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President’s Message: Fines-for-Food, Black History Month movies, and SU Election details
President’s Message: Fines-for-Food, Black History Month movies, and SU Election details 150 150 admin

Hello UCalgary,

February is just around the corner and it’s going be another busy month around the SU – here’s what we have lined up for just the first half of the month:

Support the SU Campus Food Bank: Fines-for-Food runs Feb. 5 – 11

We are excited to continue our partnership with UCalgary’s Parking and Transportation Services – it’s called Fines-for-Food. Have you got outstanding parking fines? Pay them between Feb. 5 – 11, and half of the revenue will be donated to the SU Campus Food Bank!

All tickets paid during this period will be included in the program, regardless of when they were originally issued. Not sure how to pay your tickets? Visit parking.ucalgary.ca.

Black History Month Movies and Short Films: Feb. 8

Join us for a selection of feature-length films and National Film Board short films in celebration of Black History Month. This event runs Feb. 8 in That Empty Space, with Selma at 10 a.m., NFB short films at 12:15 p.m., and Summer of Soul at 1:00 p.m.

SU General Election and Referendum: important dates

  • Do you have questions about running, or what life is like as an SU elected official? Join us for an election orientation session, happening in Council Chambers at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 and online at 2 p.m. on Feb. 1. Zoom link is available on the SU website.
  • Nomination Days are from Feb. 12 – 14. If you have decided you’re going to run for a position, download the nomination package here, and make sure to drop it off at the designated times. The Elections team will accept nominations virtually from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day (zoom link on SU website, or in person at the SU Main office (MSC 251) from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Voting days will be March 5, 6, and 7 through your my.ucalgary.ca student centre.
  • The General Election will include a referendum question about merging the SU Constitution and SU By-laws into one document. You can read the question and learn more here.

Sex Week (Feb. 12 – 16)

Join us in the Mac Hall North Courtyard on Monday for a resource fair/carnival, and all week long for trivia, and arts showcase, speakers, and other events throughout Mac Hall. Check out the full week of events here.

SU Survey: complete the survey by Feb. 16

Got a few minutes to fill out a survey? You could win one of ten $100 Amazon gift cards just for letting us know what you think of the SU’s programs, services, and advocacy. The survey is open until Feb. 16. Take the survey now.

Students for Literacy Book Sale: Feb. 5 – 9

Browse through a tonne of books for just $1 – $3 from February 5 – 9, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the South Courtyard, Mac Hall. All proceeds will go directly towards supporting literacy in our community.

Student Strike Info Session: Feb. 1

Learn about the student strikes – the history, impact, and how the student strike process works. This info session runs Feb. 1 from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. in Cassio (next to Mr. Pretzel in Mac Hall).

Teaching Excellence Awards: nominate your teacher by Feb. 16

Last (but not least) – do you have an exceptional prof or a TA this semester? Show them you appreciate their efforts and nominate them for a Teaching Excellence Award! The deadline for all TEA nominations is February 16.

You’ll hear from me again soon, but in the meantime the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on Instagram or TikTok at @SUUofC.

Shaziah Jinnah Morsette
Your Students’ Union President

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NOTICE OF REFERENDUM: GENERAL ELECTION 2024
NOTICE OF REFERENDUM: GENERAL ELECTION 2024 150 150 admin

Background:

Between 1948 and March 2023, the Students’ Union (SU) experienced significant changes to its governance processes due to changes in provincial legislation and the strategic decisions of past Students’ Legislative Council (SLC) cohorts. These changes have resulted in the SU having two main governance documents: (a) the SU Union Bylaw, which incorporates information from the Post Secondary Learning Act and the SU Constitution, thus making it a significant reference document for guidance and direction over the SU governance processes and operations; and (b) the SU Constitution, which is a residual document due to most of its provisions already being reflected in the SU Union Bylaw.

In line with best practices, the SU aims to modernize its governance processes by improving student accessibility and ease of understanding of its governing documents. To implement this governance modernization, the SU proposes a consolidation of the SU Union Bylaw and the SU Constitution, by incorporating the only provision of the SU Constitution not reflected in the SU Union Bylaw, into the SU Union Bylaw. This will make the SU Union Bylaw a “one-stop-reference” document students can rely on for all information on the SU governance processes and operations. Thereafter, the SU Constitution would be repealed for being redundant.

Other student associations in post-secondary learning institutions within Alberta such as the University of Alberta, Mount Royal University, MacEwan University and Athabasca University have either repealed their constitutions or recognise their union bylaw as their highest governing document in their governance processes. The SU has also consulted the Governance and Oversight Committee which comprises Active Members, the University and Government Relations, and the SLC on its proposed direction and these bodies have indicated their support for the following question to be presented to all Active Members.

Question 1:

Do you support the proposed incorporation of the SU Constitution into the Union Bylaw, and the subsequent rescindment of the SU Constitution effective on April 16, 2024?
• YES
• NO

Full details of the proposed update to the Students’ Union’s governance documents and a Referendum FAQ are available. Complete details and updates on the 2024 General Election can be found on the www.su.ucalgary.ca/elections page.

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NOTICE OF NOMINATION: GENERAL ELECTION 2024
NOTICE OF NOMINATION: GENERAL ELECTION 2024 150 150 admin

Notice is hereby given that Nomination Days are Monday, February 12 to Wednesday, February 14, 2024. Nominations for the election of a candidate for the following offices will be held virtually from 9 to 12 p.m. and received in-person at the SU main office from 12 to 3 p.m. on these days.

OFFICES AVAILABLE (NUMBER OF VACANCIES)

  • President (1)
  • Vice President Academic (1)
  • Vice President External (1)
  • Vice President Internal (1)
  • Faculty Representatives, Arts (4)
  • Faculty Representative, Cumming School of Medicine (2)
  • Faculty Representatives, Haskayne School of Business (2)
  • Faculty Representative, Kinesiology (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Law (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Nursing (1)
  • Faculty Representatives, Schulich School of Engineering (3)
  • Faculty Representatives, Science (3)
  • Faculty Representative, Social Work (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Veterinary Medicine (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Werklund School of Education (1)
  • Faculty Rep., School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (1)
  • Board of Governors Student at Large Representative (1)
  • Senate Student at Large Representative (2)

More information and announcements can be found on the www.su.ucalgary.ca/elections page.

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STUDENTS’ UNION 2023 BY-ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED
STUDENTS’ UNION 2023 BY-ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED 150 150 admin

Five new members elected to join the 81st Students’ Legislative Council 

CALGARY, AB – Results of the University of Calgary Students’ Union (UCSU) By-Election were announced at the end of the day on Friday. There was a total of five seats available across four different faculties, with Engineering, Nursing and Veterinary Medicine each electing one representative and Arts electing two.  

Looking first at the multiple positions open within the Faculty of Arts, students elected Naomie Bakana and Tanner Neigel out of the six candidates who ran in the by-election. Naomie and Tanner captured 21.2% and 24.8% of the vote, respectively.

In the Schulich School of Engineering race, Seniru Ruwanpura has been elected out of the four candidates who ran. Seniru was elected with 65% of the vote. There were two candidates running to represent the faculty of Nursing. Colton Channon was elected with 50.4% of the vote. Finally, in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine election, students confirmed sole candidate Nancy Ngo to the elected position. Ngo was previously filling the position as an appointed representative, over the spring and summer. She received a Yes vote of 100%. “I would like to congratulate and welcome our new faculty representatives to the Students’ Legislative Council. It is always a good thing for students when they have the most representation possible, so we are thrilled to welcome five new elected officials. I look forward to working with all of them for the remainder of this legislative year,” said Shaziah Jinnah Morsette, SU President.

It is also worth mentioning that in September, SLC received a resignation from one of the current Faculty of Arts Representatives. As the By-Election process was already underway by the time of their resignation, their seat was ineligible for candidates to run for. This final, vacant position will be filled by appointment in the coming weeks.

This year’s By-Election saw 1,115 students vote. As this was a By-Election, votes were limited to students currently enrolled in the applicable faculties which had races. By-Election results become official on October 23.

-30- 

Media Contact: 
Nathan Ross, Manager of Communications and Government Relations 
403-835-1836 // nathan.ross@ucalgary.ca 

2023 By-Election Faculty Representatives (left to right): Seniru Ruwanpura (Schulich), Naomie Bakana (Arts), Tanner Neigel (Arts)

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President’s Message: Welcome Events!
President’s Message: Welcome Events! 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello and welcome back, UCalgary students!

If I haven’t had the chance to meet you yet, my name is Shaziah Jinnah Morsette and I am your Students’ Union President. You’ll get an email like this from me a few times each month to let you know what the SU is up to, but this one is all about fun events.

September is packed with events where you can meet new friends, learn about the SU’s services, and pick up some fun swag. Join us at:

Dinos’ Kickoff Tailgate Party – Sept. 1 at McMahon Stadium

The Dinos are playing UAlberta Golden Bears on Friday, Sept. 1 at McMahon Stadium. We’ve teamed up with the Dinos and UCalgary Alumni to host the Kickoff Tailgate Party starting at 3:30 p.m. on the east side of McMahon Stadium. Join us for a free barbecue, games and prizes, a petting zoo, live music, and Dunk-a-Dino in support of the SU Campus Food Bank.

Welcome Fair in Mac Hall – Sept. 5 and 6

Next week, join us in the Mac Hall courtyards for a Welcome Fair on Sept. 5 and 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a great place to stop by and learn about volunteer opportunities, clubs, concerts, and other SU programs. Pick up some swag and enter to win some prizes, too.

Trivia Nights are back at The Den, starting Sept. 12

Have you heard of the Den, yet? Best place to get wings or nuggets on campus, and they’ve got Trivia Nights planned all semester. (The first one is The Office on Sept. 12!)

Clubs Week in Mac Hall – Sept. 18 – 22

One of the best ways to make new friends and enrich your student experience is to join a club. Hundreds of clubs will be there, and the best advice I can give you is to join at least one.

Live Music in Mac Hall

Mac Hall Concerts has a huge list of shows this fall, including Erin Nam, Cooper Alan, and The Beaches. Get on the mailing list or follow us @macewanhall so that you always know who’s coming to town.

I’ll be back later this week with another quick list of “things you need to know”. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on Instagram or TikTok at @SUUofC.

Shaziah
Students’ Union President

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Release: City Council fails students, misses opportunity to address housing crisis
Release: City Council fails students, misses opportunity to address housing crisis 150 150 Michael Brown

Calgary – Calgary City Council defeated expert housing recommendations yesterday that would have created additional housing units and taken a first step to addressing Calgary’s housing crisis, a crisis students are acutely feeling again this year. A handful of students resorted to temporarily living in their vehicles as they could not find housing last year.

City Council’s refusal to take action on housing will compound an already difficult housing supply and housing market. As students begin to look for housing ahead of a return to Calgary for their studies in September, Council has thrown up additional and unnecessary barriers that affect students and vulnerable Calgarians.

“There’s no other way to say it: Eight members of City Council have made a bad situation worse. Students are at a breaking point and have been left behind by these members of Council,” says Mateusz Salmassi, Students’ Union VP External. “Let’s be clear about what those eight members of Council voted against, they voted against 1,000 additional homes and 3,000 affordable housing units added per year above the normal number of homes. They voted against enabling secondary and backyard suites to add to housing supply. These are basic measures that Calgarians support.”

In the City of Calgary 2022 Fall Survey of Calgarians, affordable housing was identified as one of the areas of lowest satisfaction with the City. A great majority of Calgarians (78%) identified affordable housing as an important City program, with 74% calling for the City to invest in such housing. Investment in affordable housing was top of the list when Calgarians were asked about investment in programs.

“City Council is well aware that Calgary’s reputation as an affordable city is at risk,” says Salmassi. “City Council has money to pay 97% of the up-front cost of the new arena, but apparently neither the money nor the will to support lower income Calgarians, including students, when it comes to housing. This decision risks Calgary’s competitive advantage and risks losing the young, educated people in our city. If they can’t find housing, how can they stay and why would they want to? This decision puts Calgary’s economic future at risk.”

For the second year in a row, residence buildings on the UCalgary campus will be full and the university has no plans to add residence units in the near future. In addition, the University District, a development overseen by the university, has frozen out students by making units largely unaffordable.

On top of that, housing in close proximity to the university remains unavailable or unaffordable for students. Students are being pushed into unsafe rental housing or housing in the far corners of the city, poorly served by transit. This should not happen in a city like Calgary.

While the recommendations may not have had an immediate impact on these concerns, approval would have allowed for the creation of more secondary suites and other housing that would be safe and affordable for students in the medium and long term.

Media Inquiries may be directed to:
Mike Brown
Manager, Communications & Government Relations
Michael.brown1@ucalgary.ca // 403-560-0577

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Advocacy Update: Student Name Changes
Advocacy Update: Student Name Changes 150 150 Michael Brown

The SU has been advocating for the university to better support members of the queer community in pursuing preferred name changes. The SU has been pushing the university to make legal/primary name changes across university systems accessible and available for students.

Creating a space where individuals feel safe, welcomed, and validated in their identity is of the utmost importance. Through the projection of student voices and the devoted support of the SU advocacy team, the university has committed to making this process more accessible.

The Q-Centre and SU elected officials have long advocated for the process to become easier for students to request name changes to their preferred and/or legal/primary name. In addition to advocacy efforts, the Q-Centre has also continued to help students navigate name changes with their student guides and dedicated support staff. In the past, the process has been challenging and inaccessible for many students given the variety of systems that the university uses.

Students seeking name changes are now able to do so with one request to change their name on a variety of systems, including:

 

  • AIMS – Parking
  • ALMA Library
  • Class Roster
  • ClockWork – Student Accessibility
  • Computer labs
  • D2L
  • Elevate
  • Email/calendar
  • Office 365
  • ServiceNow – IT/HR/Facilities Service Requests
  • Student Centre
  • MS Teams
  • Unicard (ID card, Upass)
  • YuJa – Video content management
  • Zoom

 

 

All information regarding this process can be found here on the university’s website.

The SU is committed to protecting, advocating, and creating an inclusive space where all students feel safe and welcome.

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May 2023 Advocacy Blog
May 2023 Advocacy Blog 150 150 Michael Brown

The SU advocacy team has been busy the past month, continuing our efforts to make student needs a priority both by the university and the government. Last month student electives met with city counsellors to discuss reimagining the UPASS to better address students’ transport needs. Discussions will continue with the city to collaboratively work to provide a transport option for students that is more equitable for all student needs in the future.

Student’s Union Program for Education Related Work (SUPERWork) applications are open until July 31st. SUPERWork is a SU-sponsored program through quality money that provides a $1000 wage subsidy award to University of Calgary undergraduate students earning less than a competitive wage at a summer employment position related to their degree program.

The SU understands the difficulties of finding summer employment opportunities, especially since the cancellation of the Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) in 2019. SUPERWork is the SU’s way to support students where the UCP government has not. The SU will not only continue to do our part by providing support to students through SUPERWork but will continue to advocate for the implementation of a student jobs program that supports student summer work and connects students to employers. Please visit our website here for more information.

With the provincial election in May fast approaching the SU has also continued to host our weekly radio show on CJSW from 11 am – 12 pm on Thursdays, interviewing candidates from the surrounding ridings. Be sure to tune in and hear from candidates before you cast your vote this election.

The Get Out the Vote Campaign has also continued, asking students to pledge to vote in the provincial election. Students can sign up here to pledge to vote and get reminders regarding voting information, the election, and voting locations. Students who pledge to vote will also be entered into a draw to win one of 2 bookstore gift cards for $250 and 5 Den gift cards for $100 each.

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SU Announces 2023 Students’ Union Teaching Excellence Award Winners
SU Announces 2023 Students’ Union Teaching Excellence Award Winners 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary students,

Since 1975, the SU has been giving you the opportunity to nominate and recognize excellent instructors and TAs. We received 980 nominations from students this year. From these nominees, the Teaching Excellence committee has chosen the following honourable mentions and winners:

 

Teaching Excellence Awards – Teaching Assistants

[half]Mannat Bansal
Adam Bass
Austin Che
Raylene Jessica Dunn
Andrew Henderson[/half][half]Tanisha Henry
Omid Khajehdehi
Danika Lipman
Hannah Porter
Rounak Uppal[/half]

 

Teaching Excellence Awards

[half]Alan Martino (Cumming School of Medicine)
Dr. Patrick F. Lee (Cumming School of Medicine)
Dr. K. Sélom Gbanou (Faculty of Arts)
Loïc Million (Faculty of Arts)
Dr. Safaneh Mohaghegh Neyshabouri (Faculty of Arts)
Prof. Tricia Stadnyk (Faculty of Arts)
Dr. Rod T. Squance (Faculty of Arts)
Saied Jalal Aboodarda (Faculty of Kinesiology)
Dr. Maureen T. Duffy (Faculty of Law)
Dr. Cydnee Seneviratne (Faculty of Nursing)[/half][half]Dr. Kori Czuy (Faculty of Science)
Dr. Thi Dinh (Faculty of Science)
Jerrod M. Smith (Faculty of Science)
Chantel Aurora Large (Faculty of Social Work)
Dr. Anne E Kleffner (Haskayne School of Business)
Dr. Justin Weinhardt (Haskayne School of Business)
Maryam Badv (Schulich School of Engineering)
Dr. Emmanuel Stefanakis (Schulich School of Engineering)
Mr. Harrison Campbell (Werklund School of Education)
Dr. Ning Cheng (Veterinary Medicine)[/half]

 

Teaching Excellence Awards – Honourable Mention

[half]Dr. Dinu S. Attalage
Dr. Leigh Gabel
Randolph (Randy) Head
Janna Klostermann
Justin Knibbe[/half][half]Erin McFarlane
Mr. Eric S Myers
Dr. Eve Robinson
Dr. Stephen MacGregor
Jason Stein[/half]

 

Winners of the SU Teaching Excellence Award receive an apple award and a framed certificate. In addition, the SU will make a $5,000 donation in recognition of the winners to the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning.

Congratulations to all of these winners and honorable mentions, and huge thanks to those students who took the time to tell us about your amazing teachers.

Nicole Schmidt
President, The Students’ Union

 

Photographs by Gene Baines

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April 2023 Advocacy Blog
April 2023 Advocacy Blog 150 150 Michael Brown

The SU advocacy team has been busy this past month working hard to make student voices heard by both the university and the government. On February 28th Alberta’s Provincial Budget was announced, with lack-lustre support for students. The cap to tuition increases announced in early February will not begin until 2024, providing little comfort for UCalgary students who will face additional tuition increases this Spring. Despite this letdown by the provincial government, the SU has remained dedicated to projecting student voices and advocating for their needs.

The SU welcomed Minister Jason Copping, Alberta’s Health Minister and MLA for Calgary-Varsity, to campus on March 3rd for a town hall. The town hall came at an opportune time to engage on the topics of increased and the 2023 Provincial Budget. The conversation highlighted many student challenges including affordability, the tuition hike, and access to Open Educational Resources. Expressing these concerns to Minister Copping and engaging on these issues is essential to continue our advocacy efforts.

On March 27th the SU organized a student rally for Alberta Student Day of Action, calling on the Alberta Government to freeze the fees and restore funding to postsecondary institutions. The rally brought students together to use their voices and ask for the government to support them at a time when they need it most. The response from students was incredible and allowed for a spotlight to be put on the government.

Ward 8 City Counsellor, Courtney Walcott, also joined students and provided an energizing speech sharing his wisdom and words of encouragement with students. Events like Student Day of Action are crucial to push for change and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you to everyone who showed their support.

As we approach the provincial election in May, the SU has begun our Get Out the Vote Campaign, asking students to pledge to vote. Students can sign up here to pledge to vote and get reminders regarding voting information, the election, and voting locations. Students who pledge to vote will also be entered into a draw to win one of 2 bookstore gift cards for $250 and 5 Den gift cards for $100 each.

The SU hosted Opposition Leader Rachel Notley to take questions from students about post-secondary and Calgary issues. During her address to students, Notley committed to rolling back tuition to 22-23 levels, if elected. This means students will not have to pay the latest UCalgary tuition hike of 5.5%. Notley also announced plans for additional mental health supports, no tuition increases above inflation, and to bring in a summer employment program for students, among other commitments. A big thank you to students for asking their questions of MLA Notley.

The SU will also be hosting our weekly radio show on CJSW from 11 am – 12 pm on Thursdays as we approach the election, interviewing candidates from the surrounding ridings. Be sure to tune in and hear from candidates before you cast your vote this election.

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