monday, January 7, 2013 | 9:30am | University of Toronto Students’ Union Office

Hudson states that a campaign is being drafted to oppose the cuts facing healthcare for refugees. She states that the campaign aims to target both federal and provincial politicians to secure help in defeating the programs.

16. OTHER BUSINESS

There is no other business.

17. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION Moved: Shepherd Seconded: Baig

CARRIED

The meeting is adjourned at 11:27am.

Minutes of the

Policy and Procedures

Committee

January 9, 2013

3:30pm

UTSU Office

MINUTES Policy and Procedures Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Friday, October 19, 2012 | 3:30pm | University of Toronto Students’ Union Office IN ATTENDANCE Grace Guo, UTMSU Representative Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal and Services Shaun Shepherd, President Nimalan Ulaganathan, Arts and Science At-Large Director

PROXIES Jonathan Ding, Faculty of Medicine Representative, to Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal and Services Dania Hassan, University of Toronto Mississauga Director, to Grace Guo, UTMSU Representative

NON-VOTING Sandra Hudson, Executive Director

1. CALL TO ORDER

The meeting is called to order at 6:22 pm.

2. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION Moved: Scott Seconded: Ulaganathan

Be it resolved that the agenda for the Wednesday, January 9, 2013 Policy and Procedures Committee be approved as presented.

CARRIED 3. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW III MOTION Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott

BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw III, Article 4 be amended to read:

a. “Proxies are not permitted” DISCUSSION

Scott states that this motion effectively removes the ability for the Board of Directors to proxy to other Board members and members of their constituencies. He states that the purpose of proxy voting is to allow elected members participation in abstensia due to higher academic requirements, such as students with high amounts of coursework, long transportation times, work and dependent commitments.

Ulaganathan states that proxy voting permits student elected representatives to prioritize their academic pursuits while still committing to their duties on the Board.

Guo states that this proposal is absurd and unacceptable.

MOTION TO REFER Moved: Scott Seconded: Shepherd

Be it resolved that the motion is referred to the Board of Directors.

MINUTES Policy and Procedures Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Wednesday, January 9, 2013 | 6:00pm | University of Toronto Students’ Union Office

DISCUSSION

Scott states that the motion may be better suited to be addressed by the Board of Directors as they have used the proxy system throughout the year. He states that their experience better indicates why the system exists and the role it plays in making the Union more accessible for members regardless faculty, campus or privilege.

CARRIED 4. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW VI

MOTION Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott

BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw V, Article 3 b. be amended to read: b. “Candidates in an election for an executive position shall be nominated by no less than one-hundred (100) members and submitted to the Elections and Referenda Committee”

DISCUSSION Scott states that he is against this motion. He states that folks who are interested in representing 45,000 students should be able to get nominations from at least 200 members.

Shepherd states that acquiring 200 nominations is not difficult and demonstrates a candidate’s commitment to the elections process and outreach to members.

Ulaganathan states that a difference of 100 nominations is not huge. He states that this should potentially be referred to the board. He states that he personally does not feel as though 200 nominations is onerous, especially given the responsibility of the Executive Committee offices.

Guo states that if an individual cannot get 200 nominations, the chances of being able to complete their duties in the Executive Committee office is less likely. She states that at UTMSU, candidates are required to receive 150 nominations. She states that 100 nominations is unacceptable for a union the size of UTSU.

MOTION TO REFER Moved: Scott Seconded: Ulaganathan

Be it resolved that the motion is referred to the Board of Directors for approval or defeat.

DISCUSSION

Scott states that the amendment might be better addressed by the Board of Directors considering that this is an item that has come up several times through the past year. He states that the Board of Directors can better determine what is acceptable as a benchmark for nominations.

CARRIED


5. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW VI


BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw V, Article 6 be amended to read: “In addition to this Bylaw, there shall be an Election Procedure Code governing the elections of the Board of Directors, which must be approved by the Board of Directors, based on the recommendation of the Elections and Referenda Committee. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to discuss and amend any portion of the Election Procedure Code.”

DISCUSSION Scott states that the Board of Directors can currently review portions of the Elections and Referenda Committee minutes and send them back to the Committee for further discussion. He states that there are large potentials for conflicts of interest at the large UTSU board.

Guo states that the Elections and Referenda Committee is elected by the board with the understanding that the members of the committee will not be candidates in the election and have no vested interest in the outcome of the election. This may not be the case for Board members.

Shepherd states that the potential for acquaintances of candidates may be on the board and abuse the ability to alter decisions of the Elections and Referenda Committee. He states that he is against this motion.

Ulaganathan asks if members of the Elections and Referenda Committee who run for election can change the Elections Procedure Code.

Scott states that one cannot be a member of the Elections and Referenda Committee and then run in the general elections.

Ulaganathan states that bias is thus removed at the Elections and Referenda Committee level and he is against the potential conflict of interest.

Scott states that students can still submit proposals to be considered by the Committee.

Ulaganathan asks what powers the board has over the Elections and Referenda Committee.

Scott states that the board can send the Committee back to deliberate on business that they are concerned about.

Ulaganathan recommends defeat of the motion.

DEFEATED

6. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW V

MINUTES Policy and Procedures Committee of the University of Toronto Students’ Union Wednesday, January 9, 2013 | 6:00pm | University of Toronto Students’ Union Office MOTION Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw V Article 4 be adopted to read:

4. “The speaker of the Board of Directors shall be elected by the board from amongst the elected members of the board. The speaker shall chair all meetings of the Board of Directors.”

DISCUSSION

Guo states that a Chair must be unbiased. She states that a member of the board is elected to represent students and advocate for their constituency. She states that this disenfranchises members. Scott states that this is a skills-based role. He states that students are not elected to be experts on Roberts Rules and the Corporations Act of Canada. He states that it only makes sense to have a Speaker who is an expert in these fields. Shepherd states that the UTSU must meet legal responsibilities. He states that the responsibility of the speaker to have strong knowledge of legal obligations in addition to Bylaws and Roberts rules only makes sense to protect the union from legal issues. He further states that to eliminate bias, they must not be members of the board empowered to make decisions on behalf of members. Guo states that the Board chooses the Chair at the beginning of the year. Shepherd asks how Ulaganathan feels about the proposal. Ulaganathan states that a Director of the Board must be partial. He states that he finds it difficult to believe that someone who spends time getting elected by the general membership would immediately throw away their commitment to represent constituents would then shirk that responsibility in order to be unbiased. He states the proposal is attempting to remove partiality but is guaranteeing it.

DEFEATED

7. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW III MOTION Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott

Whereas it has been practice for a number of years for the President of the UTSU to have give an address during the Annual General Meeting; and Whereas this address has generally focused on the work of the students’ union for the past year; and Whereas the address is typically followed by a members’ forum, where UTSU members can provide comments and ask questions to the Executive Committee about various past, present and future initiatives; and Whereas this address is typically accompanied by an annual report detailing the work of the students’ union for the past year; and


Whereas both the address, members forum and the annual report are good member communication practices to enshrine in official union documents, therefore BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw III.1.i be amended to add:

e. an address by the President detailing the work of the Union over the past year and plans for the future; f. a members’ forum directly following the President’s address, where members can provide comments and direct questions to Executive Committee members; and g. the distribution of an annual report detailing the work of the Union for the past year

DISCUSSION

Scott states that this has been practice as long as he has attended Annual General Meetings. He states that this motion institutionalizes these practices. Shepherd states that he is surprised this is not in the Bylaws already and certainly supports it. Ulaganathan states that he is in support of the motion.

CARRIED

8. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW III


THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw III, Article 1 i. be amended to read:

i. “Annual General Meetings The Annual General meeting of the Union shall be held in the Fall session of each year as set by a majority vote of a Board meeting. The meeting shall discuss the requirements set out and described in the Act and shall include the following: a. receiving the financial statements and the auditor’s report; b. appointing auditors for the ensuing year; c. amendments, if any, to the Bylaws unless previously approved; d. A period for questions from the floor directed at members of the executive committee; and, e. The Board or Members shall also include other items on the Agenda as described under the Procedural Policy of the Union.”

DISCUSSION

Ben Coleman and Dylan Moore enter the meeting at 7:03pm.

Scott invites Coleman to speak.

Coleman states that the first proposal can be considered separately if necessary. He states that there should be a question period at General Meetings. He states that there


should be a clear understanding that General Meetings are a place where members can ask questions. Coleman states that the 2014 Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act requires an extension of the notice deadline. He also states that this will allow members enough time to become educated about the issues. He further states that proxies should be advertised through the notice provisions so members know how they can Coleman states that by reducing the amount of proxies a member can hold, it decreases the use of proxies by political means for a single issue without compromising accessibility. Coleman states that the Bylaws should be clear that members could submit motions. Coleman states that the second amendment recognizes the importance of the ERC being independent of the University and the students’ union. He states that there should be a seat on the ERC for the Office of the Ombudsperson. He states that they are independent from the institution and a step in the right direction for impartiality. Coleman states that ¾ of members voting for a Bylaw change in order to go to the AGM is too much. He states that small interest groups should not be able to vote against student interests. Coleman states his hope that the Board of Directors can consider these proposals. Scott thanks Coleman and Moore for coming. Coleman and Moore thank the committee for the opportunity.

Coleman and Moore exit the meeting at 7:12pm.

Ulaganathan states he is against this motion. He states that further discussion at the meeting will unreasonably lengthen the process and will create room for confusion. Scott states that the process for allowing motions on the agenda exists to ensure motions are appropriate, and are in line with standing policies and bylaws of the Union. He states that an upcoming amendment appropriately addresses advertising board member and general members abilities to put motions on the agenda. He states that the question period portion of this motion was satisfied in another motion.

DEFEATED



THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw III, Article 1 iii. be amended to read:

iii. “Notice Notice shall be provided to members twenty-one (21) days prior to the meeting in a campus publication and the Union website. Agenda, summary of financial position, and details of how to vote by proxy shall be published in conjunction


with the notice. Financial statements, items pertaining to the Agenda, and details of how to vote by proxy will be available at the Union offices and website.”

DISCUSSION

Ulganathan states that proxy-voting information should be included when advertising shareholder meetings to stay in line with enabling members the right of absentee participation. Scott states that the proposal can be easily implemented.

CARRIED



THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw III, Article 1 vi. b be amended to read:

b. “No member shall carry more than 5 proxies.”

DISCUSSION Ulganathan states in light of the November 2012 AGM abuse of the proxy voting system was evident giving that members had organized the outcome of the meeting.

Guo states the quantity of proxies held is a trivial matter. She states that any number of proxy votes could render the system for abuse. She states that the core concern should be ensuring students are enabled to exercise their right of participation in absence with consideration for eliminating abuse. Scott states he is against the motion. He states further that students attend classes, are commuters, and workers. He states further that proxies enable students unable to attend the meeting to participate in the decisions of their students’ union. Ulaganathan states that proxy voting should continue to enable students to participate. He states further that given concerns around abuse of the system, the number of proxy votes would not reduce abuse of the system. He states further he would be interested in hearing the thoughts of other students. Guo states, given that the quantity of proxy votes would not diminish abuse of the system, she would prefer to increase the number of proxy votes to allow more students to participate.

Shepherd states there are two values in conflict—enabling access to members given their right to absentee participation, and diminishing abuse of the proxy voting system. He states further that amending the quantity of proxies held by an individual will not address concerns of abuse. He states that altering the system by which proxy votes are acquired could resolve issues of abuse, such as having proxy votes signed out in the office with a witness. Ulganathan states that the idea is to curtail abuse, and the motion fails to address this concern.


Scott states that a few years ago there were no limits to proxies. He states that the reduction of how many proxies can be held will consistently arise regardless of whether it is 10 or 5 proxies. He states that some students do not believe in a proxy system at all. He states that a proxy system is necessary considering the increasingly high rates of students living in poverty, students travelling from across the Greater Toronto Area such as Mississauga, Scarborough and Maple. He further states that even if Convocation Hall was packed with students holding a maximum of proxies, the full membership would still not be represented. He states that is the reality of the population and decentralization at the University of Toronto. He further states that the issue has not been voted on in several years and would be open to having it voted on. He states that the reasoning and history behind why proxy systems are important need to be addressed.

CARRIED

Guo in noted opposition.



THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw III, Article 1 vii. be adopted to read:

vii. “Notice of Deadline for Bylaw Amendments and Agenda Items Notice of the deadline for members to submit Bylaw Amendments and Agenda Items to be considered at a general meeting, according to the bylaws and policies of the union, shall be posted on the Union Website at least fourteen (14) days prior to the deadline itself.”

DISCUSSION Scott states that extending the dates for promotion allows for more members to get involved by increasing promotional time. Ulaganathan states increased participation is a benefit, and earlier promotion of the AGM can improve knowledge of the motions and attendance.

CARRIED

12. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW VI


THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw VI, Article 1 b. be amended to read:

b. “the Elections and Referenda Committee shall be comprised of: i. Three (3) Executive Committee members selected by the Executive Committee ii. One (1) Director from Division I iii. One (1) Director from Division II iv. One (1) additional Director from the Board


v. One (1) representative appointed by the University of Toronto Office of the Ombudsperson. Should the Office of the Ombudsperson decline to fill this position, the seat shall remain vacant.”

DISCUSSION Scott states that the Office of the Ombudsmen is an office of the University of Toronto, which the Union cannot mandate to participate in the Union’s electoral process. He states that the Office of the Ombudsperson is officially hired by Governing Council and is a staff person with the University of Toronto, regardless of the perception of being unbiased. He states that the Ombudsperson has no mandate or jurisdiction within external organizations such as the University of Toronto Students’ Union. He further states that the Office of the Ombudsperson has indicated unease when asked to investigate in complaints with the Union. He states that the Ombudsperson currently refers all feedback to the Union’s internal structures. He further states that putting this bylaw amendment in place would be premature and unfair on the Ombudsperson. He further states that the Governing Council mandates directs the work of the Ombudsperson.

Guo states that the Office of the Ombudsmen has no jurisdiction over the Union’s internal processes.

Ulaganathan states jurisdiction is a matter of definition.

Shepherd states that the provincial government defines the jurisdiction of the Ombudsperson. He further states that the students’ union is a separate entity of the University of Toronto and its governance structure.

Scott states that there has been a history of the Office of the Ombudsperson at other institutions interfering with students’ union elections. He states that the office is not professionally aware of Union policies, bylaws and responsibilities. He states that this has allowed other Ombudspersons to be reprimanded and caught overstepping their roles without going through the official processes of students’ unions. He states that the University of Toronto Ombudsperson is aware of their jurisdiction and has been very accommodating for taking the role of the University’s representative when called for in election procedure. He references that the Ombudsperson accommodates the Union’s request to store ballot boxes in secure spaces.

DEFEATED

13. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW XV


THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Bylaw XV, b. be amended to read:

b. “The Board of Directors must vote two-thirds (2/3) in favour of any amendment to be ratified and presented to the members for final approval;”

DISCUSSION Scott states that the current threshold for approval is adequate in ensuring amendments are added to the agenda with a strong level of confidence of the Board of Directors. He states further that reducing the threshold disfavors different constituencies that do not


hold a majority of votes on the Board of Directors such as second-entry faculties, professional faculties, the Mississauga campus, and east campus colleges and faculties such as Theology, Victoria and St. Michaels College. He states that the University of Toronto Students’ Union has a large board structure that is unique compared to other councils at the University of Toronto and students’ unions throughout Canada. He states that the ¾ majority is appropriate for ensuring a consensus module.

Ulaganathan states that the amendment of 2/3 is common practice among incorporated bodies.

Guo states that representation is key in allowing amendments to pass.

Ulganathan states that the current threshold addresses issues surrounding the ‘Tyranny of the Majority’ by ensuring that diverse constituencies can agree upon bylaws that are reflective of the capacities of each population.

Shepherd states that as the Faculty of Arts and Science has a majority on the Board the higher threshold permits professional faculty directors to be adequately represented in the outcome.

Scott states that the current procedure does not exist to hinder the progression of bylaws, but exists as a safeguard to ensure that the board must generally reach a high level of agreement. He states that a policy that is only reflective of the needs of Arts and Science students can be postponed until it is reflective of the needs of professional faculty students.

DEFEATED

14. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW II MOTION Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott


d. “Members of the Executive Committee must be members of the Union as per Bylaw II.1.a-c”

DISCUSSION

Scott states he is opposed to this amendment. Scott states further that to be a full-time student while working the mandatory 40-hour week mandated in the bylaws is impractical.

Guo states that UTMSU executive review committee had decided against allowing executive members of the UTMSU to be full-time students on grounds of impracticality.

DEFEATED

15. MOTION TO AMEND BYLAW II MOTION Moved: Ding Seconded: Scott



d. "Members of the Executive Committee may be members of the Union as per Bylaw II.1.a-c"

DISCUSSION

Scott states that this motion is different than the previous motion in that it allows the option of taking a full-course load. He states that the Board of Directors should be included in this conversation as they can better determine the expectations of Executive members. He states further that this motion gives executives the option of being full-time students, without requiring all executives to study full-time.

Guo states that executive members would still be required to commit the 40 hours/week required by the current bylaws.

Ulaganathan states that the consequences could lead to the executive committee being less accountable to the Union due to prioritizing academic pursuits.

Scott states that it would be difficult to analyze the commitment that executive candidates make during the election. Currently, executives are expected to make the commitment to not be full-time students if elected. Moving to this system would allow executives to make that decision after the elections, which can be unfair to members.

MOTION TO REFER Moved: Scott Seconded: Ulaganathan

Be it resolved that the motion is referred to the Board of Directors for approval or defeat.

CARRIED

16. ADJOURNMENT MOTION Moved: Guo Seconded: Ulaganathan CARRIED


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H A R T H O U S EG R E A T H A L LJAN 17 | DOORS 8PM

PRESENTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TORNTO STUDENTS UNION, LOCAL 98, CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

P A R T O F T H E U T S U

JAN 17 | DOORS 8PMDOORS 8PM

P A R T O F T H E U T S UP A R T O F T H E U T S UP A R T O F T H E U T S UP A R T O F T H E U T S U

WinterWeek ofWelcome

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EXECUTIVE REPORTUNIVERSITY OF TORONTO STUDENTS’ UNIONLOCAL 98, CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013 | 6:00PM | AB 114

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE - EXECUTIVE REPORT

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVEHappy New Year!

Welcome back to a new semester at UofT! The Executive Committee has hit the ground running this January, and we are excited about the wide range of campaigns, programming, and student advocacy that we are launching this year.

Our second annual Winter Week of Welcome is set to begin on January 15. Included in this week is a 3-on-3-basketball tournament at the Air Canada Centre, a Clubs Day in the Varsity Dome, an outing to watch the Toronto Raptors face the Chicago Bulls, a Women’s Varsity Hockey match, and our winter concert headlined by Shad featuring Unbuttoned. This is by far our most ambitions set of programming to date. Don’t forget to invite your friends to the events on our Facebook page.

Planning is underway for the second week of Xpression Against Oppression (XAO). Join the Social Justice and Equity Commission to get involved in the planning process. This year, XAO will include two speakers, Hurricane Carter and Wynonna LaDuke, and with the growing power of the Idle No More campaign, watch for XAO solidarity events which capture the spirit of the movement.

The Academic and Student Rights Commission will continue to develop a Drop Credit lobby document, highlighting ways in which current academic policy in the Faculty of Arts and Science can be amended to permit students from having their lowest marks tarnish their overall academic performance. This document has been an ongoing effort of the Commission, and the Executive Committee would like to thank everyone for their hard work. Directors are encouraged to join the Academic and Student Rights Commission to get involved in researching and creating new academic policy.

With the high cost of living in Toronto adding financial pressure to our members who already pay the highest tuition fees in this country, we have started work on fighting for affordable, safe housing for our members. We encourage all of our Directors and members to join us in fighting for an increase in safe and affordable housing in Toronto by getting involved in the Community Action Commission.

In this Executive Report:

ADVOCACY & MEETINGSCLUBS & EVENTSSERVICES & OFFICE MANAGEMENT

In solidarity,(from left to right)Munib Sajjad, Vice-President University Affairs, [email protected] Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life, [email protected] Abigail Cudjoe, Vice-President External, [email protected] Shaun Shepherd, President, [email protected], Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity, [email protected], Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services, [email protected]

ADVOCACY & MEETINGS - EXECUTIVE REPORT

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGThe UTSU hosted the Annual General Meeting on Thursday, November 22, 2012 in the Medical Sciences Building. Over 10,000 flyers were distributed across campuses and hundreds of class talks were made to advertise the general meeting. Due to a high attendance and limited access to the Union’s membership list, registration and sign in for the meeting took a long period of time. The meeting began with a welcoming address from local Aboriginal Elder Cat Criger, followed by an address from local City Councillor Adam Vaughan and President Shaun Shepherd. Attendees also had the opportunity to watch our UTSU Orientation and the UTSUFest Street Festival videos. When the meeting was called to order, the agenda’s ratification was defeated and agenda items were postponed to the next General Meeting.

The UTSU Executive has called a Special General Meeting for early February to address some of the concerns raised at the Annual General Meeting and the approval of the audit statements. The deadline to submit agenda items for consideration by the Policy and Procedures Committee was Tuesday, January 8, 2012. Directors are reminded of their responsibility to attend and advertise the General Meeting to their constituents.

The UTSU would like to thank all of the students from the St. George and Mississauga campuses that took the time to attend the Annual General Meeting. For more information, please contact Shaun Shepherd, President at [email protected].

POST-AGM MEETINGS TO ADDRESS STUDENT CONCERNS Statement from UTSU President Shaun Shepherd (originally posted on the UTSU Facebook page on December 18, 2012)

Dear members,A demand to meet and discuss issues arising out of the University of Toronto Students’ Union AGM was initiated by Trinity College Head Boy Samuel Greene in an email sent on November 23, 2012 and received by Engineering Society President Rishi Maharaj, Trinity College Head Girl Paulina Bagdonova, University College Literary and Athletic Society Benjamin Dionne, UTSU New College Representative Laurel Chester, Mr. Scott Dallen, Innis College Student Society President Aman Chohan, UTSU Vice-President Internal & Services Corey Scott, and myself. Through a series of email exchanges, Physical and Health Education Undergraduate Association President Kevin Sousa, Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council President Shoaib Ali, and UTSU University College Representative Virginia Lomax were brought into the conversation.

Via email and on the recommendation of Mr. Greene, the group came to an agreement that a meeting would be held on December 6, 2012 at 5pm.

(continued on next page)


POST-AGM MEETINGS TO ADDRESS STUDENT CONCERNS (CONTINUED)

Notably, Mr. Rishi Maharaj made it known to the group that he was unable to attend the meeting. No other college representative made any indication through email, or by any other means, that they were unable to attend.

On December 6 at 5:17 pm, the meeting was convened. In attendance were UTSU University College Representative Victoria Lomax, UTSU Vice-President Internal and Services Corey Scott, Trinity College Head Girl Paulina Bogdanova, and myself. The meeting carried on and no other college representatives were present for the hour-long meeting. This is unfortunate, given previous accusations levied against myself and other representatives of the UTSU that we are unwilling to discuss internal issues openly. The fact that this meeting had only one attendee outside of UTSU representatives and only one regret leads me more than ever to fear as I have stated publicly before, that those making accusations of unaccountability are being disingenuous and aim to tarnish the character of members of the UTSU executive.However, I am willing to accept that this turn of events was due to the busy time of year, or due to miscommunication. I hope to hear from those invited prior that this was indeed the case.Thus, I am calling a second meeting to discuss issues arising from the UTSU AGM on Thursday December 20 at 5pm in the UTSU office. This time is flexible, in case there are those who cannot attend.Invitations to attend this meeting have been sent to:Mr. Rishi Maharaj, President, Engineering SocietyMs. Paulina Bagdonova, Head Girl, Trinity College MeetingMr. Benjamin Dionne, President, University College LIterary and Athletics SocietyMs. Laurel Chester, New College Director, UTSUMr. Aman Chohan, President, Innis College Students’ Society Mr. Corey Scott, Vice President Internal and Services, UTSUMr. Kevin Sousa, President, Physical Education Students’ AssociationMr. Shoaib Ali, President, Victoria University Students Administrative CouncilMs. Virginia Lomax, University College Director, UTSU

This invitation is public because I want to clear up accusations that my colleagues or myself have been unwilling to discuss issues with students or student groups. We will be making much of our communications public from now on, in an effort to keep our members informed. Additionally, we are of the opinion that all UTSU members should have an opportunity to be a part of these discussions. If there are other students interested in attending, please contact me.

Best of luck to everyone with finals.

Cheers,

Shaun

On Tuesday, December 18, an open call to for UTSU members to discuss issues that arose from the AGM was posted on the UTSU Facebook page, and emailed to a number of students who have raised similar concerns. The meeting was called in response to an original request made by a few UTSU members to meet urgently and discuss matters which arose from the November 22 Annual General Meeting.Some who received an email invitation to the December 20 meeting had stated that they would be unable to attend the meeting. As only myself; the Vice President Internal and Services, Corey Scott; the Transitional Year Program Director, Eric Jadidzadeh; and the University College Director, Virginia Lomax were present, we would like to extend another opportunity to meet and hear concerns raised at the November 22 Annual General Meeting.

A third meeting will be hosted on January 11 at 5pm in the UTSU office. Once again, this meeting is open to all UTSU members and invitations have been sent to members who have shown interest in joining the December 20th meeting. Furthermore, the timing of the meeting is flexible. Once again, I welcome suggestions for alternative meeting times on January 11 to best accommodate personal schedules.

For more information, please contact Shaun Shepherd, President at [email protected].


TAMIL PROTEST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF JAFFNAOn November 27, 2012, Tamil students at the University of Jaffna participated in Maveerar Naal, the Tamil Remembrance Day. At the demonstration, Sri Lankan military forces harassed students. The following day, students participated in a peaceful demonstration protesting the military repression. The Sri Lankan military responded to this peaceful assembly by attacking the students. Ten were injured, including a journalist, and four students were detained. The UTSU has issued a statement condemning the acts of the Sri Lankan government, and continues to work with the Tamil Students Association to show solidarity with the Tamil community. Members of the UTSU and the TSA conducted an outreach day on December 4, 2012 to inform students about the situation in Sri Lanka. For more information, please contact Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity at [email protected].

CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS SEMI-ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGFrom Monday, November 25 to Saturday, December 1, members of the UTSU participated in the Semi-Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Students. At the meeting, members elected the new Chair, Jessica McCormick of Memorial University; Deputy Chair, Vanessa Hunt of York University; and Treasurer Michael Olson of Vancouver Island University. Additionally, attendees participated in discussions at the Policy, Budget, Organizational Services and Development, and Campaigns and Government Relations committee meetings, and helped to shape the work of the Federation for the year.

Of the motions served by the UTSU at this meeting, one of the most discussed was a motion for an anti-racism campaign in the Campaigns and Government Relations Forum. This campaign will take input from student representatives across the nation in building a range of versatile materials that can be used for the unique campuses we represent. Additionally the UTSU brought to the attention of other campuses the issues that we have been facing regarding the Men’s Issues Awareness group and connected with representatives from campuses where they saw similar branches emerging.

COUNCIL ON STUDENT SERVICESThe UTSU is part of the Council on Student Services, which is responsible for reviewing and approving any substantial increase of student fees at the Office of Student Life, Hart House and the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. The council has provided an opportunity to review and discuss programs and structures in each of the student services. The UTSU will continue to update the Board of Directors on presentations made by the various student services and the recommendations by the UTSU. For more information, please contact Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services at [email protected]@utsu

ADVOCACY & MEETINGS - EXECUTIVE REPORTADVOCACY & MEETINGS - EXECUTIVE REPORT

TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCEThe UTSU collaborated with the Centre for Women and Trans People, the Graduate Students’ Union and the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office to host events for the Trans Day of Remembrance on November 20, 2012. Events included an interactive Art Installation at Sidney Smith, a community gathering at the Centre for Women and Trans People and the 519, Radical Reads/Trans Discussion Night at the Centre for Women and Trans People and a Trans Film Screening at William Doo Auditorium. Thank you to all of our partners for giving the Union an opportunity to participate in the planning process of the events.

TYP MEETINGThe UTSU Transitional Year Program Director has been diligently working with the UTSU to develop strategies to address the University’s vision to reduce and amalgamate the program. Students, staff and faculty of the program continue to express their fear for the future of the program due to a number of ongoing tactics aimed at minimalizing the program, and the decision to move the program out of its current space. The UTSU is working with stakeholders to host a town hall to determine a grassroots solution for defending the program’s future. For more information, please contact Munib Sajjad, Vice-President University Affairs at [email protected] or Eric Jadidzadeh, Transitional Year Program representative at [email protected].

ONTARIO MUNICIPAL BOARD MEETING On November 28, 2012, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) met to review the proposal for a private residence to be built at 45 College Street. The UTSU has joined local residents’ associations to raise concerns regarding the overall safety and quality of the proposed residence. One of the concerns that the UTSU raised was around the University of Toronto leasing the property to a developer who in turn would create for-profit student housing, effectively diminishing the safety and quality control standards of UofT. In addition to the grassroots resistance, Councillor Adam Vaughn has criticized the development project as being a student housing ghetto. The housing density and height of the development was planned to more than double that of the relevant zoning by-laws. Prior to this meeting City Council voted down the proposed by-law amendments. At the OMB

meeting the developer revealed that there might be a change in their development proposal affecting many of the by-laws of concern for city council, residence councils, and the UTSU. To date, the developer has released no changes to the proposal. We continue to work with the neighbouring residence councils to continue to push for affordable, high quality, safe residences. For more information, please contact Abigail Cudjoe, Vice-President External at [email protected].

Students who live in university or college residences have no tenant rights. They are not protected by the Residential Tenancies Act like most other renters in Ontario.

Share your residence stories and complaints anonymously andhelp students in residence gain the rights and protections they need.

VISIT CFSONTARIO.CA/TENANTREPORT


PROVOST ADVISORY MEETING On November 28, 2012, Vice-Provost Jill Matus hosted a meeting with the University of Toronto Students’ Union and college councils to discuss the UTSU Electoral Procedures Code. The subject matter of this meeting went against the spirit and purpose of the Memorandum of Agreement between the UTSU and the University of Toronto, in that the University of Toronto has agreed not to interfere, interject, or participate in the internal affairs of the UTSU. We aired this grievance to the Provost during the meeting, and spent the remainder of the meeting discussing the merits and failures of online voting. For more information, please contact Shaun Shepherd, President at [email protected].

OHIP LETTER The UTSU has been working with the University of Toronto to develop a letter advocating for the return of OHIP to international students. In 1994, the Government of Ontario disqualified international students from receiving OHIP benefits under the auspice of an austerity budget. International students not only contribute to the Ontario economy by paying federal and provincial taxes, but, by and large, they graduate and remain in Canada, and continue to contribute to our economy. The letter will be sent to the provincial Liberal leadership candidates as well as members of the opposition. For more information, please contact Shaun Shepherd, President at [email protected].

UTSU-UTMSU MEETING In line with the Memorandum of Agreement between the UTMSU and the UTSU, a joint meeting was hosted on the St. George campus on December 6, 2012. The meeting was focused on future collaborations, and ways to improve the continued engagement of our members attending the Mississauga campus. We wish to thank the UTMSU for their continued efforts and support.

GOVERNING COUNCIL MEETING On December 13, representatives from the Governance Reform Coalition addressed the Governing Council regarding the proposed reforms to local governance structures on the UTM and UTSC campuses. Representatives from the Coalition spoke about the creation of the Governance Reform Coalition, its work identifying issues with the proposed governance model, and proposed new, viable options for governance reform that ensure that students and faculty are adequately represented on the highest governing bodies of the university. Unfortunately, despite our presentations, Governing Council ratified the reforms proposed by the Task Force on Governance. However, they have agreed to review these reforms in one year. In the meantime, the UTSU will continue to work with the Coalition to fight for better student and faculty representation on our university governing bodies. For more information, please contact Munib Sajjad, Vice-President University Affairs at [email protected].

ADVOCACY & MEETINGS - EXECUTIVE REPORTADVOCACY & MEETINGS - EXECUTIVE REPORT

CHANCELLOR CEREMONY On November 11, UTSU Executives were invited to attend the welcoming lunch of newly appointed Chancellor Michael H. Wilson. We appreciated the opportunity to hear the Chancellor’s introductory address, which demonstrated his excitement to be part of the University of Toronto. We had the opportunity to speak with several Governors, students, alumni, faculty and senior administrators of the ongoing work and issues at the University. For more information, please contact Munib Sajjad, Vice-President University Affairs at [email protected].

ANTI-RACISM AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY OFFICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office have struck an advisory committee. The objective of the committee is to get a variety of perspectives on some of the programming that the Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office does. The advisory committee is currently working to plan this year’s programming for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which occurs annually on March 10. For more information, please contact Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity at [email protected].

SOCIAL JUSTICE & EqUITY COMMISSION UPDATE The Social Justice and Equity Commission had a fantastic fall semester. A wide variety of events were hosted including alternative Orientation programming and the eXpression Against Oppression series. A number of students got involved at various levels, ranging from attending Commission meetings through helping to organize events. The Commission will have an outreach table at the Winter Week of Welcome to inform members about the activities of the Commission and recruit new Commission members. The winter semester will also feature Hurricane Carter and Wynonna LaDuke as our Keynote speakers, as well as a variety of programming as part of the eXpression Against Oppression series. Directors are encouraged to attend Social Justice and Equity Commission Meetings and ensure word of the events and campaigns the Commission presents reaches their constituents. For more information, please contact Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity at [email protected].

RACIALIzED STUDENTS’ COLLECTIVE UPDATE Initial meetings have been held to consult with students on campus who expressed interest in the Racialized and Indigenous Students’ Collective. A meeting was held on Friday December 14 to discuss potential directions and focuses for the Collective, as well as the next steps required to develop a framework for the Collective. The next meeting will be held on Friday January 25 at 7pm. For more information, please contact Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity at [email protected].

CAN’T MAKE THE MEETING? CONTACT:NOOR BAIG | [email protected] | TWITTER: @UTSU98UTSU MEMBERS ARE FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE ST. GEORGE AND MISSISSAUGA CAMPUSES

JOIN THE SOCIALJUSTICE & EQUITYCOMMISSION& MAKE UOFT ANANTI-OPPREANTI-OPPRESSIVE SPACE

NEXT MEETING:DATETIMELOCATION


NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMENThe University of Toronto Students’ Union co-hosted a memorial service and lunch on December 6 to commemorate the National Day of Action on Violence Against Women. Roses were laid on the benches of remembrance and action behind the UTSU office. At the lunch hosted in Hart House afterwards, a promotional video for the Green Dot campaign was viewed and discussions were had about the impact of violence against women as well as work that can be done to combat it.

“MEN’S ISSUES AWARENESS” GROUP Over the course of the year, a problematic group has emerged on campus. This group purports to advocate for issues that men and boys face in society. In actuality, members of this group represent sexist, misogynistic views in both the content of the events that they host as well as their individual behaviour. Events that the group has hosted have made statements defending rape, blaming women for the violence they experience, and defending the perpetrators of these crimes, at times even portraying the aggressors as victims. Staff and Executives of the UTSU and students at UofT have been and continue to be targets of online and in-person harassment by members of this group.

At a protest outside an event hosted by the Men’s Issues Awareness group, campus security and Toronto Police were called in and assaulted a number of the many students and community members who were peacefully protesting the views of the host group. Following this act of resistance to oppressive speech on campus, a connected online entity, ‘A Voice For Men’ has taken on the cause of supporting this group and targeting woman-identified members of the UofT community, calling for their surveillance, threatening their personal safety, and making a variety of violent statements against them and women more generally.

The University has been slow to respond, initially issuing a statement that the individuals behind ‘A Voice For Men’ upheld as defending their actions and condemning those who spoke out against the Men’s Issues Awareness group. Upon further conversation with the UTSU, the GSU, APUS, a staff union on campus, and students directly affected by the actions of the group, the Human Resources and Equity department has released an additional statement addressing the issue.

The UTSU will always stand by students advocating for their safety on campus from violence and oppression. We will continue to oppose the ideologies and views of the Men’s Issues Awareness group and other similar entities.

For more information, please contact Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity at [email protected].

CLUBS & EVENTS- EXECUTIVE REPORT

WINTER WEEk OF WELCOMEFrom January 15 to 20, 2013, the UTSU will host its second annual Winter Week of Welcome. The event is a large undertaking that will require as many volunteers as possible. Directors are reminded to advertise to members of their constituencies, volunteer for outreach, and help organize events.

STREET FAIRTuesday, January 15, 2013The Winter Street Fair is starts the year with a new event that engages students during their daily lives. The Street Fair will have free food for the first 200 people at either of the two gourmet food trucks, and free hot chocolate for everyone.

BASkETBALL COURT-TIME AND RAPTORS GAME Wednesday, January 16, 2013The UTSU has secured discounted tickets for the Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls game and will have court-time at the Air Canada Centre earlier that day. Students are able to register their three person teams on the UTSU website to compete in a 3-on-3 tournament.

WINTER CLUBS FESTIVAL Thursday, January 17, 2013The Winter Clubs Festival is a large event which showcases all of our amazing clubs. The Winter Clubs Festival will have numerous campus clubs and groups, university services and a performance stage within the Varsity Stadium Dome in addition to free soccer, skating and golfing. The event is held in collaboration with the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

WINTER CONCERTThursday, January 17, 2013The Winter Concert will feature Toronto rapper Shad and Toronto indie band Unbuttoned. The concert is free and will have free food, henna tattoos and button making stations. This event is held in collaboration with Hart House.

HOCkEY SHOWDOWNSunday, January 20, 2013The final event for the Winter Week of Welcome will be a hockey showdown between the Varsity Blues and the Ryerson Rams women’s hockey teams.

For more information, please contact Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life at [email protected].

clubsclubsclubsclubsclubsclubsclubsClubsclubsClubsClubsclubsClubsclubsclubsClubsclubsClubspresents:

FestivalF R E E A D M I S S I O N

V A R S I T YS T A D I U MD O M EJAN 17 | 11AM - 5PM

PRESENTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TORNTO STUDENTS UNIONLOCAL 98, CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITHTHE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO FACULTY OF KINESIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

P A R T O F T H E U T S U


WinterWinterWinterWinterWeek ofWeek ofWeek ofWeek ofWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome


WITH FREESKATING, SOCCERAND GOLF


WinterWinterWinterWinterWeek ofWeek ofWeek ofWeek ofWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome

WinterWeek ofWelcomeJAN 15:JAN 16:

JAN 17:

JAN 20:

STREET FAIR WITH FREE FOOD AND HOT CHOCOLATE

12:30 TO 2PM: BASKETBALL SHOWDOWN AT THE ACC7PM: RAPTORS VS. CHICAGO BULLS GAME AT THE ACC. TICKETS AVAILABLE AT UTSU11AM: WINTER CLUBS FESTIVAL AT THE VARSITY DOME8PM: WINTER CONCERT FEAT. SHAD AND UNBUTTONED AT HART HOUSE GREAT HALL

4PM: VARSITY BLUES HOCKEY SHOW DOWN AT THE VARSITY STADIUM

PRESENTS:

PRESENTED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TORNTO STUDENTS UNION, LOCAL 98 CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTSIN PARTNERSHIP WITHTHE FACULTY OF KINESIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL EDUCATIONAND HART HOUSE


MONTREAL READING WEEk TRIPThe UTSU is collaborating with the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) and the York Federation of Students (YFS) in hosting a Montreal Reading Week Trip from Wednesday, February 20 to Saturday, February 23, 2013. The itinerary includes access to shuttle bus services to various sites and attractions such as the Montreal Casino and each of the three club nights. Other itinerary includes the Montreal High Lights Festival, shopping in the Underground City, sightseeing and outdoor skating.

The UTSU has been collaborating with residence councils to encourage members to participate in the Reading Week programming. For more information, please contact Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life at [email protected].

UofT Student Rates (Tax Included):Quad Accommodation: $190 per personTriple Accommodation: $215 per personDouble Accommodation: $265 per person

Non-UofT student Rates (Tax Included):Quad Accommodation: $210 per personTriple Accommodation: $235 per personDouble Accommodation: $260.00

Optional Additional Itinerary:Ski/Snowboarding Add-on (Lift-Ticket and Rentals): $70 per personQuebec City Tour: $40 per person

CLUBS EXECUTIVE TRAININGThe last Clubs Executive Training session of the year will be hosted on Saturday, January 12, 2013. A club must attend a Clubs Executive Training session in order to be eligible for any type of UTSU clubs funding. The majority of campus groups have attended one of the summer or fall sessions in order to be eligible for long-term clubs funding. It is anticipated that there will be a number of new clubs that will be attending the training session. For more information, please contact Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life at [email protected].

CLUBS FUNDINGThe UTSU provides three types of clubs funding. The majority of clubs that have applied for long-term clubs funding have been notified and informed about the amount of funds they have received and that their cheque is ready for pick up. There are a few clubs that have yet to respond to requests for more information regarding their funding application. Several clubs have applied for short-term and start-up funding, with more applications expected closer to the funding deadlines. The deadline for start-up funding is January 18 and the deadline for short-term funding is March 1. For more information, please contact Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life at [email protected].


CLUBS TOWN HALLOn Monday, November 12, 2012, the UTSU hosted a Clubs town hall to inform clubs of the changes that have been made to the UTSU’s Clubs Policy, and to allow a forum for campus clubs to indicate issues they face on campus. Several campus groups indicated problems with the Office of Space Management and the Office of Student Life in assisting course unions and providing effective communication to group representatives. Both issues were raised with the Vice-Provost Student Life, Jill Matus, and the Coordinator of the Campus Organization Services, Asim Ashraf.

Additionally, the UTSU has requested that the University send a memo to the Office of Space Management, campus clubs and unions regarding new campus booking policies for free space, advanced booking, and free audio/visual equipment, as the Office of Space Management was unaware of several changes. The UTSU is currently working on a guide to bookable campus spaces. For more information, please contact Yolen Bollo-Kamara, Vice-President Campus Life at [email protected].

UTSU’S GOT YOUEvery semester the UTSU hosts exam destressors at Robarts Library and several of the other campus libraries. This year the UTSU expanded destressors to include two-days during midterm season, as well as late night sandwich patrol. Destressors included sandwiches, fruit, granola bars, hot and cold beverages and information on events, services and campaigns happening in the second semester. Thank you to all the volunteers that helped prepare kits each day during midterms and exams.

Monday, November 19: Robarts LibraryTuesday, November 20: Robarts LibraryThursday, December 6: Robarts Library, Kelly LibraryMonday, December 10: Robarts Library, Pharmacy BuildingTuesday, December 11: Robarts Library, Engineering and Computer Science Library, Ivey LibraryWednesday, December 12: Robarts Library, Gerstein Library

CULTURE SHOWThe UTSU hosted the first-ever Culture Show on Friday, November 23 at the Isabel Bader Theatre. The event was successful, with performances by the Chinese Undergraduate Association (CUAUT), Erindale College African Students’ Association (ECASA), Fo’real Hip Hop Dance Crew, Greek Students’ Association (GSA), UTM Hindu Students’ Council (HSC), Indian Students’ Society (ISS), Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS), Queer Writes, Rhythm, Silhouettes Dance Company and the Tamil Students’ Association (TSA). The event was a huge success in raising funds and food for the Food and Clothing Bank.

Thank you to all the volunteers and staff members who made the event such a large success. Thank you specifically to our stage manager Kumari Giles, Clubs Associate James Li and Events Associate Dylan Chauvin-Smith.

UTSU’sGOTYOU

Mid-terms stressing you out?

November 11th and 19th from Midnight-2am

@ ROBARTS LIBRARYEnjoy some sandwiches,coffee, tea and fresh fruit

FREE.

www.utsu.ca/gotyou


DIWALI: FESTIVAL OF LIGHTSIn November, the UTSU collaborated with the Hindu Students Council to host events for the Diwali: Festival of Lights. Events included a Diwali Puja on Wednesday, November 14, a $3 buffet on November 15, and a Diwali Fair and Fireworks Festival on Friday, November 16. Each event was very successful and well attended both by students of Hindu faith, and the larger UofT community. Thank you to the Hindu Students’ Council for inviting the Union to be part of the event and bringing the campus to life during midterms.

EID DINNER On November 2, 2012, the Muslim Students’ Association hosted it’s annual Eid Dinner to celebrate Eid ul Adha, a significant holiday on the Muslim Calendar. The lively dinner took place at Chestnut Banquet Hall and brought together about 200 students, staff and faculty for a sold out event. Speakers at the event included MSA President Aisha Raja, the newly appointed Muslim Chaplain Amjad Tarson, Multifaith Centre Director Richard Chambers and UTSU VP Equity Noor Baig. For more information, please contact Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity at [email protected].

OSP GAMES NIGHT On November 19, 2012, members attended a Games Night hosted by the Orphan Sponsorship Program, a part of the Muslim Students’ Association. The event consisted of a variety of games, and a comedy show to wrap up the night. $560 was raised over the course of the night. Since then, the Orphan Sponsorship Program has exceeded their yearly fundraising target of $62,000 by raising $71,000 in only seven months. For more information, please contact Noor Baig, Vice-President Equity at [email protected].

hindu students council

dhamakedaar

Diwali 2012

and utsu present...

diwali ki light, kare sabko delight

wednesday, november 14th

pooja at multifaith centre

7pm-9pm

thursday, november 15th

$3 lunch at Sandford fleming atrium

11am-2pm

Friday, november 16th

diwali mela and fireworks at wilson hall

6pm-9m

pakro masti ki flight aur dhoom machao all night

ADVOCACY & MEETINGS - EXECUTIVE REPORTSERVICES & OFFICE MANAGEMENT - EXECUTIVE REPORT

HEALTH AND DENTAL PLANMembers that have enrolled at the University of Toronto to begin their first term in January 2013 will be automatically enrolled in the Health and Dental Plans. They will receive 8 months of coverage, which ends on August 30, 2013. Students that are newly enrolled will have the opportunity to opt-out of the Health and Dental Plans between January 7 and February 1. Students that enrolled in the Fall Session are not able to opt-out of the Health and Dental Plans with this timeline.

The blackout period for first year and returning students ended in November 2012. During this period students were unable to submit receipts for reimbursement due to the University’s sorting system and ability to determine whether students fell under the full-time or part-time Health and Dental Plans. Although members were unable to submit receipts for reimbursement during this period, all members are now able to submit receipts for any eligible costs made since September 1, 2012.

Several students who were unable to opt-out of the Health and Dental Plans on time submitted requests for late opt-out. Students that were able to prove that there were extraordinary reasons as to why they were unable to opt-out on time have been included in the list of opt-out recipients. All students have been notified as to whether their appeal were accepted or defeated.

Directors are encouraged to disseminate this information to their constituents. If there are any questions about the Health and Dental Plans, please contact the UTSU Health and Dental Plan Coordinator at [email protected].

LIBRARY GUIDEThe UTSU has produced a library guide that indicates the various libraries and services on campus. The guide includes information on circulation, food options, and hours of operation. The guide also includes information on sub-libraries included in larger libraries and ways to recommend changes to the UofT library system. The guide is available in hardcopy and online form, and is the first of other service guides to be compiled and distributed. Thank you to Jelum Raval and Ali Saeed for help in compiling information on the various libraries. For more information, please contact Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services at [email protected].

BOOk BURSARYBook Bursary grants have been allocated in sets of $100, $75 and $50 to those deemed most eligible and in need of funding. Applicants have been notified via email that their cheques are available for pick up at the UTSU office. For more information, please contact Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services at [email protected].

PLAN BENEFITS

YOUR HEALTH

& DENTAL

WHO IS ENROLLED?All full-time undergraduate, professional faculty and theology students at St. George or Mississauga are automatically enrolled in the U.T.S.U. extended health and dental plans.

Plan members who are first year students or returning from a leave of absence are covered starting September 1, 2012. Although coverage is effective from September 1, new plan members will not be able to receive reimbursements until their accounts are activated by the end of November.

OPT-IN & OPT-OUT

DATESStudents starting

in September: Aug. 27 to Oct. 5,

2012 Students starting

in January: Jan. 7 to Feb 1,

2013

THE U.T.S.U. OFFERS TWO INSURANCE PLANS An extended health plan; and a dental plan. Students who have comparable health coverage may opt-out of the health plan while any student may opt-out of the dental plan. Students are required to opt-out on an annual basis.

Students may enroll their spouse (including a common law or same sex partner) and/or children to both the health plan and the dental plan for an additional fee.

OPT-OUT ONLINE AT STUDENTPLANS.CA/UTSU

ENROL BY VISITING [email protected]

GET MORE INFO ONLINEVisit utsu.ca/health for benefits information.

Once your account is activitated, register at greenshield.ca/studentcentre to get personalized claims forms, claims history, to print your Green Shield ID card and to get discounts on dental and vision with exclusive Discount Networks.

For more info please contact your students’ union: U.T.S.U. Health & Dental Plan Office 12 Hart House [email protected]

Provider info:1-888-711-1119

greenshield.ca/studentcentre

YOUR INSURANCE PROVIDER IS GREEN SHIELD. YOUR GREEN SHIELD ID IS:

SAC (U of T ID#) - 00 i.e. SAC 999999999-00

SERVICES & OFFICE MANAGEMENT- EXECUTIVE REPORT

RAPTORS DISCOUNTED TICkETSThe UTSU has secured two sets of discounted tickets for Toronto Raptors games. The first set of tickets is for the Raptors versus Chicago Bulls game hosted during the Winter Week of Welcome. The second set of tickets is for the Raptors versus the Miami Heat game on Sunday, March 17, 2013. Tickets are $34.07 plus tax and $82.74 plus tax respectively. Tickets are being sold at cost. For more information, please contact Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services at [email protected].

SALES AND SERVICES UPDATEThe Union’s services maintained heavy usage during the month of November, but declined during the exam session in December. Due to overuse of the photocopy and printing service, there were numerous periods where the printer was broken or being repaired. The Organizational Service Development Committee voted to reduce the print service’s hours of operation to help alleviate the overuse of the printer and the resulting repairs and inconvenience to our members. For more information, please contact Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services at [email protected].

ISICThe UTSU continues to schedule dates with constituency groups to provide International Student Identification Cards. On December 5 and 7 the UTSU made International Student Identification cards at the Faculty of Nursing and the Faculty of Dentistry to help ensure that students had access to travel discounts prior to the winter break. Since the new ISIC program was implemented in November, more than 600 cards have been made within and outside the UTSU office. For more information, please contact Corey Scott, Vice-President Internal & Services at [email protected].

Documents

Board of Directors Meeting #10 - January