Photo by Belle White.
In the Sept. 14 UVSS board meeting, board members filled committee vacancies, ratified clubs, approved bylaw changes, and discussed upcoming events during reports, amongst other things.
Matthew Allen Curtis, director of outreach and university relations, started the meeting with a land acknowledgement, incorporating part of their National Indigenous People’s Day statement.
“The UVSS would like to honor and raise their hands to the Xʷsepsəm, Songhees, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, on whose unceded territories we live, play, and learn on. We acknowledge the ləkʷəŋən and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples who have historically cared for and sustained relations with the land,” he said.
The agenda was amended to include late directors reports and motions to ratify clubs and course unions.
Lauren Wyler was elected as interim representative for the Society for Students With a Disability (SSD), following Acorn Wasserman’s resignation on Aug. 24.
Vanderhooft then moved to fill vacancies on the University Relations Committee. Ame Sillars, a director at large, was elected as a board representative for the committee, and Cecilia Bulbrook, representative for the Gender Empowerment Centre (GEM) was elected as an advocacy representative. Two vacant spots remain on the committee.
Tam Aljundi, director of campaigns and community relations, moved to fill vacancies for several committees. Of note, the newly ratified SSD representative, Wyler, was elected to the Advocacy Relations Committee and Bulbrook was elected to the Ombudsperson Advisory Committee. Nominations to the U-Pass appeals committee were tabled till the next meeting.
Aljundi also moved to send a bylaw change — which would update the duties and responsibilities of lead directors — to the UVSS’ Annual General Meeting (AGM) next month, to be voted on by the student body. The bylaw change was originally on the agenda of the Semi-Annual General Meeting in February, which couldn’t be passed as the meeting didn’t meet quorum. Aljundi’s motion carried.
Aljundi brought forward another motion to send “simplified” bylaw definitions, as well as updates to “outdated references” in the UVSS’ bylaw document to be voted on at the AGM. The motion carried.
Lastly, Vanderhooft moved to ratify all returning clubs for full funding, after they had been approved by club council. The motion carried. […]
The board later voted to conditionally ratify with applicable funding all clubs that had submitted registration forms, pending ratification at the Oct. 5 clubs council meeting. They also voted to ratify new clubs with half funding, new clubs with no funding, and course unions at full funding.
Following main motions, the board moved on to reviewing reports. Of note, General Manager Dale Robertson said the UVSS had significant volunteer turnout for Movie on the Quad, and raised a new record of over $1 000 dollars for the food bank.
Curtis reported that the outreach and university relations team were able to give out more than 3 500 tote bags and have gained over 1 200 new followers on their Instagram..
Vanderhooft reported that 162 clubs, and more course unions, applied for ratification at the first club & course union (CCU) meeting, as well as the transition to their new CCU management software, Rubric.
With the Events director absent, Curtis reported that there will be a night market coming up on Sept. 25.
GEM Representative Bulbrook reported their International Safe Abortion Day event, which will take place on Sept. 28 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the SUB courtyard. This will include an afternoon of advocacy, education, and socialization “in honour of the global pro-choice movement.”
Additionally, GEM reported they will be hosting an event with the Peer Support Center in the David Strong Building, room C108, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a night of crafts and community.
K’sana Wood Lynes-Ford, Native Student Union (NSU) Firekeeper, reported there are more than 300 new Indigenous students starting at UVic this semester, and encouraged them to reach out to the NSU. Lynes-Ford said the NSU will be hosting their first council meeting of the semester on Sept. 29 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Following reports, the meeting moved in-camera, ending the public portion of the meeting.
