June 4:
Perhaps the biggest tension to come out of the first UVSS Board of Directors meeting of the month came not from the directors themselves, but from a spelling error in a live tweet session.
But I digress, for now.
The 2018/19 Board, continuing to familiarize themselves with one another, met for the third time in the basement of the SUB — since, let’s face it, you weren’t in attendance (nor probably knew the meeting was taking place) this is everything you need to do to catch up on the student politics at UVic. here is everything you need to know about the meeting.
Noticeably absent was Director of Finance & Operations Curtis Whittla, who had to miss the meeting due to personal matters. Director of Outreach and University Relations Pierre-Paul Angelblazer reassured the board that the society’s financial matters would be addressed in a future meeting.
Up next were reports from constituency organizations and the Native Students Union (NSU).
Nathan Ponce, a representative of the Students of Colour Collective (SOCC), updated the board on the progress of his group’s artwork.
In the last meeting on May 14, Ponce told board members that the SOCC was in the process of commissioning art from local artists and residents to create work for them — to give people of colour a chance to show off their work. Pride, the NSU, and Third Space also announced plans for the summer.
As for reports from other directors, Nathan Ponce of SOCC talks about a plan to present their art in Open Space, and how most of their members are away from campus
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
Pride is having a beach picnic, and had a successful Pride Brunch. More people are donating than usual to their resources
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
Isabella Lee, Director of Student Affairs, talks about the reports from Third Space next, and will have a meeting soon to talk about their plans from the summer
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
NSU is preparing to train their new council coming in the fall, also contacting places in Uptown, regarding costumes available for Halloween time
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
The meeting then moved to question period, where Angelblazer opened the board to comments from the gallery.
There was only one question from the gallery, and it pressed Angelblazer on what the board hopes to see in the one-year report about UVic’s new sexualized violence policy.
When asked about if the board will keep an eye on presentations next month about UVic's new sexualized violence policy, Angelblazer says the board can't have an opinion on the report until the board sees it themselves.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
He also says the board will be sending one or two people over there (including himself) once the report comes out, and is hoping to see "generally positive news."
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
After some motions that changed the language of Director-at-Large duties for the still-vacant Director of International Student Relations position, the board moved into filling a vacancy for a seat on the Senate’s Ombudsperson subcommittee.
Next is into the New Business, Angelblazer proposes a motion for the Board of Director Policy, where "in the event that at Lead Director or a Director of International Student Relations is vacant, the portfolio DaL(s) shall make an effort to carry on the duties of the position"
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
Since the Senate and the Board of Directors run on slightly different schedules (the Senate’s term ends in July), Angelblazer suggested that the board pass a motion to avoid selecting a new student representative for the final month of the Senate’s term.
He passed along the name of Diana Popova, a PhD student who has been on the Senate for the entire year, to fill the placeholder position.
Angelblazer says that because the Senate and BofD run on different schedules, where the Senate's term ends in July, and he suggests that Diane Popova should be the student representative until the end of the term. And then they would vote on a successor in July.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 5, 2018
After passing that motion, the board also agreed to vote on a successor to the position sometime later in July, after the Senate’s term has concluded.
Finally, after the board moved in camera, and this reporter was forced to hit the road — but not without some devastating news.
The ‘Grammar Police’ caught an honest spelling error during the live tweet.
https://twitter.com/_grammar_/status/1003812651133276160
I swear I’m a Writing major . . .
June 18:
On a sweltering day on campus, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, the board convened for the second time that month in the Upper Lounge of the SUB.
The agenda would be dominated with motions to tackle the specific language of clubs on campus, but time would first be allotted for reports from the board members.
No reports from anyone from individual groups.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
With no presentations, announcements, or reports from constituency organizations, the meeting moved to reports from the Directors themselves.
Whittla, who was in attendance at this second meeting, discussed the current status of their budget and money figures announced from the past UVSS election.
Finance Director Curtis Whittla says the UVSS is still under budget as a whole as of the end of February, but by the end of March he said there is a less amount of surplus money available.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
For specifics numbers Whittla notes the UVSS still has $24,000 of surplus money as of the end of March.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
Perhaps the most notable thing to come from Whittla’s report was news that the 2018 election was $23 000 over budget.
The finance director claimed that the elections weren’t budgeted as well as it should have been, and pledged to look over the individual transactions when they have money numbers from the full calendar year.
Whittla says the last election was $23,000 over budget. He says they are goingg to look at individual transactions, Whittla has a suspiction it wasn't as budgeted as well as it could have been. Will look back when they have numbers from the entire year.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
Next, moving into the priority business part of the agenda, Angelblazer recommended a motion that would clarify ‘active status’ for clubs within UVSS policy.
Next, into the Prority Business, Angelblazer supports a motion whereas in the past UVSS policy hasn't defined 'active status' for clubs. With no questions, Angelblazer puts it to a vote, and it passes
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
In the past, policy hasn’t clarified how active clubs can acquire ratification at the first meeting of every semester, as in theory the clubs’ active status ends at the end of each semester.
The new wording of the bill, however, dictates that active clubs automatically gain temporary voting rights for the purpose of ratification at the first meeting of the semester, in order to close that loophole.
Next motion, Angelblazer recommends the UVSS provides storage lockers to clubs. Meaning that all UVSS clubs are able to reserve and use a storage locker in the SUB basement. The motion passes.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
Keeping in line with this theme, the next motion allowed for all UVSS clubs to reserve storage lockers in the basement of the SUB. The motion passed with little discussion.
Angelblazer then followed that up with a proposed amendment regarding potential clubs that hand in their registration form past the deadline.
Next motion talks about the ratification and status policy of clubs. Proposed changes include adding a grace period which lasts until 12:00pm the day Clubs Council is held
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
After brief discussion at the table, the motion passed and the clarified wording in the amendment now reads that late forms will be accepted during the grace period that lasts until 12:00 p.m. on Clubs Council day, and clubs that submit forms submitted after the grace period can still be ratified without funding for the next semester.
Using the motion that just passed, Isabella Lee in the next motion suggests the board ratifies 7 clubs are ratified without funding for the Summer 2018 semester.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
Using that motion that just passed, Lee proposed an amendment that would see seven returning clubs (IEEE, Precious Plastics, Cabaret Voltaire, Saudi Student Association, K-Pop, Skywave, and UVic VR) to be ratified without funding for the Summer 2018 semester. The motion carried, followed by an omnibus motion that closed the meeting.
Angelblazer then suggests to omnibus the rest of the motions, that includes finding nominees for various director positions, to September so the board can deal with the specific nominees for positions in the Fall when more students are campus.
— The Martlet (@TheMartlet) June 19, 2018
The next board meeting is scheduled for July 9 at 6:00 p.m. in the SUB Upper Lounge.
