The society’s major annual meeting saw the passage of four special resolutions and two financial motions.
File photo by Belle White.
At the UVSS Board of Directors 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Oct. 27, bylaw amendments were made, honorariums for advocacy representatives and Directors at Large (DALs) were raised, and the 2026/2027 budget was approved.
The meeting opened with a land acknowledgement given by the Native Student Union (NSU) Firekeeper, K’sana Wood Lynes-Ford, that acknowledged the current political climate in B.C. and the newly elected BC Conservative Party’s plans to appeal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act (DRIPA).
Once quorum was met, the board moved onto special resolutions, which were all carried.
The first motion was brought by Director of Outreach and University Relations, Matthew Curtis, and moved for the Bylaw 8, Duties and Responsibilities of Directors, to be amended to provide more accountability and clarity on lead directors’ roles.
These changes were brought forward at the Semi-Annual General Meeting (SAGM), but could not be voted on as quorum was not met. In the time between, the changes were reviewed and updated to reflect current responsibilities and duties of lead directors. The motion passed with 98 per cent in favour.
The second motion, also brought by Curtis, moved for minor housekeeping changes to the constitution and bylaws to be implemented. The changes are intended to match policy changes that have been made (such as the removal of faculty representatives from last year’s AGM), but not reflected in the constitution. The motion passed unanimously.
The third motion, brought forward by the Gender Empowerment Center (GEM) advocacy representative for the board Cecilia Bulbrook, moved for the monthly honorarium — a voluntary payment given to someone for a service with no formal salary — cap be raised from $50 to $75, provided that all duties are fulfilled.
Bulbrook clarified that this change will not impact student fees, and instead the increase will be taken from the operating fund. The motion passed with 87 per cent in favour.
The fourth motion, also brought forward by Bulbrook, moved for the advocacy representatives and the Firekeeper to be given a separate honorarium not exceeding $50 per month to compensate them for additional work.
Bulbrook said that this motion was being brought forward due to the additional responsibilities that advocacy representatives have to their respective advocacy groups, in addition to their responsibilities as board members.
Lynes-Ford spoke in support of this motion. She said that many advocacy representatives carry out several hours of unpaid labor, and an additional honorarium would support and acknowledge the extra work. The motion passed with 86 per cent in favour.
The board then moved onto financial motions, presented by Interim Director of Finance and Operations Donovan Wood-Gaines.
He gave a presentation that outlined the income of SUB businesses between 2018 and 2026, including predicted incomes for 2027, and provided a breakdown of where student fees go.
He also presented the 2026/2027 budget, and explained that the board is budgeting to empty the operating reserve in this fiscal year.
The first financial motion moved was for the 2026/2027 budget to be adopted as presented and as recommended by the board of directors. The motion carried with 98 per cent in favour.
The second motion moved for the UVSS membership to accept the audit from 2025/2026 produced by Grant Thorson. The motion also carried with 98 per cent in favour.
With all motions covered, the board moved onto reports.
For outreach and community relations, Curtis reported that he is working on bringing the at-cost store, on which he campaigned, into fruition.
Director of Campaigns and Communications, Tam Aljundi, reported a successful “Vote October” campaign, which included hosting 45 candidates for a municipal election debate on campus earlier in the month. Aljundi also said that he is continuing work on the Make Transit Work, Fed Up, and Safer Use campaigns.
Director of Events, Mohan Selvarajan, announced plans for a referendum that would raise student fees dedicated to events from its current $1.24 per student. This is intended to bring UVic on par with other B.C. universities, such as the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Director of International Student Relations (ISR) Cherop Lyoba, reported an upcoming referendum fee increase for international students that would be directed into the ISR portfolio.
On behalf of the NSU, Lynes-Ford reported receiving a $30 000 grant from the Victoria Foundation — the second time the NSU has received this grant.
Rowan O’Malley reported that in 2025, the Food Bank gave out over 9 000 food hampers, and is on track to match or surpass that number this year. He also reported that this semester the Food Bank has introduced a third hamper size, family plus.
The board concluded reports and moved into question period.
A student made a comment that brought up frustrations that club and course union executives are experiencing with the new software, Rubric, and asked whether they could vote on going back to the old system if issues persist, and if so how they would go about bringing that vote forward.
Director of Student Affairs Maddy Vanderhooft said that this technology brings UVic “on par” with other Canadian universities, and that she recognizes the transition has been difficult.
She said that moving forward, the focus is on making Rubric work for clubs and course unions and reminded of support offered by the UVSS.
After the question period the meeting adjourned.
