The board welcomed new NSU Firekeeper and selected referenda proponents, amongst other motions
Photo by Belle White.
The UVSS’s second Board of Directors meeting of 2026 took place on Jan. 19, with board members providing updates, filling required roles, and passing several motions.
The meeting opened with a land acknowledgement delivered by Griffin Foster, director of outreach and university relations. During the acknowledgement, Foster made special mention of the appointment of Dr. Angela Jaime as UVic’s Vice-President Indigenous (VPI), describing the appointment as “important progress [for] the continuing mission of the university.”
Jaime is an enrolled member of the Pit River Tribe of Northern California, and currently serves as vice-provost, Indigenous engagement, at the University of Saskatchewan. She brings more than 25 years of experience in Indigenous education and academic leadership, with a focus on equity, anti-racism, and social justice. Her research has included work on Indigenous women in higher education and decolonization. In her role at UVic, starting this summer, Jaime will provide Indigenous leadership, support the university’s Indigenous Plan, ʔetalnəw̓əl̓ | ÁTOL,NEUEL, and engage with local Indigenous communities, among other responsibilities.
At the start of the meeting, Foster brought forth an amendment to the agenda to increase the call for voting members on the Electoral Committee from one to two, following Foster’s resignation from the committee, and to add additional reports. The board then approved the agenda as amended, and the board approved the minutes from the previous meeting without changes.
Following the announcement period, the board noted an email motion that had passed. Under the UVSS Electoral Policy, the Board of Directors must select proponents for each referendum question in the upcoming election cycle. The board selected Jonah Arnold, interim director of finance and operations, as the proponent for the University 101 fee elimination referendum question, and Declan Snowden as the proponent for the Martlet’s fee increase referendum question.
Katie King, director of student affairs, brought forward a motion to ratify K’sana Wood Lynes-Ford as the Native Students Union (NSU) Firekeeper on the Board of Directors for the remainder of the 2025–2026 term, and accept the resignation of former Firekeeper Lauren Aimoe. The motion passed without opposition. Later, during reports, Lynes-Ford said the NSU is looking into how to engage with non-Indigenous students, based on community feedback.
Michael Caryk, director of campaigns and community relations, brought forward a motion to appoint two voting members to the Electoral Committee. Lindsey Andrew, director of events, nominated herself and was elected to the committee following a vote of confidence. No other nominations were put forward.
The board also passed another motion put forward by Caryk endorsing the “Fund Student Food Banks” online petition in collaboration with the BC3 coalition. The petition supports the implementation of the Student Food Security Grant, which would provide an annual $1.50 grant per student enrolled in a public post-secondary institution to fund student jobs in on-campus food banks. The petition calls on the provincial government to fund the initiative to address student hunger, while also creating employment opportunities.
Following the motion, Foster stepped down as chair, and Arnold stepped in temporarily. The board approved Foster’s motion to bring forward a proposal at the 2026 Semi-Annual General Meeting to remove all mentions of faculty representatives from the UVSS Constitution and Bylaws.
The board then moved on to a motion brought forward by Foster to update the Board of Directors’ policy on standard office hours, following review by the Policy Development Committee. The changes reduce the number of hours lead directors are required to be accessible to the general public, while confirming that all lead directors should strive to work in person during the operating hours of the Students’ Society Centre (10 a.m.- 4 p.m.). The motion passed.
Foster then resumed the role of chair. With no questions raised during the question period, the meeting moved to reports. Caryk shared updates on various campaigns, including advocating for reduced BC Ferries fares for students and the implementation of the Student Food Security Grant. Arnold also noted ongoing concerns regarding the student health and dental plan around the opt-out process, and said work is underway to clarify the logistics.
The meeting moved in camera at 6:34 p.m., adjourning the public portion of the meeting.
