AMS Assembly - Alma Mater Society of Queen's University€¦ · 03/03/2016 · Thursday, 3 March...
Transcript of AMS Assembly - Alma Mater Society of Queen's University€¦ · 03/03/2016 · Thursday, 3 March...
Thursday, 3 March 2016 1
AMS Assembly
Thursday, March 3rd, 2016
7:00pm
Thursday, 3 March 2016 2
Agenda
1. Motion #1 – Approval of the Agenda of the meeting of March 3, 2016
2. Approval of the Minutes
a. Motion #2 - January 28, 2016
b. Motion #3 - February 11, 2016
3. Speaker’s Business
4. Guest Speaker
5. President’s Report: President Kanivanan Chinniah
6. Vice-President’s Report
a. Operations: Vice-President Kyle Beaudry
b. University Affairs: Vice-President Sarah Letersky
7. Board of Director’s Report: Chairperson Michael Blair
8. Undergraduate Student Trustee’s Report: Trustee Jennifer Li
9. Student Senator’s Report: Student Senate Caucus Chair Leah Brockie
10. Rector’s Report: Rector Mike Young
11. Statements by Members
a. Assembly Members
b. Students-at-Large
12. Question Period
13. Business Arising from the Minutes
a. Motions
i. Motion #4 – “That AMS Assembly approve the changes to Section 12 of
the AMS Hiring and Appointment Policy and Procedures Manual, subject
to final approval from the Board of Directors, as seen in Appendix:
Hiring.”
ii. Motion #5 – “That AMS Assembly approve the changes to Policy Manual
2, Section 3, as seen in Appendix: MAC and Cheese.”
iii. Motion #6 – “That AMS Assembly authorize the Executive to lobby the
federal government of Canada on international student issues, as seen in
Appendix: Sunny Ways.”
iv. Motion #7 – “That AMS Assembly authorize the Executive to lobby the
federal government on undergraduate research dollars and youth
employment, as seen in Appendix: Jobs, Growth, and Long-Term
Prosperity.”
b. Discussion Topics
i. Future of the Clubs Office and Clubs Caucus
ii. AMS Council
Thursday, 3 March 2016 3
14. New Business
a. Motion #8 – “That AMS Assembly formally ratify Bianca Balazic as the Director
of Communications for the 2016-2017 year.”
b. Motion #9 – “That AMS Assembly formally ratify Logan Murray as the Head
Student Constable for the 2016-2017 year.”
c. Motion #10 – “That AMS Assembly formally ratify __________ as the AMS
Secretariat for the 2016-2017 year.”
d. Motion #11 – “That AMS Assembly formally ratify __________ as the Judicial
Affairs Director for the 2016-2017 year.”
e. Motion #12 – “That AMS Assembly express concern with the process undertaken
by the Senate Committee on Academic Procedures to impose a fall reading week;
and, direct the Speaker to write a letter to the Chair of the Senate Committee on
Academic Procedures”
f. Motion #13 – “That AMS Assembly formally approve the creation of the Clubs
Caucus, as seen in Appendix: Ultralight Beam”
g. Motion #14 – “That AMS Assembly formally approve the restructuring of the
Clubs Office, as seen in Appendix: No More Parties in LA”
h. Motion #15 – “That AMS Assembly approve the changes to the Campus
Activities Commission structure, as seen in Appendix: Wolves.”
i. Motion #16 - “That AMS Assembly approve the changes to Policy Manual 4, as
seen in Appendix: 30 Hours”
15. Discussion Topics
a. Food Charter – Commissioner Peter Liberty, Commissioner Alex Chung
i. See Appendix: Waves
16. Adjournment
Thursday, 3 March 2016 4
Motion Sheet
1. Moved by: Jon Wiseman Seconded by: Kanivanan Chinniah
“That AMS Assembly approve the agenda for the Assembly meeting of Thursday,
February 11, 2016”
2. Moved by: Jon Wiseman Seconded by: Kanivanan Chinniah
“That AMS Assembly approve the minutes for the Assembly meeting of Thursday,
January 28, 2016”
3. Moved by: Jon Wiseman Seconded by: Kanivanan Chinniah
“That AMS Assembly approve the minutes for the Assembly meeting of Thursday,
February 11, 2016.”
4. Moved by: Tyler Lively Seconded by: Carolyn Thompson
“That AMS Assembly approve the changes to Section 12 of the AMS Hiring and
Appointment Policy and Procedures Manual, subject to final approval from the Board
of Directors, as seen in Appendix: Hiring.”
5. Moved by: Matt Kussin Seconded by: Jon Wiseman
“That AMS Assembly approve the changes to Policy Manual 2, Section 3, as seen in
Appendix: MAC and Cheese.”
6. Moved by: Sarah Letersky Seconded by: Kanivanan Chinniah
“That AMS Assembly authorize the Executive to lobby the federal government of
Canada on international student issues, as seen in Appendix: Sunny Ways.”
7. Moved by: Sarah Letersky Seconded by: Kanivanan Chinniah
“That AMS Assembly authorize the Executive to lobby the federal government on
undergraduate research dollars and youth employment, as seen in Appendix: Jobs,
Growth, and Long-Term Prosperity.”
8. Moved by: Tyler Lively Seconded by: Carolyn Thompson
“That AMS Assembly formally ratify Bianca Balazic as the Director of
Communications for the 2016-2017 year.”
Thursday, 3 March 2016 5
9. Moved by: Brandon Kim Seconded by: Dave Walker
“That AMS Assembly formally ratify Logan Murray as the Head Student Constable
for the 2016-2017 year.”
10. Moved by: Carolyn Thompson Seconded by: Tyler Lively
“That AMS Assembly formally ratify __________ as AMS Secretariat for the 2016-2017
year.”
11. Moved by: Carolyn Thompson Seconded by: Tyler Lively
“That AMS Assembly formally ratify __________ as the Judicial Affairs Director for
the 2016-2017 year.”
12. Moved by: Kanivanan Chinniah Seconded by: Sarah Letersky
“That AMS Assembly express concern with the process undertaken by the Senate
Committee on Academic Procedures to impose a fall reading week; and, direct the
Speaker to write a letter to the Chair of the Senate Committee on Academic
Procedures”
13. Moved by: Jennifer Williams Seconded by: Jon Wiseman
“That AMS Assembly formally approve the creation of the Clubs Caucus, as seen in
Appendix: Ultralight Beam”
14. Moved by: Jennifer Williams Seconded by: Kyle Beaudry
“That AMS Assembly formally approve the restructuring of the Clubs Office, as seen
in Appendix: No More Parties in LA”
15. Moved by: Danielle Kimmerly Seconded by: Jon Wiseman
“That AMS Assembly approve the changes to the Campus Activities Commission
structure, as seen in Appendix: Wolves.”
16. Moved by: Sarah Letersky Seconded by: Jon Wiseman
“That AMS Assembly approve the changes to Policy Manual 4, as seen in Appendix:
30 Hours”
Thursday, 3 March 2016 6
Dear Members of Assembly,
Board of Trustees Meeting | The Board of Trustees will be meeting this weekend. Among the
agenda items is the finalized Management & Operations Agreement for the Student Life Centre.
Kyle Beaudry and Lyn Parry have worked hard to ensure that this new agreement has the
correct incentive structures and delivers a better arrangement for all three parties to the
agreement to manage our student life space. The renegotiation of the Management &
Operations Agreement was an initiative started by the previous AMS administration, and we
are happy to see it through to completion.
Of note, the Board will also be approving the Sexual Violence Policy. It is important to note that
the Government of Ontario is currently in a legislative process to regulate policies such as these
across Ontario’s universities, so this policy is not final.
The New Provost | I am pleased to report that the new Provost, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon, will
take meetings with the AMS on Thursday to speak about his priorities throughout his
appointment before he formally takes office. We hope to discuss topics ranging from the
teaching-research balance at Queen’s, to student-run orientation week, to various social issues,
to non-academic misconduct, clubs and others.
Due to some scheduling issues, Dr. Bacon will be unfortunately unable to attend Assembly this
week, but he will be at an Assembly at the Fall term. If you have any ideas on topics that you
wish the AMS to raise with Dr. Bacon, please get in touch with me as soon as possible.
Non-Academic Misconduct Review | This Saturday, the Board will discuss a revised Code of
Conduct with the University Senate at the Board-Senate Retreat. Leah Brockie and I will work to
ensure that the student Senators are provided the best possible preparation for these
discussions.
Assembly will also receive further consultation from the committee at the next Assembly for the
year. I have expressed to the Board of Trustees that it is important for the community to buy
into all aspects of a modernized system, and will continue to do so as they meet this weekend.
The President of the Alma Mater Society
Report to Assembly
Kanivanan Chinniah
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 7
Fall Reading Week Process | In December, the AMS surveyed our members on their thoughts
regarding a fall reading break, as is being pursued by the Senate Committee on Academic
Procedures. We found that students were seriously divided on whether or not they want a
break to begin with.
On divisive issues, from fossil fuel divestment to non-academic misconduct, the Administration
and the Board of Trustees has set precedents where decisions are made with the full
involvement of all stakeholders and with a process that the community has confidence in. We
know that students are sharply divided on the subject of a Fall break, and our Executive does
not believe that SCAP has met the threshold for meaningful consultation on this issue.
For the week after this Assembly, we will request attendance at each of your Faculty Society
Assemblies to get student leaders to express dissatisfaction with the process involved. As
mentioned in Commissioner Lively’s report, we will also be asking for Assembly to send a letter
to the Chair of SCAP, the contents of which will be reviewed by President’s Caucus and
presented here for your review at the meeting.
Overhauling the John Deutsch University Centre (JDUC) | We are considering the
commission of a new programmatic assessment of the John Deutsch University Centre in order
to determine whether the JDUC can fit the programmatic needs of students today. I am
currently working with Nirali Patel, the Student Life Centre Managing Director, on options
moving forward and will keep Assembly apprised.
Congratulations to the New President’s Directors | I am pleased to warmly congratulate
Bianca Balazic, Emma Jones, Michael Judd, and Caitlin McKeen on their hiring as Directors of
Communications, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Advancement respectively.
I am also happy to report that my transition with Tyler Lively is going well.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 8
d
Hello Members of Assembly,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Reading Week. As we head into the month of March things
are busy around the offices. Here are a few quick updates from my portfolio:
Clubs Office Consolidation| We are excited to announce that there will be no longer be a
distinction between AMS and SGPS clubs! This means that a student on campus can participate
in any club, regardless of its former affiliation. I have projected financial figures for the future of
the consolidated clubs office. The SGPS will contribute roughly $20,000 in funding for grants,
operating costs, and overhead (involvement of the VP Operations and General Manager in
insurance matters). The motion will be coming forward this Assembly, and will be discussed
further by Jenny Williams.
March Student Fee Payout| In the next week, the AMS will receive the remaining 10% of the
student activity fees collected for the 2015-2016 academic year. Once the fees have been
reviewed and we have had the opportunity to reconcile any differences, each group will receive
an e-mail to come to the offices and pick up their cheque. This process will be no different than
what occurred this past November. You can expect a cheque by no later than March 15th.
Insurance –International Travel Groups| I have spent some time speaking with AMS groups
whose primary purpose is international service trips, or who frequently attend events across the
border. Their operations present unique risks to the AMS. Before the end of our term, we will be
creating a standard waiver which can be used by these groups. This will become a standard
template available for use in the Clubs Office for student groups next year.
Health & Dental Plan Review| Several students have approached me with interest in
extending the amount of coverage they receive out of their Health & Dental Plan. Specifically,
the amount of coverage per visit. I have asked our plan provider to send along quote for the
premium increase that would be commensurate with an increase in coverage of 80% per visit.
The fee for next year’s plan will be set by late March.
Vice President (Operations)
Report to Assembly
Kyle Beaudry
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 9
Bus Route – Service Extension| Matt and I have determined a new option for Route 17, which
will provide more frequent service from Main Campus to West Campus during the evening,
and more access to the University District. These modifications have also freed-up some
additional bus hours, which we are working with the City of Kingston to reallocate. Ideally, we
plan to use these hours to extend the operating hours of the Sunday night service from the bus
station and Sunday bus availability on Route 17. Our final plan will be determined before the
end of March.
Transition| Hiring for AMS Corporate is nearly complete, and I am pleased to report that we
are in good hands next year! Dave and I meet weekly to work through our transition topics, and
Sarah, Kanivanan and I have been meeting with the incoming team as a group to discuss larger
issues facing the AMS.
Tuck Shoppe| The tenants of the Tuck Shoppe will be retiring at the end of this academic
year, and the AMS is in the midst of determining our course of action alongside the SGPS and
Queen’s. Similar to the recent implementation of the Campus Dentist and Luce Hair Studio,
student consultation will lead the decision-making process for the next tenant. While the
process is just getting started, I wanted to keep Assembly informed.
Extended Hours at Student Wellness Services| Great news! We have received confirmation
from the University that Student Wellness Services will now be open for walk-in service on
Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We are finalizing the possibility of extended hours on Fridays
and one weekend, which will begin in September 2016. We will continue to keep Assembly
informed as updates come.
JDUC – Washroom Renovations| The first phase of the washroom renovations should be
complete by the end of the month. Following this, the Men’s ground floor, Women’s upper floor
and accessibility bathrooms will be back in action. Following completion of the first phase,
construction of the second phase (the washrooms currently in use) will begin. The anticipated
completion date is mid-May.
JDUC - $1.2M Renovations| If you haven’t noticed, we have our walkway! Construction for
this entire progress is moving along according to schedule, with an anticipated completion date
of early June. We have recently added signage to the wall on the upper floor to ensure the
student body knows that all of our services are still open.
Upcoming ACGM| See you on Wednesday, March 9th for the Annual Corporate General
Meeting. A budgeting information package will be distributed to you shortly. It will highlight
the major changes in this year’s Consolidated Budget. This evening is great opportunity for you
to learn more about the finances of the AMS, and reflect back on our financial performance of
this past year. I look forward to seeing you all there.
As always, I am happy to take any questions.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 10
Members of Assembly,
I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable reading break! March is quite a busy month for
everyone so make sure you take some time to enjoy the final few months of your terms. I want
to apologize in advance for all the links…
Annual General Meeting
The AGM takes place on March 7th at 7pm in Grant Hall. Rumour has it that there will be more
pizza than you can imagine, plus Jon Wiseman. What more do you need?? But in all
seriousness, come out and bring your friends!
First-Second Year Transition Workshops
As I have mentioned before, the AMS Executive Interns Manny de Jesus and Juliette Deck-
Remillard have been putting together a series of workshops to take place March 14th-18th. We
will start advertising for the workshops next week so please share the graphics over social
media and invite as many first years as possible!
175th Anniversary Working Group
Planning for Queen's 175th Anniversary is well under-way. Taylor Jennings has been leading
our advisory committee which has been meeting regularly to explore how AMS members can
meaningfully participate in the Queen’s 175th Anniversary celebrations. The AMS will use this
milestone as an opportunity to highlight the significance of student contributions to the Queen’s
community by:
Leveraging existing activities such as Orientation Week and the ReUnion Street Festival
as an opportunity to promote said anniversary;
Celebrating the time students spend volunteering in the Kingston and Queen’s
community;
And presenting a legacy gift on behalf of all AMS members.
The advisory committee is excited to continue working with Faculty Societies, AMS Council,
and other Queen’s stakeholders to maximize student-driven initiatives. More details will be
shared with AMS Assembly on March 31st.
Vice President (University Affairs)
Report to Assembly
Sarah Letersky
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 11
Hazing Prevention and Response Task Force
The HPRTF met for the last time on Monday February 29th. Its final report will be coming out in
April, after Arig al Shaibah and I complete the Final Task Force Report and Recommendations
this month.
OUSA Updates
Last week the Ontario government released the 2016-2017 budget listing positive changes to
Ontario`s student financial aid system. The Government has made the system more accessible
and transparent by reorienting funds to combat upfront costs for students. This reduces the
initial price-tag for students pursuing post-secondary education, making it more accessible for
lower-income students and their families. OUSA has been calling for significant changes to the
student financial aid system for many years, and this announcement is proof that student
advocacy is strongest when it is evidence-based. For a review of the OUSA Student Financial
Assistance paper please visit: http://www.ousa.ca/wordpress/wp-
content/uploads/2015/12/Student-Financial-Assistance-2015.pdf.
This semester I will be testing my writing skills and writing my first OUSA blog. I have yet to
come up with a topic of interest so please shoot me ideas if you have any!
This semester, OUSA General Assembly is taking place on March 17th-20th. Tyler Lively, Joyce
Wai and I have been working on two out of three papers this semester – Students with
Disabilities and Online Learning. They will be brought to GA for ratification alongside of a
Student Employment paper. Once all papers have been circulated to Steering Committee for
final review, I will be hosting open office hours to go over the papers with any interested
parties. Feel free to send me an email if you would like to discuss any of them!
Still looking for a summer job? OUSA is currently looking for a Summer Research Intern to
work alongside of their team. More information regarding the position can be found at:
http://www.ousa.ca/2016/02/29/job-posting-summer-research-intern/#content.
AMS Awards
Every year the AMS awards a series of awards to students, staff and/or faculty who have
contributed positively to the Queen’s experience. Please check out all awards available at
https://myams.org/awards/ and nominate someone who deserves recognition! As our good
friend Leonardo knows, it’s better to be nominated and lose than never nominated at all. The
AMS Volunteers of the Year, AMS Letter Award and AMS Staff Award are due Friday March
4th at 5pm.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 12
Nomination forms for AMS Volunteers of the Year can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jrUZ7NTOxSoIoOe4r1tDf0zMYfKcfeHFPdwbgC-
jCkI/viewform
Nomination forms for the AMS Letter Award can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19f7BmksEgNYSBzwoXr2-
3Cj7G4zs1JHn6r3hUHLYLcw/viewform
Two currently-enrolled students may make the nomination and any member of the Queen’s
community (student, alumni, staff, faculty, co-workers, supervisors, and members of the public
who have an interest in the University). Nominations for the AMS Staff Award must be
delivered to the AMS front desk.
Special Projects Grant
Approximately $5,000 was granted to student groups hosting events on campus this term!
Thank you to everyone who filled out a granting application, we received an unprecedented
number of applicants this round.
Happy to take any questions!
Best,
Sarah Letersky
Thursday, 3 March 2016 13
Internal AAC
Special Projects | After submitting the Syllabus Bank proposal to the Library, we received a
very positive response. The Library has agreed to, in principle, host a Syllabus Bank on their
servers. In the coming weeks, we are looking at signing a Memorandum of Understanding
outlining roles and responsibilities, which would be modelled after the MOU for Exam Bank.
Fall Reading Week | At Senate on Tuesday, February 23rd, notice of motion was delivered for
the SCAP proposal on sessional dates. The most recent proposal would see a 4 instructional-day
break attached to Thanksgiving. Details can be found on the Senate governance portal. Going
forward, we’ll be seeking approval to advocate for a better process with broader consultation.
Special Committee on External Alignment | The Committee held its first meeting last week, and
had a fruitful discussion about the history of external alignment, and considerations going
forward. We will be reporting back to Assembly as our work progresses, with a final report to
be presented at the March 31st meeting.
External AAC
Student Financial Aid | Significant changes to Ontario’s student financial aid system were
included in the recent provincial budget. Most important is the amalgamation of all grants into
one Ontario Student Grant and the elimination of education tax credits. Many of these changes
were lobbied for by the AMS and our partner schools in OUSA, and this really is the result of a
lot of hard work on the part of students over the past years. You can read OUSA’s release here.
OUSA | We are finalizing the draft of our Online Learning paper, which my Policy Deputy,
Joyce, and I are co-authoring with the VP-University Affairs at the Trent Durham Student
Association. We are offering recommendations on how to improve the student experience and
quality of online learning, and how the Government of Ontario should support
eCampusOntario.
Happy to take any questions,
Tyler Lively
Commission of Academic Affairs
Report to Assembly
Tyler Lively
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 14
Hi Assembly!
First of all I would like to extend my deepest congratulations to Greg Kurcin, for being hired as
the Campus Activities Commissioner for 2016-2017. Greg and I have begun transitioning and I
can already tell that the Commission is in great hands! It’s been a very busy few weeks in the
commission, here’s an update of what’s been going on and what you can expect from us for the
last two months (whoa are there really only two months left…?)
Fall Reading Week
Last week Sarah, Tyler and myself went to observe Senate’s discussion on Fall Reading Week.
SCAP’s current proposal drastically changes the Orientation Week schedule and I was pleased
to hear many of the Senator’s thoughts and questions about the current proposal. I look forward
to working more on this topic this month as we prepare for the upcoming Senate vote on the
SCAP’s recommendations.
Queen’s Media and Journalism Conference
This weekend Queen’s Media and Journalism Conference took place on campus and had just
over 100 delegates in attendance. I am proud to say that the conference doubled in size this year
with the theme of helping delegates “find their place” in media and journalism. This conference
truly fills a void on campus since Queen’s does not have a media and journalism degree
program. I am happy to report that the conference was a huge success and I would like to
congratulations the entire executive committee for all of their hard work!
Ottawa Senators Hockey Game for $40 Round Trip!!! – Thursday March 3rd
The Recreation Committee is organizing a trip to Ottawa to see the Senators play the Tampa
Bay Lighting this Thursday March 3rd! The trip will cost participants $40 and includes
transportation both to and from the game. Pick up will be at the JDUC at 5pm on Thursday.
This is a really great bargain and we would love your help spreading the word to your
constituents this week!
Commission of Campus Activities Report to Assembly Danielle Kimmerly
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 15
Live at the Isabel – Thursday March 10th
We don’t have Assembly next Thursday so why not come to The Queen’s Live Music
Committee’s inaugural Live at the Isabel Concert Series where 5 student bands will be
preforming! Tickets are $15 for students and all proceeds will go to the AMS Isabel Bader fund,
which aims to make renting the Isabel more accessible and affordable for student groups. Bands
include The Wilderness, Pal Man and the Dude Friends, Hoodie Jack, Curfew and Social Swing
Club. Check out our Facebook event for more details! Purchase your tickets here:
http://www.theisabel.ca/content/live-isabel
Student Art Showcase at the Grad Club – Saturday March 12th
The Outreach Committee is teaming up with the AMS Arts Council to display art pieces from a
multitude of different arts disciplines for a night of art, culture, drinks and fun! Art will be
showcased from Fine Arts, Film and Media, Drama, Music, Art History and the English DSCs.
More details will be released later this week about tickets prices and times but I can promise
you that this is a date to save!
Human Foosball – Sunday March 20th
Come out to the Recreation Committee’s final event of the year and fulfil the lifelong dream of
being a pawn in a foosball table. Tickets will go on sale next week for $15 and the winning team
will go home with some very sweet prizes!
Senate Orientation Activities Review Board Vacancies
Starting this May there will be two vacancies on the Board and applications for these positions
will be posted soon. SOARB is a unique opportunity to get involved in the policies and
regulations surrounding Orientation Week. It is one of only two Senate Committees that has a
membership that is a student-majority and is a great way to have a long-standing impact on
how things are done at Queen’s. I am happy to talk to anyone who thinks they may be
interested in applying to the Board to give a brief introduction to the role of a SOARB member.
That’s all from me, happy to answer any questions!
Danielle
Thursday, 3 March 2016 16
Hello Assembly!
I’ll keep my report brief and will provide some more updates in assembly with regards to
motions tonight as well as goings-on within the office.
This week, the Tricolour Expo took place in Grant Hall. Massive thanks to the Clubs Office and
everyone involved in the planning process! It was great to see so many students come out to see
what Queen’s has to offer in terms of opportunities and involvement!
Transition will begin shortly with my successor, the AMS Secretariat. I’ll keep their identity
secret for now…
AGM.
MONDAY.
GRANT HALL.
7:00 PM
PIZZA.
DEMOCRACY.
FUN.
BE THERE.
That’s all for this week! As always, if you have any questions, concerns, queries, or quandaries,
please let me know!
Commission of Internal Affairs Report to Assembly Jon Wiseman
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 17
Hey everybody, I just flew in from Cuba, and boy are my arms tired!*
As approximately quorum of assembly knows by now, Liam Dowling has replaced me
as the new Commissioner of Environmental Affairs. I’m sure the commission will continue to
grow under him, and I have the utmost faith he’ll be incredible.
Moving on to the goings of the commission under myself, we’re all getting excited for
Earth Hour. March 19th, we have Clark Hall booked, and will be raffling off prizes, listening to
live music, and celebrating sustainability the only way university students know: drinking!
Please note you don’t have to drink to come, as I encourage all of you to stop by if you’re
around.
We’re prepping for round two of the University District Brite program, handing out free
LED lights for people’s porch lights. This helps keep the UD well-lit and we’re hoping will
make it feel a little safer for people who are out and about late at night.
The Earth Centre also has a series of events planned for the coming weeks, focusing
around a theme of waste reduction. Coming up soon we will have opportunities for any
interested students to get free clothing, lightbulbs, and drinks, in order to help cut back the
amount of waste you are producing.
Finally, I’ve been looking into the creation of a food charter, which should be a
discussion topic later tonight, read through the stuff I’ve sent out and hopefully we can make
something good happen.
Happy assembly everybody!
”Peter Liberty is an incredible person, and I wish I was as smart, cool, or handsome as he was.
Please not these are my original words, and not made up at all.”
- Jon Wiseman
*Note I did not actually go to Cuba. I was suffering in the cold.
Commission of the Environment and Sustainability Report to Assembly Peter Liberty
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 18
Hello Members of Assembly!
A bit of what I’ve been up to this week:
City Hall Assembly
I’ve been hard at work planning for City Hall Assembly set to take place on March 16th! You can
look forward to the presentation of the Golden Key and Civic Responsibility Awards, speeches
by local Councillor Peter Stroud and Mayor Bryan Paterson, and catering from a company that
starts with ‘P’ and ends with ‘O’ (no, it’s not Panago Pizza).
Golden Key Award & Civic Responsibility Award
Nominations for these two awards will be open by the time you read this. If you or someone
you know has a landlord who goes above and beyond their expected duties, please fill out a
nomination at https://myams.org/golden-key-award/. The AMS Civic Responsibility Award is
awarded annually to a Queen’s undergraduate student who has made a significant and
impactful contribution to the Kingston community through ongoing volunteer efforts. If this
sounds like someone you know, be sure to fill out a nomination at https://myams.org/civic-
responsibility-award/.
Victoria Park Revitalization Information Session
As you may know, there are plans to upgrade Victoria Park. We’re planning to prepare a short
presentation on these City plans, with the opportunity to provide feedback. We’ll pass this
feedback onto the City, who will incorporate what they can into their final plans. This is set to
take place in Cogro from 11am to 1pm on Thursday!
Commission of Municipal Affairs Report to Assembly Matt Kussin
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 19
Proactive Property Standards Program
Much of my time has recently been taken up laying the groundwork for this formalized
partnership with the City. It’s important to highlight the significance of this collaboration. I’m
not aware of any comparable partnership between town and gown in any other North
American municipality. It’ll be incredibly excited to see how this directly improves the quality
of life of students, provides paid learning experiences for the HRC Director and Officers, and
provides a service for the City of Kingston which otherwise wouldn’t be offered. While we are
still in the planning phase of the program, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any
questions!
UD Brite Program
Another round of the UD Brite program is set to take place next weekend. Stay tuned!
That's all for now!
Your MuniciPAL,
Matt
Thursday, 3 March 2016 20
Hey Assembly!
Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Lea Keren on her new position as Social Issues Commissioner
2016-17! I’m so excited to be transitioning Lea into the role over the next two months.
Here’s what’s been going on in the SIC the last few weeks:
Ghetto: A Retail Art Installation
As you likely know, GHETTO: A Retail Art Installation is now open in the Fireside Lounge in
the Queen’s Centre. We had a very successful opening night with the artists speaking on a panel
discussion and “cutting the ribbon” to the installation.
The content of the installation is quite tough to digest and the topics that it aims to tackle are
difficult and contentious ones, to say the least. If any of your constituents express feeling
troubled, concerned, or disturbed by the installation or just have any questions, please feel free
to direct them to me and I would be happy to debrief any questions they may have.
Additionally, we will be hosting the co-creators for a Q&A Skype session this Wednesday in the
AMS Boardroom, such that students may come and comment and ask questions on their
impressions of the exhibit. Please feel free to let your constituents know and attend yourselves!
Disability X Sexuality Summit
A huge congratulations to Accessibility Queen’s for throwing an extremely successful inaugural
Disability X Sexuality Summit. This day-long event featured keynote speakers and workshops
that facilitated discussions about the intersections of disability and sexuality, specifically how
ableism plays into our notions of what norms exist in sex and sexuality. With over 55 delegates,
six workshops, and four keynote speakers, this event was more of a success than we could have
imagined and we are already dreaming up what it could look like in future years.
Commission of Social Issues Report to Assembly Alex Chung
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 21
AMS Equity Strategic Plan
The first draft of the AMS Equity Strategic Plan is almost done and is going for a first read and
review at Equity Caucus tonight (Monday, February 29th). After our edits and additions I hope
to bring a second draft to assembly next week for further feedback.
SWS Walk-In Clinic Hours
Kyle and I had another sit-down with Carolyn Borins, Director of Health Services and Roxy
Denniston-Stewart, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, to discuss the progress of our trial
evening clinic on Thursday evenings. As you may know, last semester Kyle and I brought forth
a proposal to extend walk-in clinic hours into the evenings and during weekends, as the current
hours current span 8:30-4:30 Mon-Thurs and 8:30-3 Fri. We identified this as a barrier to
students considering their class and extracurricular schedules, and also keeping wait-times in
mind. As a trial to extended hours, Health Services has kept their Thursday evenings open until
7:30PM and it has been used sufficiently enough that both Carolyn and Roxy are happy to
explore permanent extended hours for the 2016-17 school year. It looks like Tuesdays and
Thursdays until 7:30 and Friday until 4:30 is in the plans, and we are also hoping to see a
Saturday clinic in there as well.
We are also working to implement an online booking system for SWS’ booked appointments,
and hope to update back with good news in the near future.
Robert Sutherland Prize
Nominating season is upon us for the Robert Sutherland Prize! This prize is awarded annually
to a self-defined student of colour who has shown leadership and initiative at Queen’s, most
specifically in the areas of anti-racism and anti-oppression in the aim of creating a more
inclusive campus climate. If you can think of a student that fits this description and would like
to nominate them, please shoot me an e-mail for details.
Hiring!
The SIC is hiring for its new incoming team. This will consist of deputy commissioners,
committee chairs, committee members, service coordinators (Peer Support Centre and Food
Bank), service volunteers, and general volunteers. For the full list of opportunities, please see
myams.org/apply or encourage your constituents to do so as well. All applications are due
March 9th.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 22
Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS)
Queen’s University is undertaking the establishment of a Facility Accessibility Design
Standard (FADS) over the next ten weeks or so. This document will set the standard for the
consideration of accessibility in terms of competency rather than compliance, and will apply to
any changes to our built environment for years to come. If you have a special interest in the
accessibility of our campus, please reach out to me and I’d be happy to include you in the
conversation.
Hope everyone has a wonderful week! See you Thursday,
Alex
Thursday, 3 March 2016 23
The AMS Pub Services
Updates:
Queen’s Pub:
- Business as usual
- Bachelor Mondays are back! Come in and grab a pitcher of Sangria and watch the show
The Underground:
- We just hosted an extremely successful, ‘Punta Glow’ night at the Underground! Thank
you to everyone who attended!
- Have some great ideas for the Underground? We would love to hear from you! We’re
looking to brainstorm new theme ideas for the upcoming weeks.
- If you’re interested in cohosting and fundraising by selling lineskip for your group or
club, please contact the TAPS events manager, Siena at [email protected]
Common Ground:
Updates:
- Grab your ‘Cake Passport’ at Common Ground. Buy 7 cakes and get your 8th FREE!
- Stay tuned for more cool promotions happening at The Brew! Check out the Common
Ground Facebook page and have your heart melt with Dogs of Cogro!
Hospitality and Safety Services
Report to Assembly Stephanie Harper
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 24
QSC:
Updates:
- Business as usual
- Not sure if your event needs a Student Constable? Ask Matt Vrbanac, our Chief
Constable at [email protected]
- We would love any feedback you may have for the services – send any questions or
concerns to the email above or [email protected]
Happy to answer any questions.
Stephanie Harper, Hospitality and Safety Director
Thursday, 3 March 2016 25
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Media Services Report to Assembly Emma Fuller
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 26
Annual Corporate Meeting
The Annual Corporate Meeting of AMS Inc. will commence at 7 PM on Wednesday, March 9th
in the New Medical Building Room 132A. A brief presentation of the current position of the
AMS corporate services and programs will complement a report of the board’s activity in 2015-
2016. The meeting will culminate with the election of four new directors of the board. Outgoing
members, along with their successors will be entitled to cast a vote in the director election.
Those that will simultaneously hold an outgoing and incoming vote are entitled to two votes.
“Bylaw 12.01.05: Every member of the Corporation who is entitled to vote at
Corporation Annual Meetings and Corporation Special General Meetings may by means
of a proxy appoint a person, who need not be a member of the Corporation, as his/her
nominee to attend and act at the meeting in the manner, to the extent, and with the
power conferred by the proxy. The member of the Corporation shall email the Chair of
the Board with the name of the proxy ahead of the meeting. Further, the email may
contain a revocation of a former proxy and restrictions, limitations or instructions as to
the manner in which votes are to be exercised.”
The election of directors will be by ranked ballot. The nominating committee of the board,
comprised of myself (board chair), President Chinniah (outgoing president), President Lopez
(outgoing assembly member), and Lyn Parry (general manager), will communicate the names of
the candidates nominated to participate in the election on Thursday, March 3rd, 2016.
Updates from Recent Board Meetings
The board approved changes to the board policy manual that were recommended by the
governance committee. The changes sought to clarify the corporate philosophy of AMS Inc.,
ensuring current practices are aligned with policy.
The board received a report from the personnel committee that detailed the outcome of an
exercise conducted by the committee that sought to define the social benefits derived from AMS
members and staff through the operation of AMS services and programs. This report will be
presented during the Annual Corporate Meeting.
AMS Board of Directors Chair Report to Assembly Michael Blair
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 27
Dear Assembly,
Countdown: 4 days. (As of February 29, 2016)
It’s the first Board of Trustees meeting of 2016! Items on the agenda for this meeting on Friday,
March 4th include the approval of the Sexual Violence Policy, the 2016-2017 tuition fees, and
updates from the Queen’s Student Alumni Association.
The full Board of Trustees agenda can be found here:
https://queensuniversity.civicweb.net/document/78737
As well, the Board-Senate retreat will be taking place on Saturday, March 5th and I look forward
to a morning of collaborative discussions between Trustees, members of the administration, and
Senators.
If you’re interested in attending the open sessions on Friday evening, email
[email protected] to reserve your spot. I am also happy to meet with any of you in advance
of the meeting to discuss concerns or questions you may have.
Currently craving chocolate fudge cake from CoGro,
Jennifer Li
Undergraduate Student Trustee
Report to Assembly Jennifer Li
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 28
Dear Members of Assembly,
Senate met on Tuesday, February 23rd, and had a very productive meeting. Here are some of the
highlights:
Senate approved a degree name change, from the Bachelor of Science, to a Bachelor of Applied
Science, in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.
Senate approved the creation of a Professional Masters of Earth and Energy Resources
Leadership program in the Faculty of Arts and Science. This program will be introduced in
September 2016.
Senate was given a notice motion, followed by a presentation and question period on the
Sessional Dates proposal from the Senate Committee on Academic Procedures. The framework
proposes that Move-in Day will move to Saturday, and Orientation Week will take place
Sunday, Labour Day Monday, and Tuesday, with classes commencing Wednesday through
Friday. Orientation Week activities are proposed to resume on Saturday and Sunday. A fall
reading week would take place the week of Thanksgiving Monday. The four pre-exam study
days would be reserved whenever possible, but certain years this period would be shortened,
such as in 2020 when there will be only two days.
The presentation was met with significant controversy. Protests were raised over the drastic
changes to the structure of Orientation Week, the placement of the reading week, and whether
or not a break in week five would even be needed, and the impacts of pushing back move-in
day. The motion will be introduced for a vote at the April Senate meeting. To raise your
concerns, please reach out to myself, or your faculty’s student senators.
Respectfully submitted,
Leah Brockie
Student Senate Caucus Chair
Student Senate Caucus Chair Report to Assembly Leah Brockie
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 29
University Rector Report to Assembly Mike Young
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 30
Dear ResSoc General Assembly,
Team TMK ResSoc Election Appeal
An election appeal was launched by ResSoc Team TMK on February 10th 2016. A hearing with
the AMS Judicial Committee was held on February 22nd 2016 whereby the committee ruled to
deny Team TMK’s appeal. The report by the Judicial Committee is available by either
contacting myself or the Judicial Committee Chair at [email protected].
ResSoc Executive Hiring:
Offers for incoming ResSoc executive positions will be sent out this Friday. If you have any
questions on the hiring process, feel free to contact the incoming executive at
Residence Facilitator Hiring:
Successful applications for Residence Facilitator positions are in the process of being notified.
We received a great pool of applicants this year. If you have any questions on the Residence
Facilitator hiring process, feel free to contact our Human Resources Officer, Himanshi Juneja, at
House President Elections:
Nomination forms for the 2016-2017 House President Election will be beginning this Friday.
Check the ‘Apply’ section on ressoc.org for more details.
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
Warmest regards,
Gregory Georg Radisic
President & CEO of The Residence Society Inc.
Residence Society President Report to Assembly Gregory Radisic
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 31
Dear Assembly,
Here is what we can report on!
Faculty Board
At the Friday prior to Reading Week, the Faculty of Arts and Science held a meeting of of
Faculty Board. Luckily, the meeting was kept very brief as the only motion was a name
changing approval for the new School of Drama and Music. The official name will be unveiled
in April of this year. We couldn’t be any happier for the school!
Deanship Search Committee
Last week was the first committee meeting of the Principal’s Advisory Committee on the State
of the Faculty of Arts and Science and Deanship Search. Yes, Queen’s is known for complex
titles and this tops them all. The search will continue over the next few months but we’ll
provide updates as often as we can.
New Council
This past weekend we hired the 126th ASUS Council! Congratulations to the successful
applicants and well done to everyone else. The names of successful applicants are below.
Academics Commissioner Mitch Thibault; Community Outreach Commissioner Lexi Ewing;
Equity Commissioner Lily Cuthbertson; Governance Officer Matthew Kennely; Rona Lao;
Services Commissioner Julie Tran.
Majors Night
Last week was the second annual Majors Night. This year was a huge success with 1,382
students in attendance, which was an increase from last year. Thank you to all those that helped
us organize the event!
That’s all for now – any questions or concerns just let us know!
Brandon Jamieson | Andrew DiCapua | Victoria Chappell | Liam Dowling | Stefany Li | Kate
McDonald | David Litwin | Lucas Cohen | Sarah Flisikowski
Arts and Science Undergraduate Society President Report to Assembly Brandon Jamieson
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 32
Hi Assembly,
Simply cannot believe that this is the second last time I ever have to write a report for this!
Wow! I would pretend that I’ll miss it, but I really won’t. Here’s to free Thursdays for the rest of
the semester!
I’m so excited and fortunate that I’ll be able to see all the great work that Taylor and her team
are going to do this year. I wish them the best of luck with any challenge that may come their
way and with the new and exciting initiatives they’ll be bringing to the table. Having met their
team, I am so confident that the Society is in very capable hands for the next year.
As I close off my term and transition Taylor into her new role, here’s an update on what’s going
on at the Engineering Society.
ENGINEERING SOCIETY COUNCIL | FALL READING BREAK
The presence of the AMS President and Academic Affairs Commissioner was requested at this
session of Council to provide a presentation and update on the current state of the Fall Reading
Break issue. This was requested by the Director of Academics of the Engineering Society,
Jacqueline Craig.
During the presentation, President Chinniah and Commissioner Lively gave a history of the
issue and updated Council members on the timeline and logistics of how the proposal would
move forward through SCAP and Senate. Additionally, they encouraged students to write
individually expressing concerns over the consultation process to Senate and provided the
relevant email for these concerns.
After the presentation, Chinniah and Lively received several questions regarding the strategy of
the AMS moving forward in addressing this issue, the tangible steps that would be taken to
execute the strategy chosen, and the accessibility of accurate and up to date information from
Senate/SCAP and from the AMS representatives who sit on Senate and SCAP.
Engineering Society President Report to Assembly Julie (JT) Tseng
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 33
President Chinniah and Commissioner Lively assured Council that they would be approaching
the other faculty societies to provide a similar Fall Reading Break progress update to their
Council or Assembly equivalents. I highly encourage faculty society presidents to ensure that
they attend and give this update in person, as a chance to hear directly from our representatives
at Senate and to give an opportunity to your Council/Assembly members to ask questions.
CONFERENCES
This past weekend, the Queen’s Global Energy Conference took place. This upcoming weekend
is the Commerce and Engineering Environmental Conference (CEEC). CEEC happening marks
the end of our bustling conference season and a huge congratulations to everyone who was part
of an organizing committee for any of our internal conferences.
We are unique in the number of internal conferences we host, comparatively to other
engineering programs across Canada. It just goes to show how much initiative and passion
there is within our engineering student body!
HIRING BLITZ
Head managers for our Engineering Society services have now been hired! Assistant managers
will be hired next, and then general staff for Clark Hall Pub and the Tea Room. Be sure to keep
your eye on our Facebook page for additional information and deadlines. As well, from the
Society side, there are tons of conferences that will be hiring their co-chairs and events looking
for new co-chairs as well (such as Fix’n’Clean, EngWeek, etc.).
Best of luck to all those applying to any of these positions!
PAST EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
February and March is such a busy time in our Society and there are tons of events in addition
to the conferences! Here’s a list of the ones that have occurred since I last saw Assembly:
LinkedIn Profile Photos
Youth Hockey Game for the Engineering Society sponsored hockey team
Practice Interview Workshop
AutoCAD Workshop
Service Hiring Information Workshop
Thursday, 3 March 2016 34
UPCOMING EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
We will soon be hiring general staff for the Tea Room and Clark Hall Pub, and iCons. Other
events that will be taking place this winter semester are: the Engineering Society Banquet,
Spring Open House, the Iron Ring Ceremony, and Tab Night, among many others.
SHOUT OUTS
A huge shout out to the fantastic engineering delegation of AMS representatives this year and
some of our recurring proxies:
Kevin “seconded” Corey, Sci’ 19 AMS Representative
Callen “nacho man” Hageman, Sci’ 18 AMS Representative
Rigers “skittles” Rukaj, Sci’ 17 AMS Representative
Matt “Kevin” Lawson, Sci’ 16 AMS Representative
Alexander Wood (Conservation Area), Vice-President (Student Affairs)
Andrew “manchild” Crawford, Vice-President (Operations)
Julianna “denim” Jeans, Recurring Proxy & Director of Internal Affairs
Jacqueline “inspiration station” Craig, Recurring Proxy & Director of Academics
I can think of no better group of people with which to spend every Thursday of this year.
Other than my delegation, I’d also like to give a shout out to the backbones of Assembly:
StudioQ
o For their diligent livestreaming of Assembly to an audience that I’m not sure has
ever reached double digits
o For facilitating gloriously awkward screenshots of people mid-sentence
Jon Wiseman, Commissioner of Internal Affairs
o For his steadfastness in compiling the agenda and appendices for Assembly
o For giving everyone else except me a definitive answer on whether or not there’s
pizza at Assembly
Sam Anderson, Assembly Speaker
o For his thorough knowledge and incredibly logical interpretations of the Rules of
Order and governing documents
o For always being more impeccably dressed than half the room
Thursday, 3 March 2016 35
Michael Blair’s Hair, Hair of the Chair of the AMS Board of Directors
o For always looking good, but
o For looking so good that it’s just plain distracting
J "Ultralight Beam gives me chills, I’m just a sucker for gospel choirs" T
P.S. Mikayla Wronko, you’re a gem!
Thursday, 3 March 2016 36
Dear Assembly Members,
We are happy to be back at assembly with you! It’s been a while since our whole caucus was
here repping the soc. Here are some updates from Goodes Hall.
Jail-N-Bail | As one of ComSoc’s flagship events, Jail-N-Bail has worked its magic on the social
networks of Queen’s students and found the most notorious commerce (and a special Econ
student) to lock up. Bail money goes directly to the Canadian Cancer Society, so you can feel
great about the dollars you dropped on your friends in the atrium on Monday. Our goal is
$5000- we’ll keep you posted on our progress!
ComSoc Elections 2.0 | Nomination forms were due Sunday at 11:59pm in the ComSoc offices!
We are excited to see the campaigns underway for another year of voting at all our favourite
assemblies. Voting days are March 8th and 9th, and results will be out March 10th.
March Hiring Round 1 | Our HRO and HR Coordinators have been working really hard to
make sure that ComSoc is equipped with all the right leaders in all the right places for the
coming year. We have pushed back Officer applications from being due the 28th to the 3rd, to
accommodate students looking to apply Advisory Board as well as Officer roles. The incoming
exec and I will be commencing our interviews this weekend.
February Faculty Board | Two new courses were approved at this month’s faculty Board, an
entrepreneurship course and an info-systems course for non-commerce students (COMM 201
and 290). Two older courses are being revived, Channel and Internet Marketing with JP
(COMM 339) and Topics in Industrial Relations with Christine Coulter (COMM 389). Other new
business included a formal policy for the Commerce Leadership Committee, which reviews
academic progress cases that in the event of student seeking further process following
Academic Progress Committee.
Commerce Society President Report to Assembly Ana Lopez
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 37
ComSoc Appreciation | Appreciation Week is scheduled for March 29th-April 1st. One thing to
note is that our Annual ComSoc Appreciation Gala is on the 31st, which happens to be an
Assembly meeting day. We hope the room in Goodes makes up for our absence!
Co-Chair Welcome | New co-chairs have been hired for QEC, QCIB, QCEI and QSIC. QEC will
be led my Ganesha Thirumurthi and Aayush Goel. QCIB will be led by Nick Bernal and Fiona
Windrim, and QEI will be led by Zack Scott, Jackie muru and Amanda Wu. Congrats to all, and
look out for the incoming co-chairs of QSIC to be revealed this week.
As always, I’m available to chat via Facebook or email.
Ana Lopez
President
Queen’s Commerce Society
Thursday, 3 March 2016 38
Concurrent Education Students Association President Report to Assembly David Wiercigroch
19 November 2015
Physical Education and Kinesiology Students’ Association President Report to Assembly Lindsay Toth
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 39
Hi Assembly,
I am looking forward to a month of many Assemblies as we reach the end of the year. Here are
some CESA updates:
|Hiring|
The CESA Executive-Elect are in the process of hiring Council and Extended Council. This is an
exciting process and we look forward to seeing the new team of Con-Ed student leaders. We
also just hired the Executive for the Queen’s Conference on Education 2017!
|Academic Survey|
Kate, CESA Academic Affairs Commissioner and I are finalizing a survey to gather student
feedback on their PROF classes, teaching placements and student experience. We look forward
to reporting on our findings and thank the AMS for working with us to put it all together.
|Education Speaker Series|
This weekend, our Workshop Coordinators ran Education Speaker Series, a professional
development day for students. The day featured a diverse group of speakers with breakfast and
lunch included. Admission was free to keep the event accessible to all students. Thank you to
Marysia and Carley for an amazing day!
Happy to take any questions.
All the best,
David
Concurrent Education Students’ Association President Report to Assembly David Wiercigroch
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 40
Hello, Assembly!
I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Reading Week since we last met, and an even better “Leap
Day” this week. Let’s keep things rolling and jump right into some NSS updates…
NSS partnered with RBC for “Let’s Talk Money”:
“Let’s Talk Money” will have taken place on March 2nd in the New Medical building. The event
is focused on budgeting and financial planning for undergraduate students. Our expert friends
from RBC were sought out after a need for financial resources, especially during the upper
years of our program, was identified. We anticipate a great turnout for this event. Non-nursing
students are certainly welcome to register, so please email me if you’d like to come out to chat
about financial responsibility… and eat some pizza!
NSS Office:
Just prior to Reading Week, we began working to revitalize the NSS Office. Our office is located
on the 3rd floor of the Queen’s Centre, and was in desperate need of a clean, as well as
improvements to the overall functionality of the space. We look forward to our grand re-
opening at the end of this week. We will also be releasing our new office hours schedule at this
point, so come pay us a visit!
Nursing Student Lounge “Design Your Dream Lounge”:
It’s one thing for our executive to “guess” what students want… it’s another to be on the
grounds ASKING our students what they truly need! Over reading week, we commissioned a
detailed survey asking nursing students to give feedback and ideas as to what they were
looking for in the NEW Nursing Student Lounge that will see its grand re-opening this fall! We
received over 90 completed surveys in just one week, and have lots of great suggestions to run
through. During a time where students are in need of more study spaces, we look forward to
the benefit that these updates will create. The lounge has historically been a dysfunctional
storage space in the Cataraqui building, so we are BEYOND excited to make these changes. Stay
tuned!
Nursing Science Society President Report to Assembly Alexandra Palmeri
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 41
March Break Open House
The School of Nursing (SON) will open its doors on Saturday, March 19th to welcome
prospective nursing students. We have begun recruitment of volunteers and can’t wait to meet
some of our future peers.
Nursing Orientation Week 2016
Our 2016 Nursing Orientation Committee (NOC) has launched our new O-Week Facebook
page. Be sure to give them a like here: https://www.facebook.com/nursingoweek2016/?fref=ts
NOC has just released the orientation committee and leader profiles. Check them out – they are
lovely!
Fuzzy Socks & Challenge:
Each of our nursing classes are currently in competition to collect new warm/fuzzy socks and
spare change for Kingston Night Light– a local homeless shelter. Please contact me if you’d like
to make a donation!
Underground Takeover:
Our underground takeover event with the engineers raised $200 for We for Refugee prior to
reading week. Check out their page and see how you can make a donation/help out with this
worthy cause: https://www.facebook.com/WeForRefugee/?fref=ts.
That’s all for now!
Vincat Scientia Morbos,
Alexandra M. Palmeri
NSS President
Thursday, 3 March 2016 42
Trivia Night was a great success!! Thanks to the amazing people at Clark Hall Pub for hosting it.
COMPSA incoming executive is about to start their hiring process.
Computing Students’ Association President Report to Assembly Max Garcia
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 43
MBA Students President
Report to Assembly
3 March 2016
Thursday, 3 March 2016 44
Appendices
Appendix: Sunny Ways
The Executive is seeking a mandate to lobby the Federal Government of Canada on several issues
that we feel directly affect student interests. This will only be for the lobbying period we have in
March, and it will not be taken as permanent authorization for the AMS to engage federally.
International students face several issues relating to employment while studying in Canada and
employment after obtaining a degree. While the provincial government sets tuition rates for
international students (and where we already lobby), the federal government controls visas,
employment rules, and immigration status for international students which affects us.
Appendix: Canada’s Economic Action Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Long-Term
Prosperity
The Executive is seeking a mandate to lobby the Federal Government of Canada on several issues
that we feel directly affect student interests. This will only be for the lobbying period we have in
March, and it will not be taken as permanent authorization for the AMS to engage federally.
The Federal Government funds most research operations in Canada, and there are several federal
programs that affect employment of new graduates, such as the Canada Jobs Grant and others.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 45
Appendix: Hiring
Prior to beginning the hiring process, Team LWT engaged in a review of AMS hiring practices.
Currently, after every interview, AMS hiring committees discuss the applicants at length, even if
they have not seen all the applicants. We received advice that this leads to applicant benchmarking
which may lead to an unfair situation for applicants. In consultation with the Human Rights Office
and the AMS Human Resources Office, we stopped this practice in favour of only discussing
applicants after all applicants to a particular position have been interviewed by the hiring committee,
and we would like to formalize it for the entirety of this hiring period.
12. INTERVIEW EVALUATION OF THE APPLICANT
12.01 Each member of the hiring committee shall complete a written evaluation of the applicant while the
interview is taking place. Written evaluations help preserve integrity in the hiring process and are necessary
for reference should an unsuccessful candidate subsequently seek feedback. These documents shall be kept
confidential and stored in the Human Resource Office. The HRO shall not be responsible for responding to
an applicant’s questions regarding her/his specific interview; this shall remain the responsibility of the hiring
committee.
12.02 The hiring committee shall only discuss and evaluate candidates among themselves once all applicants
to a particular position have been interviewed by the hiring committee.
Appendix: MAC and Cheese
Due to the length of the motion, it has been included as a Google Drive, which you can access
here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByVRFJPS_M88NUlLdmZHenV2Q2M/view.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 46
Appendix: Ultralight Beam
Appendix: No More Parties in LA
These two appendices above will be disseminated prior to assembly in a separate
document.
Appendix: Waves
Introduction A Food Charter is a document that represents a given community’s values, principles, and
priorities for a healthy, sustainable, and self-reliant food system. It promotes sustainable
development of food, innovative food initiatives, and progressive policy within the community.
This Food Charter has been developed for the Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University. The
Alma Mater Society represents over 16,500 undergraduate students to date, and as the central
undergraduate student government at Queen’s, has the potential to set the stage for the way
students engage with food. This Charter shall outline our commitment as a society to the ways
in which we engage with food within our own society operations, the standards we set for food,
and the support or advocacy that we provide for food systems at the institutional and
governmental level.
Our Vision The Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University is a health, food secure, and sustainable
community where:
1. Nutrition is recognized as a basic human right
2. A non-discriminatory food system ensures that all members of the community have
access to enough nutritional, safe, affordable, and culturally/ethnically-appropriate food
3. An ecologically and economically sustainable food system thrives
4. A strong relationship with local community food suppliers which supports and
advocates for our local food system
Thursday, 3 March 2016 47
Our Collective Commitments To achieve our vision, we will:
Ensure inclusive food practices through:
i. Labeling foods with all ingredients at all society-sanctioned events and services
ii. Developing and promoting easy-to-recognize symbols for common food restrictions or
allergies, further used for labelling foods at all society-sanctioned events and services
iii. Ensuring that as many dietary restrictions are accounted for at society-sanctioned events
and services that serve food
iv. Ensuring that all society-related organizers (clubs, committees, commissions, offices,
etc.) are required to ask all attendees of their dietary restrictions and accommodate
accordingly, keeping in mind that accessibility shall precede accommodation
Protect our environment through:
i. Minimizing meat portions at all society-sanctioned events and services
ii. Providing appropriate single-portions such that there is less opportunity for food waste
if attendees or customers are unable to consume it, leaving the option for a second
serving if necessary
iii. Creating a culture of attendees bringing personal cutlery, plates, and mugs in order to
reduce the quantity of disposable dishware and cutlery purchased year to year
iv. Implementing “meatless days” at society food services as well as advocating for them at
the university level
v. Respecting ecological diversity, such as reducing or eliminating overfished species
vi. Catering from local food services when possible
Commit to the highest standards for an individual’s right to nutrition through:
i. Striving for healthier options (i.e. less salt, trans fats, etc.) at society-sanctioned events
and services
ii. Advertising examples of healthy, balanced, and affordable meals to guide students
iii. Supporting the AMS Food Bank to ensure that campus community members facing
barriers to nutrition are able to access a service that is able to provide it at no cost and no
challenge
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Celebrate community and culture through:
i. Offering foods that are not exclusively Euro-centric in nature at society-sanctioned
events and services
ii. Ensuring authenticity of “cultural foods”
iii. Celebration of holidays shall include non-Western traditions and celebrations while
incorporating their seasonal foods
Uphold student/consumer input to the highest standard through:
i. Developing a feedback system through which consumers may give feedback about their
individual meals with regards to quality, nutrition, accessibility, and sustainability
ii. Collecting ongoing student input to gather information about priorities for students in
terms of the food (and associated materials) available to them on campus
Promote local economic development through:
i. Purchasing local and seasonal food when possible and available for all society-
sanctioned events and services
ii. Advertising efforts to purchase local and seasonal food
Appendix: Wolves
Section 1, Part A: Charitable Events Committee
Section 1: Committee Mandate
There shall be an AMS Charitable Events Committee formed annually as a standing Committee
under the Campus Activities Commission. This committee shall:
a) choose a single local charity each year where the money raised by the committee shall be
donated
b) organize a wide-range of activities designed to provide students across all faculties with the
opportunity to engage with one another.
c) facilitate three events per year, including one event in each of the fall and winter semesters,
which may include Clarktion and/or Charity Ball.
d) work to ensure that events appeal to the current composition of students on campus.
Section 2: Membership
a) This committee shall have one or two chair(s), to be chosen by the Campus Activities
Commissioner and the Campus Activities Deputy Commissioner under whose direction
Charitable Events falls.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 49
b) The committee shall have at least six executive members. These members are to be chosen by
the Charitable Events Chair(s) and the Deputy Commissioner, under the direction of the
Campus Activities Commissioner.
Section 3: Duties and Responsibilities
The chair(s) of the Charitable Events Committee shall be responsible for:
a) ensuring that the committee and its events are in accordance with the A.M.S. Mission
Statement
b) adhering to all applicable AMS and University policies
c) ensuring that the committee fundraises and obtains sponsorship and donations as necessary
to run successful events and programs
d) attending Commission meetings as required
e) submitting a written transition report according to the AMS requirements
f) ensuring that the committee is not duplicating services or events already run by other
university or community groups
g) ensuring that the committee complies with the following responsibilities:
i) submitting proposed budgets according to AMS requirements
ii) submitting updated budgets as they become available
iii) keeping on or under budget
iv) making sure all outstanding bills are paid before April 1of that year
v) submitting a final budget according to the AMS requirements
Section 1, Part G: Recreation Committee
Section 1: Mandate
There shall be a Recreation Committee formed annually as a standing committee under the
Campus Activities Commission. The committee shall:
a) organize a wide-range of activities designed to provide students across all faculties with the
opportunity to engage with one another
b) facilitate three events per year, including one event in each of the fall and winter semesters,
which may include Capture the Faculty, Catch Me if You Can, and/or the University District
Hockey League
c) work to ensure that events appeal to the current composition of students on campus
Thursday, 3 March 2016 50
Section 2: Membership
a) This committee shall have one or two chair(s) to be chosen by the Campus Activities
Commissioner and the Campus Activities Deputy Commissioner under whose direction
Recreation falls.
b) The committee shall also have at least six executive members. These members are to be
chosen by the Recreation Chair(s) and the Deputy Commissioner, under the direction of the
Campus Activities Commissioner.
Section 3: Duties and Responsibilities
The chair(s) of the Recreation Committee shall be responsible for:
a) ensuring that the committee and its events are in accordance with the A.M.S. Mission
Statement
b) adhering to all applicable AMS and University policies
c) ensuring that the committee fundraises and obtains sponsorship and donations as necessary
to run successful events and programs
d) attending Commission meetings as required
e) submitting a written transition report according to the AMS requirements
f) ensuring that the committee is not duplicating services or events already run by other
university or community groups
g) ensuring that the committee complies with the following responsibilities:
i) submitting proposed budgets according to AMS requirements
ii) submitting updated budgets as they become available
iii) keeping on or under budget
iv) making sure all outstanding bills are paid before April 1of that year
v) submitting a final budget according to the AMS requirements
Section 1, Part M: Queen’s Live Music Committee (QLMC)
Section 1: Mandate
There shall be an A.M.S Queen’s Live Music Committee formed annually as a standing
committee under the Campus Activities Commission. This committee shall oversee the QPoP
Music Festival and Live at the Isabel with the intent to provide live music entertainment to
Queen’s students.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 51
Section 2: Membership:
a) The committee shall be chaired by the A.M.S Campus Activities Commission Deputy = under
whose direction Queen’s Live Music Committee falls.
b) The committee shall have at least six members. These members are to be chosen by the
Campus Activities Commissioner and the Campus Activities Deputy Commissioner under
whose direction Queen’s Live Music Committee falls.
Section 3: Duties and Responsibilities:
The chairs of the committee shall be responsible for:
a) Ensuring that the committee and its events are in accordance with the A.M.S Mission
Statement
b) Adhering to all applicable policies of Senate, A.M.S Room Bookings and other Queen’s
administrative bodies
c) Overseeing the committee
d) Ensuring that the committee fundraises and obtains sponsorship and donations as necessary
to run successful events and programs
e) Submitting a written transition report according to the regulations of the A.M.S constitution
f) Ensuring that the committee is not duplicating services or events already run by other
university or community groups
g) Submitting proposed budgets according to the regulations of the A.M.S constitution
h) Submitting updated budgets according to the regulations of A.M.S constitution
i) Keeping on or under budget
j) Making sure all outstanding bills are paid before April of that year
k) Submitting a final budget according to the regulations of the A.M.S constitution
l) Ensuring that all artists are appropriately welcomed and thanked
Thursday, 3 March 2016 52
Appendix: 30 Hours
1. APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL
A. Insofar as the system is peer-based and should be representative of the
demographics of the student body, the AMS shall strive throughout the process
of hiring members of the Non-Academic Discipline system, to ensure a diversity
of genders and faculty society affiliations are represented.
B. Appointment:
I. Where possible, in the selection of the Chairperson, the members of the
Committee, the Director and the deputies, there shall be a presumption in
favour of those applicants who have previously served on the Judicial
Committee and in the Judicial Affairs Office.
II. All appointments, excluding Judicial Committee members, shall be
subject to ratification by the AMS Assembly.
III. The Judicial Committee Chairperson, who shall also serve as the chair of
the Alternate Judicial Committee shall be appointed in the winter term
by:
1. the outgoing Chairperson of the Judicial Committee;
2. two Faculty Society presidents appointed by the Assemblythe
outgoing
3. the incoming President (or delegate)
2. Commissioner of Internal Affairs; and
3.4. the incoming Commissioner of Internal Affairs.
IV. The members of the AMS Judicial Committee shall be appointed in the
winter term by:
1. the incoming chairperson of the Judicial Committee;
2. the outgoing Chairperson of the Judicial Committee;
3. the Commissioner of Internal Affairs, and
4. an outgoing member of the Judicial Committee, if possible
V. The Vice-Chair of the Judicial Committee shall be a member of the
Judicial Committee appointed by the Chairperson of the Judicial
Committee when the Chair sees fit or if required. If appointed, he or she
shall also serve as the Vice-Chair of the Alternate Judicial Committee.
VI. The AMS Judicial Affairs Director shall be appointed in the winter term
by:
1. the outgoing Director;
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2. the incoming Vice-president (University Affairs)outgoing
Commissioner of Internal Affairs; and
3. the incoming President (or delegate)Commissioner of Internal
Affairs.
VII. The Judicial Affairs Deputies and Clerk shall be appointed in the winter
term by:
1. the outgoing Director;
2. the incoming Director;
3. the incoming Vice-president (University Affairs) Commissioner of
Internal Affairs.
VIII. The Judicial Clerk, in consultation with the Judicial Affairs Director, shall
ensure that all sanctions are carried out in a reasonable manner in
coherence with the letter and spirit of the Judicial Committee ruling.
Should these conditions not be met, the Judicial Clerk may charge these
respondents with a separate violation as set out subsection (vii) of the
jurisdiction of the Judicial Committee.
C. Length of term:
I. The Chairperson, members of Judicial Committee, Director and Deputies
shall be appointed to one (1) year terms of office.
II. The terms of office of the AMS Judicial Committee and the AMS Judicial
Affairs Director and Deputies shall begin on May 1st of the year they
were appointed and run until April 30th of the following year.
D. Removal
I. A member of the AMS Judicial Committee or the AMS Judicial Affairs
Office may be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of
all voting members of the Assembly at a meeting where proper notice of
such motion has been given.
II.
III. The Assembly shall consider whether or not the AMS Judicial Committee
member in question or the AMS Judicial Affairs Director or Deputies as
the case may be, is guilty of:
1. behaviour unbecoming of such an office holder; or
2. an inability to perform his/her duties satisfactorily.
IV. Members of the Committee are required to be in attendance in all
committee hearings. If a member misses more than three (3) hearings
without a valid reason (to be determined by the Chair of the Committee)
that member is subject to removal from the committee, at the discretion of
the Committee Chair.
Thursday, 3 March 2016 54
V. The Assembly will consider a motion that a member of the AMS Judicial
Committee or the AMS Judicial Affairs Director or Deputy be removed
from Office:
1. on the receipt of a petition signed by at least two percent (2%) of
the members of the Society requesting such a motion; or
2. at the meeting subsequent to the receiving of a written notice of
motion from a member of Assembly.
VI. Should the functioning of the A.M.S. Judicial Committee be precluded
because of a review as outlined in section 5: Appointment and Removal,
D- I, II or III, USAB shall assume the duties and functions of the AMS
Judicial Committee pending a final outcome of the matter.
VII. A member of the AMS Judicial Committee or the AMS Judicial Affairs
Director or Deputies may resign on two (2) weeks written notice to the
Vice-president (University Affairs)Commissioner of Internal Affairs.
VIII. In the event of a vacancy on the AMS Judicial Committee as a result of
proceedings under Subsection 5: Appointment and Removal, D-I, or a
resignation under Subsection 5: Appointment and Removal, D-V, the
position shall be filled as soon as possible by an appointment made by:
1. The Commissioner of Internal Affairs;
2. the Chairperson of the Committee;
3. the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee.
IX. Should the office of Chairperson become vacant as a result of proceedings
under Subsection 5: Appointment and Removal, D-I or a resignation
under Section 5: Appointment and Removal, D-V, the Vice-Chairperson
shall assume the duties of that office.
X. Should there be a vacancy of the office of Judicial Affairs Deputy as a
result of proceedings under Section 5: Appointment and Removal, D-I or
a resignation under Section 5: Appointment and Removal, D-V, the
position shall be filled as soon as possible by an appointment made by:
1. the Vice-president (University Affairs)Commissioner of Internal
Affairs;
2. the AMS Judicial Affairs Director
XI. Should the office of the AMS Judicial Affairs Director become vacant as a
result of proceedings under Section 5: Appointment and Removal, D-I or
a resignation under Section 5: Appointment and Removal, D-V, the Vice-
president (University Affairs)Commissioner of Internal Affairs shall
appoint one of the Deputies to assume the office of AMS Judicial Affairs
Director.