Committee Appointments

Lorie Tran was unanimously reappointed to the Member Engagement and Communications Committee as the student-at-large voting member.  Mr.  Campbell said, “I’d just like to mention that Lori is a returning member.  She’ll be super excited to come back.”

V. K. was also unanimously reappointed to the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee as the student-at-large voting member.  President Fletcher pointed out that Ms. K. is returning to this committee again from the previous year.  “She has been fantastically engaged in helping with Black History month and podcasts.”

Governance and Advocacy Coordinator Duncan Wojtaszek said, “There are still up to 2 student-at-large positions to be filled.  Those will be advertised as per policy and also to gain interest.  Those will come back to Council for approval, and if dozens of people apply and the Executive Committee puts forward multiple names, you might have to make a decision between competing interests.”  President Fletcher added, “The process is that we put our Councillors on committees, then returning members who want to come back, and then we fill other spots.”

Policy Updates

Vice-President Finance and Administration (VPFA) Dur-E-Najaf Syed reported that the SU’s policy on email voting had changed.  Point 2.16.18 was removed because it was considered redundant.  This point read as follows: “A summary of AUSU council email motions will be made available via the AUSU website, social media, or any other medium deemed appropriate no more than three calendar days after an email motion is passed.  Committee email motions will be made public if they are brought before council.”  President Fletcher clarified, “The point of 2.16.18 is really just making sure we’re being transparent and making people aware of what’s going on.  Social media has evolved, and it would be weird to be like, ‘Hey Instagram, we had an email vote about such and such.’  That’s just not how people communicate.  All the motions that are ratified by the Council are in our formal minutes, which are available.  So we thought this would be a better practice to just leave it in the minutes.”

Director Campbell added, “You pretty much nailed it Karen.  Communicating through social media or other deemed communication channels is only as good as the number of followers you have.  If we’re only pushing it out to a few hundred people or a thousand people, that’s not really serving the entire student body.  Relevancy was definitely part of the conversation.”

Someone in the chat was curious to know, “What is ratification?”

Coordinator Wojtaszek answered, “It means the decision, the motion, comes back to the Council.  When they vote on it, it would be a question of whether or not the relevant process was followed.  That being said, if you were opposed to the motion as it originally came via email, there would certainly be nothing saying you now have to vote in favour of it.  It would come to the attention of our student body the same way any motion that gets put before the Council does.  We don’t do a lot of ratifications or email votes; the business of the day is typically dispensed with the day it happens.”

President Fletcher said, “I think in my time there has been one email vote, and it was urgent.  In the email voting process, if someone says they really want it to go to a Council meeting, that’s what we do.  This means essentially nothing super contentious will happen through email voting.”

Reports

President Fletcher reiterated in her report that there was no faculty strike in April, which she said everyone was thrilled about.  At the end of the month, AUSU met with the counterparts of other SUs in Alberta which was beneficial in terms of strategic planning and advocacy in the next year.  The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) elected a President and Vice President.  Last year, the government committed to a number of millions of dollars to study how sexual violence impacts students.  President Fletcher said, “We’ve really been a voice in making sure they know they can’t just include things that happen on campus, because if that happens it’s going to affect the person’s studies no matter where it occurred.  Something that happens to you like that affects your whole life.  Policies affecting survivors have to really look at their whole life; it’s not just the parts of their life that are closer to that assault.”

For her report, VPFA Syed mentioned that she got access to her accounts on April 23, and she spent 7 or 8 days transitioning into her new role.

Director Campbell said, “Obviously this last number of weeks has been dedicated to onboarding the new team.  Najaf (VPFA Syed) and [Vice President External and Indigenous Circle Representative] Trish [Godoy-Contois] have been doing a great job getting up to speed on so many topics.  The other thing I want to highlight is our upcoming Awards Committee meeting, which determines the awards given for the May cycle.  We received 183 applications.  I want to give a virtual high five to Jamie Mulder, our administrative assistant.  She receives, compiles, categorizes, and qualifies the applications, then turning them into a spreadsheet which allows the Committee to make selections in a really clean, efficient way.  She deserves all the credit for this.  She doesn’t attend the meetings, but I will give her virtual thanks.”

Recognition and Acknowledgments

Vice President Community and Wellness (VPCW) Natalia Iwanek said, “I’d like to recognize Najaf and Trish for all the work they’ve been doing.  It’s not easy coming into a team that’s already working.  You’ve both been absolutely incredible.  We’ve thrown so many things at you, such as meetings.  It’s a huge learning curve.  I also want to add that the work Jodi and Duncan have been doing on accessibility is fantastic.  Anyone who will need it in the future will be very happy.”

President Fletcher said, “I want to thank everyone who has flagged problematic courses over the past year.  We put these into a spreadsheet which is helpful to have going into General Faculty Committee meetings.  I know [Councillor] Amber [McDuffe] has flagged a number of complaints people have had on Facebook.  I think all of this will make a big difference when the University is working on course revisions.  I also want to thank Duncan for making the Executive Committee retreat work with some people attending in person and others remotely.”

VPFA Syed said, “I want to give a shoutout to the Awards and Finance Committee members.  The Awards Committee hasn’t had a meeting yet, but we started getting applications in about a week after we were all assigned to our new roles.  Karen and Natalia, you’ve made it really easy to become comfortable in my new role.  There’s a lot of stuff involved in being an Executive Councillor, and they’ve helped so much.  I hope that helps if you guys are thinking about running.”

Q & A

Managing Editor of the Voice Magazine Karl Low was curious about which committee Ms. Syed attended that she had said was fun.  “I was on a Student Academic Appeals committee.  So, I can’t really say much about it, but yeah, it was fun.”

The meeting ended at 7:07 pm.  The next meeting will be at 6:30 pm MST on June 16, 2022.   Please email governance@ausu.org if you would like more information on the Council or how to attend the next meeting.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

A new plan for the SU’s EDI committee was submitted and unanimously approved (available here: https://www.ausu.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-04-AUSU-EDI-Plan.pdf).  Of note, here are the committee’s six goals for the coming year:

• AUSU will advocate for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC’s) Calls to Action, within the organization, the university, the provincial and federal governments, and all external advocacy efforts.
• AUSU will create more equitable, diverse, and inclusive spaces within the organization.
• AUSU will celebrate the voices and experiences of equity-seeking groups within the organization.
• AUSU will create accessible spaces within the organization, and advocate to the university and all external advocacy efforts.
• AUSU will advocate for EDI principles at AU.
• AUSU will advocate for EDI principles at the provincial and federal levels.

Vice-President Community and Wellness (VPCW) Natalia Iwanek said, “This document reflects what we’ve done as an organization, particularly during this term.  However, it also covers AUSU in previous terms, underscores advocacy for equity seeking students, policy work, and different events we’ve put on, all of which is based on work done in consultation with various AUSU committees.”

New Executive Committee

Executive Director Campbell formally announced the results of the recent executive election for the Council.  “It was a pleasure to be able to host the initial exec meeting,” he said.  “Everyone attended and it was a great meeting with some great questions for the candidates.  I’m really proud to announce that Karen Fletcher is coming back as President.  Trishtina Godoy-Controis was chosen for VP External and Indigenous Circle Representative, Dur-E-Najaf Syed for VP Finance and Administration, and Natalia Iwanek for VP Community and Wellness.  On behalf of AUSU I want to congratulate the four of you.  Thank you for putting your names forward for essential positions within AUSU.  Congratulations to all, and I just want to say our recent meeting was a cool opportunity to get to know each other, and of course elect the new executive committee.”

Reports

Regarding her report, President Fletcher commented that the major thing to happen recently was that there wasn’t a strike at AU.  “I’m sure we’re all thrilled about that,” she said.  “We spent a lot of time planning for a strike and advocating that there not be one, and for the things students needed.  We’re really pleased we didn’t have to go through with any of our contingency plans and that students will be able to continue on their own.”

Vice-President Finance and Administration (VPFA) Leah Campbell’s report contained information on learner support services (including discussion of a data breach of Homewood Health), a Frontline Learner Support Transformation Workshop, a meeting with the Athabasca University Faculty Association President Dave Powell, and a presentation on Recognizing and Avoiding Investment Scams.  VPFA  Campbell commented, “It’s been an honour to serve with you all.  I’m kind of sad right now that I’m leaving.”

Executive Director Campbell had this to say about his report: “Historically speaking this is a real milestone meeting for us.  Whenever we have a changeover it’s a real signal of passing the baton, if you will, from one set of councillors to the next.  All of the work, discussions, conversations, debate, and laughs we have along the way mean a great deal to the organization.  I very much want to formally thank everybody for the contribution of those who are leaving.  We wish you nothing but the best.  Some of you are graduating and moving on to amazing careers.  You’ve left things better than you found them.  We couldn’t ask for more and we appreciate your dedication to AU students.  At the end of the day, our job is to serve them.  I can’t say enough about what you’ve done.  Now you get to pass the baton on to the next group.  I’ll just end by mentioning a podcast I hosted with Richard McCloud on the ongoing Integrated Learning Environment project.  If you’re interested in what’s going on in terms of the computer ‘backend’ of how AU course materials are distributed, go ahead and listen.”

Communications and Member Service Coordinator Ashley Janes reported that AUSU’s LinkedIn Learning and VMock pages had seen steady increases with both registration and engagement.  She said, “The VMock data shows that we have gone from the low hundreds of students who signed up for it to now approximately 1200 in the past 10 or 11 months.  I think that’s good, and we should celebrate this trend of growth in service utilization.  The better news is that we have more strategies put in place to continue these increases.  I think all around this is fairly fantastic news.”

Council Dissolution and Formation

The then-extant Council was dissolved with unanimous approval.  Ms. Fletcher commented on how she couldn’t believe how sad she was at the moment, and she couldn’t believe that it had already been so long.  “[Councillors] Katy [Lowe] and Regan [Johnson] have been so helpful to figure out what we’re doing, as I came in the byelection after them.  I didn’t expect to be on the border of tears, but here we are.  We have a lovely group coming in that we’re super excited about.”

The tradition of all incoming Councillors swearing their oath simultaneously was cacophonously upheld: “I do solemnly swear that I will support, uphold, and defend the mission of the Athabasca University Students’ Union at Athabasca University.  I take this obligation freely and will adhere to and respect the bylaws, policies, and all other facets of the Union while doing the work to decolonize Athabasca University.  I will always strive to enhance the quality of the learning experience of AU students and all distance learners; while advocating for the unique needs of the AUSU membership and fulfilling my council duties with honesty and integrity.”

10 voices rang out with this oath, and, to their credit, it was nearly intelligible.

The new committees were formed as follows:

Finance: Eva Notter, Blake Collett, Amber McDuffe, Rebecca Wuebbolt, Cilhane Ahmed, with Dur-E–Najaf Syed chairing.

Awards: Cilhane Ahmed, Blake Collett, Eva Notter, and Amber McDuffe.

Membership Engagement and Communications: Amber McDuffe, Rebecca Wuebbolt, Trishtina Godoy-Controis, and Allie Wojtaszek.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Natalia Iwanek, Eva Notter, Allie Wojtaszek, Anli He, and Amber McDuffe.

Recognition and Acknowledgment

Ms. Katy Lowe wished to express her gratitude for the organization.  “I’m so thankful for having had the opportunity to work alongside some truly amazing people,” she said.  “I feel like I’ve grown great professional relationships.  I’ve learned so much from you all, gaining really true friendships that I cherish and hold close to me.  This has been a genuinely life-changing, empowering, and exciting experience.  I look forward to spending time with you all.  When I had crazy ideas, you made them happen.  I don’t want to say goodbye.  I want to stay with you all.  Please continue to talk to me.  I’ll be lonely and sad if you don’t.  I want to celebrate amazing things AUSU does.  It has been the biggest highlight of my academic life.”

Ms. Leah Campbell said, “Ditto.  I’m having a hard time speaking right now.  I’m sorry.  I want to give a shoutout to Natalia for the EDI report and accessibility plan.  That’s her labour right there.  I’m just so proud of you and I’m glad I got to serve with you.  With Karen unexpectedly stepping into the role of President, I just want to say I will follow you anywhere.”

Councillor McDuffe wanted to give shoutouts to Ms. Lowe and Ms. Regan Johnson for taking her under their wings.  “When I first joined I found myself very intimidated.  I was new, I didn’t know anyone or what to expect, and these two were there for me to help me navigate my way through it.  In the first Council meeting I attended, the three of us had a group chat in which I asked, ‘Will it be dumb to ask this?’ and they said, ‘No, no, just go ahead and ask!’ I’m excited to see where you’ll both go in your futures.”

VPCW Iwanek commented on how fantastic it was to work with Ms. Lowe and Ms.  Johnson.  “I don’t know where the time went.  I’m so glad to have met you both.  Leah, I don’t know how 4 months have gone by.  I love the team.  I think we accomplished so much and what you two added was absolutely incredible.”

Q & A

One participant was interested in why the meetings are run according to Robert’s Rules of Order (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert%27s_Rules_of_Order).  For example, they were interested to know why any motion needs two people to promote any topic of discussion.  President Fletcher explained the necessity for the formalism by explaining that one of the functions of the Rules is to prevent any one participant from repeatedly, or at all, discussing issues that wouldn’t be supported by other persons.

It was also asked if it’s a regular practice to allow non-executives to sit for executive meetings, or if it was just a one-time thing for everyone to get a feel for it.  Mr.  Campbell said, “Yes, it’s typically just one time.  We open them up once in a while for job shadowing and other opportunities.  But if you want to bring things forward, do so to an executive and they will raise it in their meeting; Councillors typically don’t attend.”

Managing Editor of The Voice Magazine Karl Low was interested in whether Ms.  Godoy-Controis, in her capacity as Indigenous Circle Representative, had any obligations or privileges that an ordinary Council member would have.  Ms.  Fletched answered, “She actually is a member of the Council.  We’ve changed things a bit.  We now have 12 regular Council members who are elected in the normal fashion.  With the introduction of the Indigenous Circle, the process is once they’ve formed they nominate one of their members to have a special seat on the Council reserved for them.  That person is a Councillor.  It’s a special spot on the Council, but that person is a Councillor like any other.”

The meeting ended at 7:40 pm.  The next meeting will be at 6:30 pm on May 19, 2022.  Please email governance@ausu.org if you would like more information on the Council or how to attend the next meeting.

The new President, Karen Fletcher read the land acknowledgement: “AUSU respectfully acknowledges we’re on and work on the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples, Inuit, First Nations, and Metis of Canada.  We honour the ancestry, heritage, and gifts of the indigenous peoples and give thanks to them.”

She commented that this acknowledgment isn’t her favourite, and she wondered about what it means to honour the things mentioned.  “One thing important to the team this year is trying to give space to the Indigenous Circle, which recently formed.  We’re looking forward to them being able to have a voice this year in priority selections, work plans, and the budget.  It’s important that we’re not just an organization that gives space but shares power as well.

“The particular land I’m on is that of the Anishinaabe people, which most of you know as Ottawa.  The land I’m on was set aside for loyalist refugees fleeing the U.S.  They weren’t popular during the American Revolution.  Indigenous People here set land aside from people fleeing home so they could have their own land, culture, and lives.  Whenever we talk about land acknowledgments, it’s striking that indigenous peoples here weren’t given similar treatment to what they gave others, and we have to do so much better.  I’ve been thinking recently about the incoming refugees from Ukraine, and this double standard has existed for so long in terms of Canadian indigenous peoples welcoming refugees but being given so little in return.”  She pointed to https://native-land.ca/ and https://www.whose.land/ as resources to find out about the historical territory any particular physical space may be in.

Councillors Cassandra MacKay and Indigenous Circle Representative Jo-Mary Crowchild-Fletcher were missing with regrets.  Councillor Meredith Charlton was not present.  The meeting was joined by new Councillors who will officially become part of AUSU on April 21, 2022.

The agenda for this meeting and the minutes from the previous were unanimously approved.

President Out, President In

Then-President Ms. Stacey Hutchings had tendered her resignation on February 23, 2022.  In her letter, she wrote: “I have accepted a new opportunity and am having to resign from my roles at AUSU.  I want to thank the AUSU community for trusting me these past couple of years in representing your needs on both a local (at AU), provincial, and national level.  I know that many of us when we ran for the General Election two years ago had no idea the pivot things would take due to COVID.  I am proud of the work we have accomplished; I really feel like AUSU was able to press through and thrive during a time of uncertainty.

“There are many things that come to mind that I am proud our team was able to accomplish this council term, but I will limit my thoughts to my personal top two.  First, AUSU was able to develop and launch the Food Assistance Program.  Food insecurity can impact anyone at any time and the AU community is not immune to this issue.  It was a program that was able to roll out at a time when students needed it the most.  Secondly, I am so happy, and thankful that the council decided to support the decision to join CAUS to take AUSU’s provincial advocacy to the next level.  Voices are stronger when together and I am so happy that AUSU can have a stronger voice now with the level of government that deeply impacts every AU student.

Thank you, I wish everyone the best on their journeys at AU and beyond!”

Executive Director Campbell spoke on this matter.  “It’s already been mentioned, but we’re absolutely thrilled and simultaneously disappointed that Stacey is leaving us for a fantastic opportunity with Student Financial Aid Support.  As per policy, the President’s role cannot be left vacant.  So, the VP External automatically moves into Presidency, with the former role this time being left vacant, though Ms. Fletcher is effectively covering both roles by virtue of her knowledge of the VPEx role.  Tonight is an opportunity for Council to ratify this policy.”  The Council unanimously approved now-President  Fletcher’s appointment.

Election Results

Director Campbell continued on a new topic: the Student Council Election Results.  “I find it interesting as I reflect on the recently concluded election.  Election activities started in January.  January 3, 2022 is when the Chief Returning Officer role was posted, and that’s step one.  The election lasted through the middle of March, the 15th being result day.  It has been a busy time, it flew by really, especially for the staff going through this process.  There were 10 nominations for the Council and 3 for the Indigenous Circle, many of whom are on this call.  [Governance and Advocacy Coordinator] Mr. Wojtaszek and I held an information session for potential candidates on February 22, 2022.  Later in February, we held two candidate orientations, attendance to which is mandatory for candidacy.  A variety of communications were presented to the AU community throughout the election, with our intention being to promote, inform, and create awareness of the election itself.  These included everything from social media to multiple newsletters distributed directly to the student body, and an amazing website developed with candidate info and bios, and a FAQ about the election.  I’d like to give a big high five to Communications and Member Services Coordinator Ashley Janes for spearheading that.  While it’s an all hands-on deck approach, she really does a lot of the heaving lifting involved.

“Fast-forwarding to March, the voting period was from March 10 – 14.  There were 389 votes cast to acclaim all the candidates.  In other words, everyone was successful.  I have no problem stating to Council that, even during my time in the organization, the voter turnout was low.  There will be an election debriefing with the staff and executive team in which we’ll be able to talk about what the election has been about, and what has contributed to the low turnout.  There’s no doubt schools across the province are experiencing the same thing.  My colleagues at other schools report that, so it’s not just an AU thing.  So, this is an element we want to bring into the conversation, so we can figure out ways to improve on that down the road.  In saying that, I do feel super confident that we’ve succeeded in the past, having a higher turnout.  There are a lot of great things we did this year, and I think we’ll be able to grow and learn from that moving forward.

“Now, there’s an appeals period until March 22, 2022, but the probability of there being any appeals given that every candidate was successful is pretty low.  So, we sort of see it as concluded.  We’ll be promoting job shadowing opportunities for all new Councillors, whether for attending Council or Executive meetings.  The next step is the Executive Committee election, which is in a few weeks.  There’s a poll out to make sure everyone will be able to attend.

“Regarding the election, I just want to take a second to say that everything was professionally done, with any situations arising we were able to handle quickly.  The CRO did a wonderful job, and I’d like to give big thanks to Duncan for providing a great deal of leadership and keeping track of things.

It has also been a special opportunity, with the election of the very first Indigenous Circle.  We have Trishtina with us tonight.  She was selected to represent the Indigenous Circle to the Student Council.  We’ll get to know her more and more as the years go along.”

Policy Updates

Vice-President Finance and Administration (VPFA) Leah Campbell updated the Council on policy changes.  She explained this process for new Council members.  “Policies are reviewed on an annual basis.  As VPFA, I spearhead these initiatives, with the changes going to the Executive Council for review, and then finally the Council for approval.”

Policy 2.14 Councillor Responsibilities and Honoraria and 8.02 Awards Committee terms of Reference were updated, the former seeing an increase to the honoraria from $50 per meeting to $60, the latter seeing a bump up to $100 for the two big meetings in October and April where recipients of awards are chosen.  “These meetings are lots of work, so we’re upping the honoraria based on a Council survey from a month ago.”  These changes were unanimously approved.

Annual Report

Director Campbell spoke on the organization’s annual report.  “This is obviously an important document for the organization.  Ashley does a lot of heavy lifting regarding communications for the organization throughout the year.  One of our primary goals this year was to provide a lot of infographics while including enough data in them.  You don’t have to go back far in our history when it was all text, and a heavy, long read.  We tried to bring in images as appropriate for the organization, which, at the moment. are mostly Zoom photos, which is ok for now but that will eventually change.  We wanted to provide stats and our audited financials.  At the end of the day, it will be on AUSU’s website and it becomes a historical document, which is maintained year over year.  I want to give a big high five to Ashley and everyone contributing.  It looks really, really sharp.”

Ms.  Fletcher said, “For new councillors, in November we sent out a huge survey to ask students questions.  Ashley does a ton of work putting this together.  It’s something the University finds helpful, and we do too when we can say, ‘Look at what the students are saying.’  When what we ask for from the University lines up with the survey, it’s helpful for getting students the things they need.”

AUSU Indigenous Student Award

She continued on a new topic, “One thing we’ve been tasked with is developing an Indigenous Students award.  AU has a number of two-a-year awards.  We try to get money back into student pockets.  We consider financial need, academic excellence, and volunteering.  So while we try to have something for everything, we didn’t have an award for indigenous students.  This is something the Executive Council is tasked with.  We talked to Awards at AU, and unlike many of our awards this one will be processed by the University.  The reason is that if it was done by AUSU, we would want the Indigenous Circle to do it, but that would make those members ineligible because it would be a conflict of interests.  AU already has a number of awards for indigenous learners.  They go out every January.  This new one will be bundled with those and it will be called the AUSU Indigenous Students award.  Since AU is handling the award, it will benefit from ads and communications targeting indigenous students so they’re aware of the awards.  Recipients will be selected by Nukskahtowin staff, so they will be selected by an indigenous team and Indigenous Circle members will be eligible to apply if they choose.”

Virtual Food Assistance Program

President  Fletcher then addressed the group on this program.  “Ashley made a lovely flyer about the program’s one-year anniversary.  For those who may not know, this is a passion-project of Stacey’s.  Lots of SUs have food banks, but it’s hard to do one with an online institution, there not being a corner of some building where we can put food for students to take.  She spent a long time trying to figure out how to do this in a virtual space.  What she came up with has been really well-received, and she deserves credit for persisting when people wondered how it would happen.  The way it’s done is by lottery.  Students apply and are selected by a random number generator.  They can get it once a year.

“This year, 382 people applied.  58% had dependents (often children, but not always: it could be elderly relatives or other family you’re supporting), 77% belonged to multi-person homes, almost half were unemployed, 62% were full-time learners at AU, but only 20% got a gift card.  This demonstrates there’s still unmet need.  The program’s something we’re happy to have, and we look forward to its continuation and expansion.”

Director Campbell had this to say: “Even though it’s a pilot project, this year it’s seen a lot of growth with the donation eventually received from AU.  The program hit a sweet spot with the AU community as well.  With funds targeted at awards programs and this one, we were able to enhance this year’s offerings.  Starting in February 2020, we would distribute $50 gift cards for major grocers of the recipient’s choice.  Starting this fiscal year, October 2021, we were able to double that.  For the current year, we will be able to distribute about $8000 – $8500 for this.  We get an average of 40 – 70 applicants in a month.  The feedback we’ve received is that everyone loves it.  The recipients show overwhelming gratitude, saying how much it impacts their lives.  It’s only $100, but everyone who’s been to a grocery store recently should recognize the significant food inflation there.  I’m hoping when the next budget season rolls around we’ll be able to continue with $100 gift cards rather than reverting back to $50.”

President Fletcher added, “It’s interesting to see the comments in the applications.  It dispels the misconception that because AU students tend to be older, that they’ll be working with their needs met.  It shows that food insecurity is a problem, and more needs to be done.  It highlights the financial advocacy we do for students is really, really important.”

Reports

President Fletcher reported that a major part of February was advocacy week.  AUSU is part of CASA (The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations).  Related to this, she wished to highlight her ability to participate in meetings with high-ranking politicians.  She said, “I’ve been talking to everyone who will listen this year about this issue: a married person applying for loans currently needs their spouse’s permission, and the application process takes the latter’s income into account, which lowers the former’s eligibility.  This is a huge gender equality issue, because it disproportionately affects women.  It also disproportionately affects AU students since more of them are older, there’s a higher probability they’ll be married or common law.  This is unjust and unfair.  One of the meetings involved Canadian Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough.”  President  Fletcher commented that Minister  Qualtrough said this state of affairs is ridiculous, and she will get to work on fixing that.  President  Fletcher noted it is possible the relevant laws will be changed within a year or so, and she was grateful to have the opportunity to participate in that meeting.

Vice-President Community and Wellness (VPCW) Natalia Iwanek said, “For my report, I want to bring attention to Black History Month, which was celebrated throughout February.  We had themed AUSU nights, which had super fantastic turnouts.  There was also social media content and the AUSU Thinkers Series, this time featuring Husoni Raymond, who is a former student, current law student, and a cofounder of Black Lives Matter Fredericton.  I also spent the month liaising with other SUs, including Capilano University in North Vancouver, as well as Open University’s (U.K.) executive team.  We discussed Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.”

Director Campbell reported that the Awards Committee had been going through emergency bursaries in the previous month.  He noted that the computer bursary applications were a bit lighter, and everything was going along without issue.

He also noted that The Indigenous Circle met and had a comprehensive discussion about what consultation should look like in the next year, generating a solid plan to make sure they have the opportunity to weigh in on priorities and projects that are going to happen.

Director Campbell said, “For those of you who were able to attend the AU Frontline Learners Services Tranfsormation Project, I want to thank you for volunteering.  When student volunteer opportunities come up, we love to share those with Councillors.  The fact you’re able to attend is great.  I can speak on behalf of the organizers in saying they’re thankful for the input you provided in that workshop.”

Thanks and Acknowledgments

President  Fletcher wished to thank Councillor Katy Lowe for being passionate about student research.  She said, “Katy is the reason we had Student Research Week.  Because of this, resources were developed for students that likely wouldn’t have been otherwise.  I met with the University’s VP of Research and he was so impressed with AUSU’s leadership in this matter that he said AU will do it again next year.  I’m super thrilled about how you were really a voice for students and made sure your voice was heard, because everyone’s voices and passions are important.  That’s true if you’re on the Executive Committee or not.  I want to give you props because what you’ve worked on will continue as a legacy.”

VPFA Campbell thanked AUSU staff for their work on the election, making sure communications went out, and handling the strike at the University.  She also wanted to thank President Fletcher for stepping into her role as President, saying, “you didn’t skip a beat, and there were no hiccups, so I want to give you mad props for that.”

VPCW Iwanek said, “It’s sad to see Stacey go.  I’m excited for her.  Thank you, Karen, for stepping up and providing leadership and support in what has been a hectic month.  It’s probably the worst possible time for this to have happened and you’ve done a fantastic job.  I also wanted to give a huge thank you to the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, and Membership Engagement Committees, and the Indigenous Circle for their labour and input throughout the year.  What we accomplished in terms of events and advocacy priorities has been fantastic and, honestly, we could not have done it without everyone.”

Questions

Newly elected member of the Indigenous Circle, Trishtina Godoy-Contois asked “How do the impressions in the Community and Member Services Report work with our student app?  Is it relatively easy to be able to see how people are interacting with each post, or is it hard to capture that information?”

Communications and Member Services Coordinator Ashley Janes answered, “That’s all generated through insights in the back-end of the app management tool.  From what I can tell, though I haven’t clicked too far past one or two clicks, I can’t see specific engagement.  That would be a Samantha [Danielle, Social Media Coordinator] thing, monitoring conversations and how students engage with each other.  What I provide you with is straight data given to me by the app.”

Trishtina responded, “It’s so interesting for me.  It must be challenging for you guys to keep track of engagement with students, right?  So I thought it was cool to see that behind the scenes.”

The meeting ended at 7:27 pm.  The next meeting will be at 6:30 pm on April 21, 2022.  Please email governance@ausu.org if you would like more information on the Council or how to attend the next meeting.

Taking the Oath

After a few unsuccessful attempts in previous meetings, the time finally came for Indigenous Circle Representative Jo-Mary Crowchild-Fletcher to take the councillors’ Oath of Office.  President Stacey Hutchings got all the extant Councillors, Ms.  Crowchild-Fletcher, and the vice-presidents to chant along with her:

“I do solemnly swear that I will support, uphold, and defend the mission of the Athabasca University Students’ Union at Athabasca University.  I take this obligation freely and will adhere to and respect the bylaws, policies, and all other facets of the Union while doing the work to decolonize Athabasca University.  I will always strive to enhance the quality of the learning experience of AU students and all distance learners; while advocating for the unique needs of the AUSU membership and fulfilling my council duties with honesty and integrity.”

After the cacophonous recitation subsided, the Council proceeded to discuss revisions to AUSU policy.

Flexibility Under Strange Circumstances

Vice President Finance and Administration, Leah Campbell, addressed the group on changes to Policy 3.03 on By-Elections.  Specifically, policy 3.03.03 was augmented to read: “Where one or more executive offices are vacant and cannot be filled by the existing councillors, the Executive Committee will develop a work plan and a division of roles and responsibilities as defined by AUSU Bylaws, Policy 2.03 Responsibilities of Executive Councillors, and Policy 4.06 Annual Timeline and Executive Work Plans for approval at the following regularly scheduled Council meeting.  This plan may include holding a by-election for council vacancies and hosting an executive by-election following the Council by-election or hosting an additional executive by-election at a later date.”  VPFA Campbell summed this up by saying that the change allows for some options if an Executive resigns part-way through their term.

Director Campbell added some detail to her summary, saying, “The policy was redesigned in case we find ourselves in a similar situation in the future.”  He was referring to the recent resignation of Mr. Eldoma from his role of VPFA.  He continued, “Of course, Leah was the one who stepped into the role.  There was definitely a moment in time where if she hadn’t stepped up, we were sitting there going, ‘We’re in a situation where council has to go to an election.’ Obviously, with Leah coming on that did not happen.  Moving forward, I think one of the reasons that was motivating us to make this edit is because we identified something that could potentially put the association at risk.  In many ways, this offers us a plan to follow if we find ourselves in that situation again.  To clarify, what this policy is speaking to is a scenario in which there is a vacancy on the executive committee, no one on council can fill it, and suddenly the previous policy would say that we would have to move to a council election that would potentially put the current member’s positions at risk.  I think this is a unique aspect of policy that we were able to address, and I like the current form a lot more.”

Councillor Amber McDuffe wished to know if the Council wanted to clarify the clause “at a later date.” She wanted to know if the council could make the clause more specific, so that a future council wouldn’t use the new policy to delay appointment of a new person to the vacant seat until the next planned election.

Vice President External (VPEx) Karen Fletcher responded, saying, “We wanted to leave it ambiguous because, depending on the year and what the profiles of potential new candidates might be, the council might not want to be forced into a premature election.  Let’s say it’s five months until the next election and all the projects for that portfolio piece are already complete.  If no one on council wants to be an exec, or can’t, it allows us to have another way to divide up roles so there’s no by-election.  But we also wanted to leave it open for cases where, say, someone is interested to fill the role in a month, it will give the council the flexibility to wait for that candidate and not have an unnecessary by-election later.

Governance and Advocacy Coordinator Duncan Wojtaszek chimed in: “To supplement the Vice President, remember this policy only kicks in after an election has been held and no one on the council has put their hand up to take on the responsibilities of another role.  What we’ve added is only an ‘emergency only, break glass’ option in the case where no sitting Councillor is able to step into the role.” The changes to this policy were then passed unanimously.

Financial Oversight

VPFA Campbell broached the next topic of discussion by describing changes to Policy 6.06 dealing with the oversight mechanisms in place for managing the organization’s financial assets.  Aside from non-semantic changes, she indicated the main change was the addition of 6.06.05c, a statement requiring that the most recent AUSU credit card statement will be included in the monthly finance package that is prepared for and given to the Councillors.  She said, “This policy went through rigorous review earlier in the year.  We’re simply adding inclusion of Visa statements to the package, and this came out of the finance committee.”

Councillor McDuffe also had a question on this topic.  She was concerned about potential ambiguity regarding the phrasing “most recent AUSU credit card statement.” Her worry was that with the then-proposed phrasing, the Finance Committee, which meets quarterly, would only receive 4 out of 12 credit card statements.  She emphasized the importance of transparency, which would involve giving all relevant documentation to the Committee.

The Executive Director and Ms.  Campbell insisted that the Committee would indeed get all relevant credit card statements quarterly.  It seemed that she found her worries unaddressed by these comments, saying, “It’s just strange wording with what’s going to the Council and with the Finance Committee stuff.  It doesn’t seem as inclusive as what I was expecting.  I was expecting it to say that it would include all of the statements.  I get what you’re saying.  I know we’re sending out these packages to Council every month.  There’s no check and balance saying Council is looking at them.  For our monthly Council meeting, should we add something in saying that Councillors have to look at it so we have what the accountant was trying to get us to do, so everyone on council is reviewing the packages.  Yes, they’re sent out, but whether or not anyone opens them and looks at them is unknown, because there’s no follow-up or paper trail saying we’ve reviewed them.”

President Hutchings responded, “I would comment that VP Finance and Admin is tasked with that oversight overall.  They’ve been hired by the Council to do that job.  Council is a backup to hold them accountable.”

Mr.  Wojtaszek added, “I would be concerned if Council approved monthly financial packages every month.  Because then what happens if the Council approves something but the Finance Committee doesn’t.  I would rather there be a clear chain of procedures such that the Finance Committee doesn’t replicate the work of Council.  There might be a case where they’re making inconsistent decisions, and I would then be forced to make the decision about whose decision was authoritative.  Regarding the idea that we have to compel Councillors to read everything that they receive, that’s just as true of reports and supporting documents.  We could make a check and balance, something like replying to the Executive Director saying you definitely received them and reviewed them.  I would also be concerned about what’s the point of the Finance Committee, which is almost entirely made up of council members, if Council is also going to look at it on a monthly basis; it will make our meetings much longer if we’re going through the finances every single month.”

The Executive Director pointed out that the Council overrides anything that the Finance Committee does, so it would render the latter redundant to do it that way.  “I would ask Council, ‘Do you want to have that check and balance?’ I mean, if we’re going to start there, we just approved a bunch of policy changes…do you want to review all of those changes? I want to encourage us to think about it, but at the same time I want to ensure that Council knows that the levels of checks and balances we have for finance is very strong.  Even internally, we have four people who are overseeing those financial documents when they’re being created.  We’ve also got an elected official in VP Finance who is also reviewing them.  It’s their job to do that, and it’s my job to ensure they’re correct.  So, when we send the package out, it has the oversight we’re talking about, which is the ability of Council to monitor and oversee those transactions that take place.  I  would love to make sure that our Finance Committee retains their authority and ability to ask questions; that’s a big part of their role.  I understand it’s on a quarterly basis, that’s where we built those checks and balances in.  At one point Council didn’t get the full package that Finance did, and now they do to make it more robust.  They used to get about half as much as the Finance Committee did, where now they pretty much get the full month of documentation.  I lean on Council to make sure everything’s happening as it should, but I don’t know if it’s something we need to build into the policy.”

The proposed changes were then called to a vote, with only Ms. McDuffe voting against the motion, saying that she still thought because of the phrasing the policy needed to go back to the drawing board.

Miscellaneous

The Council also unanimously voted to add chairing the Awards Committee meetings to the VP Finance and Administration role.

And there was also a unanimous vote that dissolved the Student Advisory Committee.  Ms. Iwanek said, “We have really been working on what to do with SAC this term.  Recently, there has been low attendance to events and low participation rates in email threads.  In a way, SAC seems to have served its purpose.  Now we have many ways of getting information and data: more Council members, more Committees, which include members at large.  One of these Committees is Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, which has 3 members at large, and there’s also the Member Engagement and Communications Committee.  We also have virtual student lounges that we do monthly or bimonthly, and AUSU student nights.  Hiring a Social Media Coordinator really helps, having that staff member we have many more ways of collecting data: surveys, an annual survey, and an extra one based on EDI.  Those are the reasons we came to the conclusion it should be dissolved.”

In addition, $181 remaining in a Health and Dental Fund was reallocated to Student Awards.

Ms.  Hutchings reported that, in part due to the advocacy of the Council of Alberta University Students, which AUSU contributes to, the provincial government is putting funding toward a provincial-wide survey to gather information on sexual violence and harassment in university communities.  She said the government is also contributing $2.5 million to support education and training on these matters.

Finally, Mr.  Campbell wished to bring attention to the incorporation of Eventbrite into AUSU’s events.  Participants will be able to register or RSVP through the service.  It will also allow them easier integration with their calendars and reminders for upcoming events.  He commented that using the service will look a lot more professional, and it has statistical elements inherent in it that will benefit the organization.  He also wanted to note that in the coming meeting will contain reports on the Food Assistance Program, which is reaching its first year milestone, and AUSU’s annual report.

The next meeting will be at 6:30 PM MST on March 17, 2022.  Please email governance@ausu.org for information on the Council or attending its next meeting.

She pointed to https://native-land.ca/ as a resource for determining which historic territory any given physical location may be in.  Attendance was taken with all present except Councilor Amber McDuff who was regrettably not able to attend.  The agenda for the meeting and the previous meeting’s minutes were approved unanimously, with the only change being an action item from October being added as the Council had not had a formal update on it.

The Money

The meeting was joined by Chad Knippel and Natalia Toth from Kingston Ross Pasnak Chartered Professional Accountants to provide details about their external evaluation of AUSU’s yearly financial statements.  Executive Director, Jodi Campbell wished to emphasize the third party nature of the audit, adding, “There’s a reason why we keep coming back to KRP.  At the end of the day, [it boils down to] our ability to feel confident that our audit is being done thoroughly and in a professional manner.  There’s a reason why we keep coming back, and this year’s no different.  You’re great people, and we enjoy working with you.  KRP definitely does a deep dive; this is a robust audit when it comes to the organization.  Know that what KRP is presenting today is a true reflection of the organization for the year.”

Mr. Knippel then took the floor, saying, “We’re here to answer any tough questions you may have.  We don’t take shortcuts and we feel that our breadth of work experience with other clients helps us to make the SU a better organization through these audits.  We’re not the bad auditors: the CRA.  We’re here to make sure everything is being done properly and correctly, and, if there are deficiencies, we’re there to point them out and help the organization deal with them and become stronger.” He qualified this by pointing out that AUSU is a small organization, so there are limitations on controls for mitigating and limiting certain types of risk.  Ms. Toth added, “We were able to wrap up the audit before the end of December, and everything went very smoothly.” She concluded their preamble noting that they had a long list of requests for Mr. Campbell, which he filled, and that with no documents outstanding all that remained was to present their findings and get the required approval of the statements they had prepared.

They began by explaining that there were some small year-end adjustments between documents the Council had seen internally and those prepared by KRP.  Accrued benefits of tuition coverage for Executive members and vacation time were primary examples.  These deviations are all explained by timing, they said.  Mr.  Campbell gave the case of the Simply Voting expenses for the SU election to illustrate.  Simply Voting expenses are typically paid for in September, but by their nature have their effect (the running of the election) in the subsequent fiscal year.  This essentially defers a portion of these expenses, since the majority of them are used the year after they are paid for.

One option that had previously been discussed by the trio was mitigating the organization’s liability in accrued vacation time by simply paying it out.  Mr.  Knippel pointed out the organization had made $16,000 this year from investments and $13,000 the previous year.  He suggested that it would be reasonable to allocate a lesser amount that could be used within the budget.  For the time being the organization has decided not to take this option.  Mr. Campbell said, “We’ve discussed this a few times with KRP.  We have two pots of money, one for investments and another that is an operating account.  Funds that come in from investments are rarely put into the budget, instead being reinvested.  The difficulty with using these returns as part of the budget is that they’re unpredictable: one year we might get a few percentage points more back on investment, another a few points less, and I’d hate to budget for a certain dividend amount if we don’t wind up getting it.” He concluded the discussion with the comment that the Finance Committee could reconsider this position when the opportunity arises in June or July.

This section of the meeting ended with Ms.  Toth noting that there is $182 remaining in a health and dental fund that had been discontinued.  The vast majority of persons paying into this program have been repaid, however some were unable to be contacted.  She recommended reallocating these monies so this negligible part of the statements could be consolidated in categories that are in active use.  The Council unanimously approved the statements and the choice of KRP as AUSU’s auditors for the coming year.

The Reviews

The next major topic of discussion concerned policies and procedures regarding course reviews.  President Stacey Hutchings kicked it off by noting that the Council had previously tasked the executives with the goal of coming to a settled position on how they’d like to see the university handle reviewing course materials.  The university currently does have a policy on course revisions, but she remarked that it was “light and not very prescriptive”.  The SU has been involved in conversations on this topic with senior university administration, but Ms. Hutchings feels that she wouldn’t want to advocate a particular position on this yet as the university is attempting to bring unity and consistency across all its faculties with its One AU initiative.  She pointed out that courses are now reviewed according to separate procedures depending on which faculty the courses originate from.  The last thing she would want is to insist to the administration on a particular timeline when the process of unifying AU’s faculties is still underway.  She emphasized the administration wants to include the SU to attempt to elicit the most beneficial input for students.

Vice-President External (VPEx) Karen Fletcher added that this is part of a bigger discussion.  She noted that course review is an important piece of how courses are developed but hastened to expand on that by saying that integration of equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations.  In her view, it would be better to tackle these issues holistically, which aligns with the initiative described above, rather than by cherry-picking.  She also expressed her view that it was good that senior administration was receptive to comments about particular courses being problematic.

Vice-President Finance and Administration (VPFA) Leah Campbell commented that senior university administration has admitted that there’s a problem with how course revision is approached and they are actively working toward fixing it, including being open to partnership with the SU.  Vice President Community and Wellness (VPCW) Natalia Iwanek raised the fact that AUSU is also bringing this issue up with individual faculty meetings, in an attempt to constantly keep it under attention.

A significant repercussion of this morass, as President Hutchings noted, is that some courses have been in revision for years and certain students would not be able to take them throughout their programs.  Regardless of the timeline, she’d like to see, above all else, students involved in this decision-making.  A few others reiterated what had already been said, and the general impression I was left with is that the council seems to agree about the general idea of the direction they want to head in here, not necessarily about the specifics.

The Executive Review

Mr.  Campbell began the next section on executive compensation review by stating that the review committee is formed and does their work in the 2nd year of every council term.  His work is primarily supportive in nature on this issue, providing information and perspective for the three committee members: Councillors Cassandra MacKay, Meredith Charlton, and (now VPFA) Leah Campbell (the latter having recently done some totem pole climbing).

Ms. Charlton wished to acknowledge Ms. Campbell’s work on this committee given that she had to step down from it under the weight of added responsibilities in her new role as VP Finance and Administration.  The three reviewed previous executive compensation reviews, did a comparison chart with resources from Mr.  Campbell, and conducted a survey with the executive team.  Their goal was to create an appropriate representation of the unique needs of the executives, while staying flexible and realistic in terms of planning.

Ms. MacKay reported the specific changes and the identified requirement and benefits in this policy.  Identified: a 35-hour work week for the president, 30-hour work weeks for vice presidents, health and dental, vacation and sick leave time, overtime, and a 3 credit course compensation for each 6 months worked.  Changes: the salaries increased about 6.5% (the base pay of all increasing from about 23 per hour to 24.50), an option to choose Alberta Blue Cross or the extant health and dental plan, and an increase from $85 to $90 per month for home office expenses.  Although their raises are above a multiplicative increase of 4.04% percent over two years with standard inflation in mind, these increases were justified by Ms.  Campbell having done some research on the recent increase of cost of living, which she said has “skyrocketed” due to COVID.

Executive Director Campbell answered my question about how the data for the comparison chart were collected by saying that he began collecting them annually from other student associations in 2018, and since then the chart’s compilation and sharing have become a collaborative effort by student associations from across Western Canada.

The Miscellanea

The councillors’ oath of office was amended to emphasize the importance of honesty and integrity, and the need to decolonize the university.  Indigenous Circle Representative Jo-Mary Crowchild-Fletcher will officially take this oath during the next meeting.

Partly paid for by the SU reclaiming monies tied up in the physical space it no longer pays for, a new executive role was recently added: Vice President Community and Wellness.  The primary responsibility is to foster student engagement by (non-comprehensively): chairing the Member Engagement and Communication Committee and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee; serving as the Executive Committee liaison with the Indigenous Circle; promoting mental health initiatives and advocacy at AU and AUSU; providing leadership and support to the 2SLGBTQIA+ and EDI initiatives at AU; promoting community wellness initiatives and social justice initiatives at AU and AUSU; promoting sexual and gender-based violence prevention initiatives and advocacy at AU and AUSU; remaining active and engaged in the wider AU community including attending AUSU events and engaging with AUSU and AU social media; and coordinating with staff to ensure overall internal and external communications promoting student well-being and highlighting student engagement opportunities.

Another change made was that if a student is elected into a committee voting position, they may now take a token of appreciation instead of pay if they don’t wish to be on the SU’s payroll.

There was some discussion about the SU mirroring the university’s move to a near-virtual work environment.  Executive Director Campbell and President Hutchings highlighted some of the benefits: reallocating rent money to new positions, and more flexible hiring and relocation practices.

VPCW Iwanek was appointed as a voting member of the finance committee.

Councillors Mackay and Councillor Dur-E-Najaf Syed put their names in the hat for a voting role on the EDI committee.  Each made a statement explaining their interest in the role.  Councillor MacKay stated she has always been interested in trying to make sure everyone is heard and respected equally, regardless of their unique points of view.  She is enjoying seeing different points of view on areas of AUSU, and is hoping to rejoin AUSU after the next round of elections.  Councillor Syed would also like to run again, and is also interested in seeing how another committee operates.  She believes inclusivity and diversity is important in every environment.  In her view, this is particularly important for AU because many people can seem invisible due to the school’s online nature.  She noted that she has also sat on similar committees in the past.

VPCW Iwanek, heading the committee, wished to know what one project the candidates would implement if chosen for the role.  Councillor MacKay said that although AUSU is small compared to other students’ unions, she would like to see the EDI committee educate people about marginalized groups that don’t yet get enough attention.  Councillor Syed had a similar position, emphasizing that she’d like to see the committee put effort into recognizing more holidays and observances that don’t currently enjoy much focus.  After a technological delay for voting, Councillor Syed was declared and appointed.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 pm.  The Council meets next on February 17, 2022 (6:30 pm MST).  Please contact governance@ausu.org for information about the Council or attending the meeting.

The council members then acknowledged their presence on traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples.  VP of Community and Wellness Natalia Iwanek took time to reflect on the difficult month for the Indigenous and Muslim communities, referring to the discovery of the remains of 215 children near the Kamloops Indian Residential School, and the killing of four Muslims in London, Ontario.  She wished for everyone present to take some time to reflect on the byproducts of colonialism still existent and to reaffirm the AUSU’s commitment to support affected members of these communities and advocate for them in the post-secondary system.

Councillor Iwanek added that, with June being Pride Month, AUSU is continuing to work toward advocacy initiatives, scholarships, bursaries, and safe spaces.  Some of the major projects included under this umbrella are the formation of the Indigenous Circle; the newly formed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee; the establishment of a Discord server focused on 2SLGBTQIA+ issues; and a food assistance program.  For the uninitiated, Discord is a free voice over internet protocol software for voice, text, and video chat, as well as file sharing and distribution.  She concluded with the remark that AUSU is constantly striving to improve and input is welcomed from council members and members-at-large alike.

All council members were in attendance.  The previous meeting’s minutes and the current meeting’s agenda were passed.

New Policies and Updates

Several new policies were approved and discussed.  The first was on procedural rules for student council meetings.  The two main points were the adoption of the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order and the previously mentioned offer of accommodations by the accessibility officer at the start of the meeting.  President Stacey Hutchings said that the accessibility portion in particular was a good addition.  Other student councils have this sort of structure in their meetings and the AUSU felt it would be an improvement to adopt something similar.

The second was a policy on Equitable Access and Inclusion for 2SLGBTQIA+ Students.  Councillor Iwanek stated that it had been worked on for a while because of it encompassing so many different experiences and identities.  She noted that AUSU as an organization thought it is important to involve the wider community in the formation of such policies for thoroughness.  The committee reached out to AU Women’s Studies Assistant Professor Tobias Wiggins and AU student Grayson Thate for advice in developing the policy.  The Councillor added that the committee tried their best to use definitions with the most current language, commenting that it can be a difficult task as the language evolves quickly and that the policy will have to be revised to keep up with changing times.  A lot of research was put into detailing why the policy needs to exist and what barriers the students in the community are facing.  She concluded by saying that as an organization AUSU wants to use affirming language and the pronouns preferred by those addressed, and pointing out the complexity involved in the formation of such a policy in comparison with other post-secondary institutions with similar policies that mainly operate in person, given that AU has a digital campus.

The election conduct policy received grammatical corrections and the removal of a fee for a running candidate to make a complaint.  Previously, if the candidate wanted to make a complaint or ask for a recount they would be charged $100.  President Hutchings noted that this change makes the election process more user-friendly and equitable, since it’s possible the fee would be a barrier to fairness in the election process for some participants.

The council also passed an initial formulation for the terms of reference for the Indigenous Circle at AUSU.  President Hutchings and VP of Finance and Administration Almigdad Eldoma emphasized that the council wanted the Circle to not see this formulation as a set of rules set in stone, and that it would be open for them to propose changes moving forward.  “It’s a step toward decolonization,” the President said.

Councillor Eldoma added, “It’s not just a concrete set of rules.  We want them to redo the policies as they see fit.  It signifies doing what is demanded and right by those around us and the country.  It’s a really cool way to push forward what we’ve been advocating, and it counts as evidence that we’re moving toward what we say, not just saying it.” VP External Karen Fletcher wanted to know about the process for becoming part of the Circle.  The President responded that for the 1st year it will be by appointment, however the 2nd year’s circle will be determined in a general election process.

Member Engagement and Communications Committee (MECC) Appointment

Lorie Tran was appointed as the member-at-large for this committee.  Executive Director Jodi Campbell said that she stood out among the applicants for the role, and that the decision for her appointment was unanimous.  The Director was happy with overall engagement, remarking that it often feels like a mystery at the beginning of a search like this.  Three candidates stepped forward and they were deliberated over extensively.

Ms. Tran was chosen because she has several years of experience, and in her interview process she talked a great deal about the importance of community development.  It was felt that she would be a great fit for the committee because of, among other reasons, her active Psychology Association membership and her substantial volunteer experience.  Councillor Iwanek added that she’s excited for the first meeting and that it’s fantastic to have a full committee with a member-at-large.  President Hutchings noted that what stood out for her about Ms. Tran’s application and interview process was that she seemed to understand well what MEC does, that she has relevant work and volunteer experience, and that she fits well with what the committee wants to accomplish.

Reports, Reports, Reports!

The main point from the President’s Report was that she was elected to the board of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations as treasurer.  She said that it’s good to have somebody from AUSU on the board in such a position because it allows for advocacy in finance and other domains.  “I’m excited about the opportunity to advocate for SU members as part of the board.  It’s a space to advocate equitably for all students.”

VP External Karen Fletcher was elected to the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.  She expressed that she was thrilled with this appointment, particularly because AU likely has more students of different demographics than many other post-secondary institutions (eg.  working, older), and she feels that members of these demographics are forgotten in some student councils.

In his report, VP Finance and Administration Eldoma commented that much of his time in the previous month was spent in relation to the search for new deans for the health disciplines, business, and humanities and social sciences faculties.  He stated, “it’s great that student executives have the chance to meet candidates and voice concerns.  It’s a wonderful advantage.  I want to thank AU for giving us this opportunity.  A lot of schools don’t broker it.  It allows us to get feedback from different candidates and provide feedback in the search.”

For her report, VP Community and Wellness Iwanek wished to highlight the ‘virtual student social’ that she was piloting.  It is the first one available to all AUSU members.  It is usually constituted by her and other councillors for students to drop-in and discuss anything AU or AUSU related.  She has also started a 2SLGBTQIA+ drop-in hour, and she’s pleased with the initial engagement and success she’s seeing on that front.

The VPCW also remarked that for the MECC report much time was spent reviewing services and that several podcasts have been recorded and are now available at https://www.ausu.org/services/ausu-podcast/.  She concluded with the comment that the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee is still looking for members-at-large.  Eligible candidates are encouraged to submit applications.

In his report, Director Campbell noted that after seeing an enrolment increase over the past few years, it was interesting to observe dips in enrolment for April and May, below numbers for 2019.  He also wished Social Media Coordinator Tim Hanson bon voyage as he will be moving on from AUSU to pursue another opportunity.  “He set the groundwork for what the role is going to be AUSU and we want to wish him nothing but the best and to thank him for the time he’s been with us,” the Director said.

Recognition and Acknowledgements

The President said that AUSU had done an event on Facebook Live and it was felt to have been a great engagement piece.  She expressed how helpful it was to have Mr. Hanson and Communications and Member Services Coordinator Ashley Janes for their assistance.

Councillor Eldoma joined in thanking Councillor Janes and Mr. Hanson.  “It’s been a cool thing to see you be proactive about keeping everything up to date and the various campaigns you guys have been helping with,” he said.

Director Campbell said that May and November are very heavy lifting months for the award committee.  “With us essentially doubling the awards being distributed, there were many applications the committee had to review.  I’d also like to recognize [Councillor] Regan [Johnson] for her work on awards,” he said.

Councillor Katy Lowe thanked Director Campbell for his quick responses to concerns and thoughts she had to express, even outside of normal working hours.  She said, “I don’t want my saying this to set a precedent of any kind, but I just want to say that you’re really going above and beyond.”

Next Meeting

The meeting ended at 7:24 pm, and the council reconvened, with six brand new members, on July 15, 2021 at 6:30 pm MST.  The report on that meeting should be available in the next couple of weeks.

The next meeting will be on August 19, 2021 at 6:30 pm MST.  Please write governance@ausu.org if you wish to attend, if you want other information about the council and their activities, or if you want information about the virtual events discussed above.

Vice President External Karen Fletcher led the group in giving respectful acknowledgement of the use of traditional indigenous lands.  The evening’s agenda and minutes from the previous meeting were passed unanimously, and after more unanimous agreement to pass changes to policies on respect in the workplace and terms of reference for the Member Engagement and Communications Committee, the more substantive elements of the meeting got under way.

Annual Report

Executive Director Jodi Campbell led the discussion on the council’s annual report, noting that it is usually approved in April but with Communications and Member Services Coordinator Ashley Janes coming on board to help, he wanted to make sure there was extra time for her input.  He commented that the report used a similar template to the previous one, but with many new elements in it due to the novel situation presented by COVID.  He ended by lauding Ashley for her ability to contribute to the document containing nearly a year’s worth of previous content, having only worked on the project for a month.  This report was also approved with unanimous agreement.

Finance Committee Appointment

Director Campbell continued holding the floor as he called for the reappointment of Mark Toews to the Finance Committee as a student-at-large voting member.  He stated, “Mark has been on the committee for the past couple of years.  He has done a wonderful job of participating and being engaged.  When we talked to him about the potential to be re-appointed, he was very eager to extend his opportunity to work with Vice President Finance and Administration Almigdad Eldoma and the rest of the committee.  Students-at-large are eligible to renew their appointments for two years after their first.  This will be Mark’s third year and he’s done a wonderful job so far.”

This section of the meeting ended with a motion to appoint Vice President External Karen Fletcher to the Awards Committee as a voting member, replacing President Stacey Hutchings in the role.  President Hutchings thanked Councillor Fletcher for offering to take the role off her hands, as she is very busy with the main aspects of her work as president.  Both motions were passed unanimously.

Integrated Learning Environment

The President had no comments to give about her own report, pausing briefly to note the resignations of Councillors Monique Durette and Darcie Fleming before passing the floor to Councillor Fletcher and Vice President Community and Wellness Natalia Iwanek for the VP External Report.

The focal point here was the amount of time the SU spent looking at the new Integrated Learning Environment in development as a replacement for Moodle.  One exciting feature the software will support is the ability for students to message each other.  Councillor Fletcher expressed concern about the potential for abuse the feature creates, and asked the ILE development committee about whether there would be the ability to report users for harassing behaviour or block them.  When the response was that they were hoping these situations wouldn’t occur, she insisted that even though much of AU’s learning environment is a “digital campus”, it needs to be a safe one, which requires proactivity and having controls in place.  She was told by the Deputy Provost that the supplier of the software had been consulted and assurance was given that her concerns would be accommodated.  Councillor Eldoma’s time in April was similarly dedicated to ILE workshopping.  He expressed excitement from seeing staff from all faculties together testing out the software, working out an integrated faceplate of how the environment will look, and generating a solid timeline of when it will be done.

Councillor Iwanek commented on the busyness that transitioning to her new role has caused.  She has spent much of her time since the previous meeting attending an Alberta Student Leader Caucus and a diversity and inclusion conference, the latter of which is a first for the SU.  This segment ended at 6:49 pm with Councillor Johnson joining the call.

Executive Director’s Report

Director Campbell opened the discussion of his report by remarking that everyone is aware that April brings a new awards season.  He said, “the awards committee is doing a great deal of work with the spike of activity due primarily to the May cycle coming up.  The staff are busy processing awards applications, then the committee’s work will be to review them.  There is $50,000 in award money to be distributed, and that amount has doubled for the second cycle in a row.”  Some of the Director’s time since the previous session was spent in transition sessions for new executives on the team, which he thanked Governance and Advocacy Coordinator Duncan Wojtaszek for helping to set up.  He concluded by reminding those present that the AUSU Council by-election will soon be run, and there were only a small number of days until the nominations opened.

Recognition and Acknowledgements

Councillor Johnson recognized Councillor Katy Lowe for her work on the awards committee over the last year.

President Hutchings pointed out that Coordinator Janes had finished her first month in her new position, saying, “she has done a great job taking on such a robust role and the organization doesn’t seem to have skipped a beat, so props for that.”

Councillor Iwanek similarly wanted to recognize Councillor Fletcher for her first month in her new role as Vice President External, noting the large amount of learning required in it.  She also thanked Councillor Eldoma for work on the Finance Committee and President Hutchings for her work on the Virtual Food Assistance Program, which she started.

Councillor Fletcher thanked President Hutchings for her networking setups for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) conference.  This allowed both of them to have the chance to talk to other schools’ SUs to see what their interests are and how they can help each other.  She noted that the President has better small talk skills than she does, which was helpful to her for AUSU to connect with other organizations.

The segment ended with Director Campbell stating, “You look at the organization and you start to see the momentum we’re gathering.  Whether it’s the evolution of the respect in the workplace policy, the thriving of the awards program, or one of many other examples.  I just want to take a moment to give kudos to everyone involved for all their hard work.  I think the most important thing to keep in mind is at the core, the AUSU is for the students of the university, and we would benefit from keeping the perspective of providing services for them in mind.”

Questions and Answers

Managing Editor of the Voice Magazine Karl Lowe had two questions.  First, he noticed that in the annual report there is a budgetary surplus of about $200,000, and he was curious about what the SU planned to do with it whether in terms of spending or budgeting.

Councillor Eldoma was the first to reply, saying that the surplus was on the SU’s radar, and that they would be allocating extra funds to awards and bursaries, trying to find different, creative ways to spend it on scholarships and conferences, and that it would be discussed in further detail in the forthcoming finance meeting.  He added that the surplus would likely continue to grow, as more revenue would be coming in from storage and office space that is no longer in use due to COVID, and that the university is still seeing higher than projected enrollment at the moment.

Director Campbell noted that for a couple of years prior to 2021, there was a perfect storm of events to create this surplus.  In 2019 the SU fee was raised from $3 per credit to $3.75 per credit and even before the pandemic the university was seeing a ton of growth in enrollment.  The larger increase in enrollment due to COVID was difficult to budget for, but the main goal is to put money back into student services.  They have already made some headway toward the goal by donating to the AU emergency bursary program, injecting $100,000 back into awards, contests, initiatives, and in general trying to get money back into students’ pockets.

Second, Editor Low wanted to know if a more specific timeline for the new ILE was available, and generally whether there was more information about that project.  Councillor Eldoma responded that the goal is to test pilot the software on 10 courses with faculty in June and to have an official launch by Fall 2022.

Councillor Amber McDuffe wanted to know about whether SU council meetings could be livestreamed on the organization’s Facebook page in the future.  President Hutchings wanted to take a look at doing this, noting that other SUs livestream meetings, that it reduces the pressure of coming into a Zoom room, and that she would be interested in pursuing this option pending approval of the rest of the council.

Director Campbell ended the substantive discussion of the meeting by pointing out the gold ribbon backgrounds that the majority of participants had in their Zoom backgrounds.  He thanked everyone for making the effort to put them up, explaining that they represent a campaign for social change involving reducing anti-Asian hate and racism.

Next Meeting

The meeting came to a close at about 7:13 pm.  The council will reconvene on June 17, 2021 at 6:30 pm MST.  Please write governance@ausu.org if you wish to attend, or if you want other information about the council and their activities.

[Editor’s Note:  Article written by Kent Provost]

This entry to the Voice Writing Contest received an honourable mention from our judging panel.  Judge Heather von Stackelburg commented:

“A broken heart is something many (if not most) of us have experienced at one time or another, and being able to go and have it “taken care of” like a suit that needs drycleaning certainly has its appeal. The brash “business bro” speak of Melvin, and his sideways approach to telling the main character about how he can take care of his broken heart is well done. I would have like to see more about Ming, what she’s doing and how she’s doing it, and less about the subway ride to get there, but overall it’s an intriguing story.”

To see all the winners, check out our article And the Winner Is…

The fish sloshed back and forth in its Ziplock bag as the light rail car lurched on the tracks leading into Chinatown.  It wasn’t evident from its lack of voluntary motion or the dull shine of its scales whether it was alive or dead; from the smell emanating from the gaps in the plastic lock, it could have been either.  An elderly woman, a local as marked by physical features and dress, cradled the bag between her legs.  She smiled, relaxed and dreamy, oblivious to the disapproving stares of the women on either side of her as she slid opposite fingers along the top of the bag, sealing it with intermittent snaps and pops.  The women, their sleek hair mussed, suits dishevelled, one of their heels snapped halfway through at the base, swayed discordantly against the motion of the car.  The cyan lights of a clock on a nearby building blurred as we went by, but I could make out that it was barely past five, it was still Tuesday, and yet judging by their behaviour, two lapsing in and out of consciousness, one slurring a diatribe against “shpoiled monarchal bratsh invading ‘merica” into a battered phone, for these so-called professionals the party was rushing to an end.

One of them put a finger in her mouth, faked a gagging sound and spoke to the others over the hunched form of the old woman.  “It’s hard to tell where exactly the smell is coming from.” Their girlish laughter permeated the air in our small compartment with the stench of rye whiskey, stale and sour, far more offensive than the diminishing scent of the fish.  I decided instantly that I would rather stare into its glassy, empty eyes for eternity than meet gazes with one of these harpies for a single second across the bar at cocktail hour.  The train screeched to a halt and passengers disembarked, the old woman and myself among them.

Normally I wouldn’t be caught dead in this part of town, let alone on public transit, but at the same time my car couldn’t be seen in these parts.  As head of accounting for one the city’s biggest and most pretentious advertising firms, I was taking a risk just showing my face here.  Having one’s face seen in a place like this is enough to start the rumour mill’s wheel turning, and in our prestigious offices rumours circle water coolers like a noose around your neck, easily pulleyed up between glass ceiling tiles by vultures masquerading as colleagues.  A few of the vultures are innocent enough, and even carrion birds have their uses on occasion.

“Bradley, baby, my shining, darling starchild of suns and moons in a galaxy so much richer than ours.” Melvin had beamed his perfect, insurance-made smile at me and sniffed, dabbing his nostrils with a pure white handkerchief that came away blotted red.  “How ya been?” He patted the suede swivel chair next to him.

“Not well, I’m afraid.  Cynthia left me last night.” As I took the seat my fists clenched without my willing them to, thoughts of what she had said and done taking over my conscious mind, enthralling my attention.

He nodded and frenetically tapped the mahogany table before us in time to an unheard rhythm.  “Good shit man, she was an anchor dragging on the yacht that is you, the magnifico glorious sailing ship that is the SS Bradster sinking down into the depths of the ocean surrounding Suckville.  Did you hear we landed the Coke contract? ‘Coke Neo’, I can’t believe they’re going with it, especially after the last fiasco.  There’s going to be a Matrix 4 tie-in.  Keanu is this closing to signing, can’t resist the bait on the hook.” His hands clapping and the hoot he let out resonated louder than they should have in the boardroom devoid of other occupants.

I continued staring off into space, hypnotized by memories of last night.  The sound of our voices, yelling.  The way I was intoxicated by the mixture of her perfume and spilled red wine in the air, though I was dry.  The hurt in my chest as she slammed the door and I shattered.

Fingers snapping and a sharp whistle brought me back to the present.  “She really fucked you up, hey man?” Melvin now sat still, concern on his face.

I nodded and forced myself to blink.  “We weren’t together long, but I was attached.  I guess she wasn’t.”

The trembling I hadn’t noticed in myself ceased as he placed a palm on my shoulder.  “I know a place you can go.  I went after Marissa…” His usually confident speech faltered, broke.  He brought his handkerchief up to a tearless eye, straining as if trying to elicit at least a drop from it, and wiped.  A thin streak of blood transferred from the cloth to form a diagonal line between the eye and the corner of his bony jaw.

He returned the cloth to his pocket and cleared his throat.  “I went after Christmas three years ago.” He clasped his hands, wringing them as he rocked slightly on the chair.  “You remember that Christmas?”

Minutes ago I had joined a man who saw himself as a god, omnipotent and immune to all harm.  Now I faced one wracked with the desperation to destroy the past in which he had felt the sting of mortality’s dark kiss.  I forced a sympathetic smile.  “I remember.”

“Good, man, good!” He vigorously patted me where his hand had been soaking through my shirt with his sweat.  “They did a fantastic job.  Top-notch, really.  Best in the city, I was told, and I’m no expert but I would have to agree.” He wheeled his chair back from the table and put his feet up on it.  “I’m glad you had the foresight to bring it with you.”

I blinked in confusion and stared at his renewed grin, his confidence again unshakable, the expression on his face showing no sign of weakness, as though he hadn’t been a broken, pitiable husk moments prior.  “Bring what with me?”

A rumbling, echoing laugh emerged from deep down inside him and he pounded the table so hard I could have sworn that waves of raised wood rippled outward from his fist as it landed.  “Brad, Brad, Brad.” He shook the laughing spell and sighed deeply.  “Always a joker.  It, man.  It!” He pointed a beringed finger at the table in front of me and I looked down to see a small, worn cardboard box stained with grease, the folds taped carelessly.

I gesticulated toward the box in protest.  “That’s not mine.  It must have been here already when I sat down.” My excuses sounded lame and flimsy even to me, even before the last word had escaped my lips.

“Well who else could it belong to? Mine’s already been taken care of, as you know.” He brought his hands above his sizable gut.  “Go on.  It’s early but you’re the bigwig here, I’m sure all eyes will be turned blind for your departure.  These things are best sorted out as soon as possible.  I’ll text you the address.”

I stood now at the station, my phone held up to my face.  Melvin had sent me the address in Mandarin and for some reason the internet was refusing to translate.  The old woman, Ziplock bag clutched with both hands, turned to leave but had the kindness to stay and listen when I called out to her.  She saw my phone’s backlight fighting off the shadows sent by approaching dusk, the box held weakly in my other hand and my pathetic, bewildered look.  The characters reflected off her pupils and she took me by the arm as comprehension came over her.  “Come, this way, come.”

We descended through broad thoroughfares lit by flickering neon signs and twisting, claustrophobic side alleys where oil lamps stood as guardians against the darkness.  Finally we came to a small shop separated from the chaos of the neighborhood.  ‘Ming’s’ was written in a handful of languages on a plain, wooden sign above the door.

We went inside and Ming let me go, walking behind the counter and dumping the contents of her bag into a fishbowl set upon it.  The fish’s scales started glowing vibrant turquoise, and the water cleared of all cloudiness and sediments.

Obeying her gesture, I set the box down on the counter.  Ming peeled back the layers of tape and opened the exposed folds.  Inside lay a glass ornament in pieces of various sizes.  She pointed at them, then at my chest, then at herself, and nodded.  A tear rolled down my cheek and fell from my chin onto the ornament.  It pulsed slowly with a deep red light that illuminated the sad look on Ming’s face.  I put my hand on the ornament, she rested hers over mine, and the pain in my heart began to fade.