Presidents Message

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Excellent teachers, SU election candidates, and the Volunteer Tax Program
Excellent teachers, SU election candidates, and the Volunteer Tax Program 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello, UCalgary – I hope you are enjoying your well-deserved time off. I’ve got a few quick reminders for you as we near the end of the month.

Teaching Excellence Awards: nominations are due this Friday

If your professor or TA has helped make this semester great, it might be time to nominate them for an SU Teaching Excellence Award! I know that there are so many deserving instructors this semester, and you can help us recognize them by filling out a quick online form. The deadline for nominations is this Friday, Feb. 25, so please make some time this week to let us know who they are, and what makes them so excellent.

Health Measures Survey: ends Friday at 12 p.m.

With students returning to in-person learning, the SU has been advocating for health measures like vaccination and masking to remain in place for the remainder of the semester. We want to hear what you think. Please fill out this quick survey on campus health measures.

SU General Election: get to know your candidates

This is the time of year that you get to select who represents you at the SU. Check out all the candidate platforms to learn about who is running, and watch one or more of the candidate forums next week to see them in action. The forums for the presidential and vice presidential candidates will be streamed on Instagram @SUUofC beginning March 1. Voting days are up next: March 8 – 10 in your student centre (my.ucalgary.ca).

More SU General Election: Health and Dental Plan Referendum

The SU’s General Election ballot will have three referenda questions that will determine the future of the Student Health and Dental Plan. In short, the prices students pay for their health and dental coverage has remained the same for almost 30 years, while costs have continued to increase. Students will vote to determine whether or not the cost of the plan should be increased, considering the impact this will have on coverage. There is a lot more to know before you vote, so please check out the Health and Dental Referendum FAQs on our website.

Student staff positions available

We’re hiring! The SU is looking for a variety of part-time positions for the spring/summer and for next fall. Are you looking for real world experience in planning events, administrative or volunteer leadership experience, or social media marketing? See all the opportunities on our website.

The Volunteer Tax Program opens next week

Finally, the Volunteer Tax Program clinic is back on campus this year. The clinic will open on Monday, Feb. 28 to prepare your tax return for free. Space is limited – you can book your appointment now through our website.

Good luck on your second round of midterms – I’ll be in touch soon!

All the best,
Nicole Schmidt, President
The Students’ Union

Stay up to date by following the SU on social media, @SUUofC.

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Health and Dental Plan changes, Elections, and the Fall Harvest Food Drive
Health and Dental Plan changes, Elections, and the Fall Harvest Food Drive 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

I hope you are settling in after the first month of classes. It’s been busy semester already – here are some quick updates.

Municipal Election News

Advance polls are here on campus Oct. 4 – 5. Visit the Dining Centre from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and cast your vote for city council and school board members, select senate nominees, and vote on adding fluoride to our water. There will also be referendum questions about equalization payments and Daylight-Saving Time.

Undecided about the race for mayor? Check out the recording of our Mayoral Forum.

And there’s still time to pledge to vote – agree to receive text and email updates from us, and you will be entered to win some amazing prizes like $250 at the campus bookstore or $100 at the Den! Updates from us will include fun and informative election events, including reminders of when and where you can vote on-campus. Sign up at www.su.ucalgary.ca/get-out-the-vote-2021

SU By-Election and Health and Dental Plebiscite Voting Days: Oct. 13 – 15

We are running our own By-Election to fill vacancies for Faculty Reps in Medicine, Business, and Social Work, as well as a Senate Student-at-Large seat. We will also be asking three important plebiscite questions on the future of the SU Health and Dental Plan. These are important questions – we need you to let us know what the future plan should look like in terms of student needs, budgets, and priorities. Learn more and preview the plebiscite questions here.

You will be able to vote online through your myUCalgary student centre on Oct. 13, 14, and 15.

Fall Harvest Food Drive

October is here, and so is our Fall Harvest Food Drive, and we’re asking for your help to secure the SU Campus Food Bank for the fall and winter months. We have a wish list of most-needed items on our website, or an easy way to make a monetary donation on our GoFundMe page.

Teaching Excellence Nominations

Do you have a professor that makes your class extraordinary – whether in person or online? Has an instructor or TA gone the extra mile this semester to keep the quality of their courses high? You should nominate them for a Teaching Excellence Award! It’s really easy: just complete the short online form. All nominations for your Fall 2020 profs/TAs must be received by October 22. 

Quality Money Proposals

The SU knows that the best ideas for projects or services that enhance the quality of student life on campus come directly from students. In the past, we’ve funded brilliant ideas like club scholarships, sexual violence prevention programming, Indigenous programming, and peer-assisted study sessions. If you’ve got a big idea, apply for an SU Quality Money grant and make it a reality. The deadline is November 26 – start your application today!

Are you an undergraduate researcher?

Have you spent some time in the lab and made a unique discovery? Will your critical analysis lead to positive social change? Share your accomplishments at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for the chance to win a scholarship. Abstracts are due Oct. 8 at 4:00 p.m. For more information or to submit an abstract, visit our website.

COVID-related academic accommodations and C/G option

I know this year is a challenge for all of us, and uniquely challenging for students. So I just wanted to remind you about a few things that might help. First, the U of C has developed a centralized website where students can find information about COVID-related academic accommodations.

I also wanted to remind you that, as a result of SU advocacy, you have the option to choose a C/G (Credit Granted) on a course, rather than a letter grade. There will be restrictions in place for some faculties. The rules are here – it’s something to keep in mind if you have a course that might otherwise negatively impact your GPA.

I’ll be back with another email soon – there is always lots to share. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on social media, @SUUofC.

All the best,

Nicole Schmidt
President, Students’ Union

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All elections, all the time
All elections, all the time 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

There’s a lot happening this fall, and a lot of different opportunities to cast your vote. If this is the first time you are eligible to vote, I’ll try to make it a little easier by putting all the info in one place.

Federal Election

Today (Sept. 20) is voting day for Canada’s federal election. There are no voting stations on campus this time, but if you’re not sure where to vote, you can find your find your riding, polling station, and candidates at www.elections.ca

Municipal Election Forum this Thursday

Monday, Oct. 18 is voting day for Calgary’s Municipal Election. Are you undecided on your choice for Calgary’s next mayor? The SU is hosting a Mayoral Forum, this Thursday, Sept. 23. CBC’s Rob Brown will be moderating live from Mac Hall. While there will not be a live audience in attendance, you can view the livestreamed event at https://www.su.ucalgary.ca/2021/calgary-municipal-election-2021/

Can’t get enough election coverage? Ready to dig into topics like equalization? Join Marley next week for a special interview with Professor Trevor Tombe as they sit down to talk about the equalization referendum question on the municipal ballot. The show airs at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30 on CJSW 90.9 FM, or you can catch up with the recorded version at https://cjsw.com/program/students-union-weekly/

Pledge to Vote

Let us help you out! The SU wants you to get out and vote this fall. Pledge to vote and agree to receive text and email updates from us, and you will be entered to win some amazing prizes like $250 at the campus bookstore or $100 at the Den! Updates from us will include fun and informative election events, including reminders of when and where you can vote on-campus. Sign up at https://www.su.ucalgary.ca/get-out-the-vote-2021

SU By-Election

Are you a leader in the campus community? Would you like to be? Consider running in the upcoming SU By-Election. We have four vacancies (faculty rep positions for Medicine, Haskayne and Social Work, and a Senate Student-at-Large position). Nomination days are coming up next week. All the info you need is here: https://www.su.ucalgary.ca/about/elections/

Health and Dental Plebiscite (SU By-Election)

You may not have heard yet, but there will be three plebiscite questions on the ballot during the SU By-Election, Oct. 13-15. We’re asking students to let us know what the future plan should look like in terms of student needs, budgets, and priorities. Learn more and preview the plebiscite questions at https://www.su.ucalgary.ca/2021/health-and-dental-plan-plebiscite/

COVIDSafe Campus Reminder

In order to remain open and in-person, the U of C is asking everyone to register in the COVIDSafe Campus program. The program aligns with the new provincial requirements and will allow you to upload proof of vaccination or negative rapid test. In order to reach full compliance, you need to sign in even if you won’t be on campus. As of today, students who have not logged into Thrive Health and completed the COVIDSafe Campus process will not be permitted on campus.

And finally, in non-election and non-COVID news – are you an undergraduate researcher?

Have you spent some time in the lab and made a unique discovery? Will your critical analysis lead to positive social change? Share your accomplishments at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for the chance to win a scholarship. Abstracts are due Oct. 8 at 4:00 p.m. For more information or to submit an abstract, visit our website.

I’ll be back with another email soon – there is always lots to share. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on social media, @SUUofC.

All the best,

 

Nicole Schmidt,
President, Students’ Union

 

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Welcome Back UCalgary Students!
Welcome Back UCalgary Students! 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello and welcome back, UCalgary students!

If I haven’t had the chance to meet you yet, I’m Nicole Schmidt, your SU President. You’ll be receiving these emails from me every few weeks or so – I’ll be keeping you up to date on SU programs, services, and our ongoing advocacy initiatives.

Speaking of advocacy, we are running a survey right now to learn as much as we can about your priorities and make sure we are putting our efforts in the right places. We know that you might have mixed feelings about the return to campus, access to voting, and rising costs. So with all this in mind, we have extended the deadline until this Friday in order to hear from as many students as possible. Please take a few minutes to fill out the 2021 SU Summer Advocacy Survey by Friday, Sept. 10.

Other ways to get involved

Are you visiting Mac Hall this week? We’re running an SU Scavenger Hunt and you can win one of two “night on the SU” gift baskets. Enter by Friday, Sept. 10 – here’s how to play! https://forms.gle/oBunPjFpRAsHjbAm9

One of the best ways to make new friends and enrich your student experience is to join a club. This year, we are hosting a Clubs Spotlight on Instagram that runs through the entire fall semester. Follow along @SUUofCClubs, or check out ClubHub where you can explore your interests and search over 300 different student organizations!

Join a committee. We need students-at-large for lots of different committees this time of year.

Run to be an SU Elected Official in our upcoming SU By-Election! More information, including important deadlines and available positions, is available here.

Volunteer. We have several on-campus programs returning this fall, and our Volunteer Services office is also there to help you find opportunities outside of campus as well.

Elections

We have to talk about elections – a major focus this fall. The first one is the federal election, and it’s coming up quick. We won’t have advance polling stations on campus for this one, but the easiest way for students to vote is to visit elections.ca and request a mail-in ballot. The deadline is Sept. 14, so make sure you do it soon. Not sure which way you are going to vote? Come out to our Federal Election Forum on Friday, Sept. 10 at noon to meet candidates from local ridings.

There is also a municipal election in October, and we have lots more information and events coming soon, so stay tuned. (Pro tip – you can catch our VP External, Marley Gillies, interviewing candidates on CJSW, Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.!) You can also sign up to get election reminders from our volunteers – they’ll text you updates and reminders for both the federal and municipal elections. Register at www.getoutthevote.ca.

 A few more important things

The Den is open again, with all new hours and an all new menu. Visit us in Mac Hall.

Need somewhere to store your stuff on campus? There are still lockers available – log into your Student Centre to reserve yours today!

Finally, if you don’t have health and dental coverage, the SU’s got you covered. Already have health and dental coverage? You may be eligible to opt out of the SU’s health and dental plan. The opt-out deadline is September 24th and you can do so by clicking here. If you’ve already opted out, you’re set – you only have to opt out once during your university career.

I’ll be back with another email soon – there is always lots to share. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on social media, @SUUofC.

All the best,

Nicole Schmidt,
President, Students’ Union

 

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Return to Campus – Fall 2021
Return to Campus – Fall 2021 150 150 Gene Baines

The SU has been inundated with student complaints over the last several days from students who have had their courses moved online at the last-minute, just two weeks prior to classes starting. The SU was not consulted by the university ahead of this decision.

The number of complaints we have received is unprecedented and I want to let you know what the SU is doing and what you can do to let the university know your concerns.

First, we want to hear from you. Thank you to all those who emailed the SU or sent us messages on social media. If your courses have changed please reach out to us and let us know. Please email feedback@su.ucalgary.ca with your concerns. Please include details like which and how many courses have changed for you.

If you have spent money to travel to Calgary, put a damage deposit down on a place, paid rent, or even just bought a parking spot on campus, we want to hear from you. We also want to hear from you about how you feel generally about this last-minute change by the university.

Also, we recognize that not all students feel the same way about this issue. As such, if you are happy with having your courses moved online we want to hear from you too. Please tell why this works better for you.

Finally, the SU is calling on the university to reverse the decision to allow instructors to change how classes are delivered. Our expectation is that the university honour what students signed-up for. Failing that, we believe that the university should reimburse students for all expenses incurred while preparing to return to in-person learning. You, as students, paid these expenses in good faith expecting that your choice to learn online or in-person would be honoured and respected.

The university has let you down and we are stepping up to fight for you.

 

Nicole Schmidt, President
The Students’ Union

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SU Survey: U of C Bookstore Privatization
SU Survey: U of C Bookstore Privatization 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

President Frank here, asking for your input on the issue of campus bookstore privatization.

The University of Calgary is currently considering the privatization of operations for the campus bookstore. Currently, the campus bookstore is run by the University and is not a for-profit enterprise. However, the University has now approached Follett, an American company that runs many campus bookstores across North America under a for-profit model. No contract has been signed at this time. Regardless of whether this company is brought onto campus or not, changing the business model of the campus bookstore will impact students.

To date, the University of Calgary has made several verbal assurances: that students will not be forced to purchase from the bookstore, textbook markups will not increase, and that students will still be able to purchase second-hand books from Bound & Copied, for example. We will be fighting to have these assurances written in enforceable contracts, and although we have many concerns, these are nonetheless positive steps that have resulted directly from the advocacy of your SU. However, we the SU still have many other concerns related to the privatization of bookstore operations, such as the fate of student employees, a decrease in the quality of service, or other increases in costs.

As the SU continues to advocate for the best interests of undergraduate students, we wanted to better understand student perspectives on the bookstore issue. Please take five minutes to fill out this survey to help the SU better represent student perspectives through advocacy efforts on campus. The survey will be open until 4:30 p.m., Friday, May 7.

Thank you,

Frank Finley

[button link=”https://survey.ucalgary.ca/jfe/form/SV_0q8O06wbdozFOn4″]Begin Survey[/button]

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SU Club Award Winners
SU Club Award Winners 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

As the semester winds down, we celebrate the winners of our annual Club Awards. These awards honour clubs that have raised the bar in categories like advocacy, sustainability, and engagement. We also introduced a brand new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) award. This year’s winning clubs are:

  • Advocacy Award – Winner: Man-Up for Mental Health
  • Future Alumni Network’s SU Club Award for Alumni Engagement – Winner: Haskayne Consulting Club
  • Best New Club – Winner: American Sign Language Club
  • Campus Pride Award – Winner: Students Against Domestic Abuse Association
  • Club of the Year – Winner: Schulich Ignite
  • Collaboration Award – Winner: Global Development Society
  • Community Service Award – Winner: Birthday Wishes
  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award – Winner: Business Pride Club
  • First Year Engagement Award – Winner: Physics and Astronomy Students’ Association
  • Innovation Award – Winner: Autism Awareness Club
  • Leadership Award – Winner: The Mustard Seed, U of C
  • L.O.V.E. Award – Winner: Mental Health Awareness
  • Quality of Education Award – Winner: Information Security Club
  • Student Life Award – Winner: Nigerian Students’ Association
  • Sustainability Award – Winner: Emulating Nature in Innovations

We also awarded $1,000 each to ten outstanding student leaders, through the Eric Lahoda Scholarship.

Check out a video of this year’s winning clubs and learn more about awards criteria here.

Fines-for-Food Success

During the last week of March, we announced a pilot program with UCalgary’s Parking and Transportation Services called “Fines-for-Food”. From March 22 – 29, 50% of all U of C parking fines collected were redirected to the SU Campus Food Bank. This program was a huge success, and we are excited to announce that over $5,500 was raised for the SU Campus Food Bank. Thank you to everyone who participated, and to Parking and Transportation Services for partnering with us on this great program!

Clean out your fall/winter locker
Make sure you clean out your locker by Thursday, April 29 (even if you have a spring locker). If you leave anything behind, you’ll be able to retrieve it at a cost of $10/bag at Bound and Copied. Unclaimed items will be donated to local charities. Please visit our website for more information. If you need a locker for the spring or summer semesters, they’re available on your Student Centre now!

Consign your used textbooks

If you need to get rid of some of those textbooks from your locker, consign them and make some money. Bring your used textbooks to the consignment window at Bound and Copied, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Check out Bound and Copied’s website for more information.

Good luck with your final projects and exams – you’ve got this.

All the best,

Frank Finley,
President,
The Students’ Union

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First year students… have you voted yet?
First year students… have you voted yet? 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello first years!

Voting days are here, and the polls are open. I know for many of you, this will be your first ever SU Election. So here is a quick version of what you need to know.

Election for what?

The SU holds an election every March to determine who will be your student leaders for the next cycle (from May until next April, 2022).

Why should I bother voting?

I get it – you’re asking, “what does the SU even do?” Well, believe it or not, the SU has a profound impact on your student experience. We operate Mac Hall, advocate against unfair tuition increases, and host hundreds of events and programs each year.

Just in the last few weeks, your current SU exec successfully advocated for a CR/F option for your winter grades, and worked with our partner schools from across the province to apply public pressure through media to the Alberta government to freeze cuts to post-secondary education.

Ok you convinced me… how do I vote?

It’s so easy, I promise. First, check out all the candidates’ platforms here to see who is running and what matters to them. Then log into your Student Centre at my.ucalgary.ca to cast your vote! You can literally vote from anywhere, right up until Thursday at 4 p.m.

The election results will be announced on Thursday evening on the SU’s social media, so make sure you follow us @SUUofC.

 

All the best,

Frank Finley,
President, Students’ Union

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Excellent teachers and SU election candidates
Excellent teachers and SU election candidates 150 150 admin

Hello, UCalgary – I hope you enjoyed your well-deserved time off. I’ve got a few quick reminders for you as we near the end of the month.

Teaching Excellence Awards: nominations are due this Friday

If your professor or TA actually let you relax over reading week, it might be time to nominate them for an SU Teaching Excellence Award! I know that there are so many deserving instructors this semester, and you can help us recognize them by filling out a quick online form. The deadline for nominations is this Friday, Feb. 26, so please make some time this week to let us know who they are, and what makes them so excellent.

SU General Election: get to know your candidates

This is the time of year that you get to select who represents you at the SU. Check out all the candidate platforms to learn about who is running, and attend one or more of the public forums this week to see them in action. The forums for the presidential candidates and the new vice presidents will be streamed on Facebook Live, Feb. 23 – Mar. 1. See our social media for details.

Voting days are March 2 – 4 in your student centre (my.ucalgary.ca).

Tax Season

Finally, while the Volunteer Tax Program clinic remains closed, we’ve got lots of suggestions for other free and low-cost services to get your taxes done this semester. Visit our Volunteer Tax Program page – the deadline to file your 2020 taxes is Apr. 30.

Good luck on your second round of midterms – I’ll be in touch soon!

All the best,

Frank Finley, Students’ Union President

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Big News on CR/F for Winter, Elections, and Events
Big News on CR/F for Winter, Elections, and Events 150 150 admin

Happy February, UCalgary, 

If you felt like January dragged on forever, you’re not alone! I’ve got a few updates on what the SU has been working on this semester. 

Big News on CR/F for Winter Semester 

I am pleased to announce that the U of C will extend CR/F to include the current semester. 

While there is work being on done on a permanent policy that will allow students to take CR for a certain percentage of courses during the course of their degree, this policy will not be ready for approval until late March. Since I believed it was important for students to know their options as early as possible in the semester, I recommended that we either push the policy forward, or instate another temporary policy. Yesterday, this temporary policy was implemented. 

These CR/F policies are not insignificant wins and could not have been delivered if students did not make themselves collectively heard. Your hundreds of letters to university admin last semester in favour of CR/F were a major factor in this decision. 

Read the full details here. 

Other Advocacy Updates  

Advocacy continues on a number of fronts, including work on flexible exam windows, quality of academic instruction, and the continued ban on proctoring. On governmental issues, we have been pushing for affordable student monthly transit passes, increased financial support for students, and support for student employment over the summer months.  

SU General Election 

Are you a leader in the campus community? Would you like to be? Think about running in the upcoming SU Elections. The SU is a great place to gain professional experience, connect with your faculty, and influence university policy. Curious about running but not sure if it’s for you? Everything else you need to know, including the positions available, can be found on our website. Nomination days are next week, Feb. 8 – 10.If you have more specific questions about running, you can also book an appointment with one of our Chief Returning Officers.  

Sex Week 

Not interested in student politics? How about sex? UCalgary’s annual Sex Week is coming up next week, Feb. 8 – 12. It’s a great opportunity to have all your questions about sex, love, relationships and so much more answered. Check out the schedule of events and other resources on our website. 

Teaching Excellence Awards 

We know that profs and TAs have had a challenging year, just like all of us. They have had to work extra hard and get extra creative to help students learn from a distance. But we also know that students have noticed – last semester, we received a record number of Teaching Excellence nominations from UCalgary students. So do you have a prof that has been going the extra mile this semester? Or a TA that makes it worth getting up for an 8 a.m. lab? If you do, make sure you nominate them for a Teaching Excellence Award. Complete a short online form and we’ll make sure they know their extra effort is appreciated. 

SU Survey – last call 

Have you taken the SU Survey yet? There are two good reasons to do it: (1) We use your feedback to improve our programs, services, and advocacy every year. (2) You could win one of ten $100 Amazon gift cards. The survey closes this Friday, Feb.5, so take it now and tell a friend. 

Not that anyone’s counting, but as of today you’re only 9 days away from Reading Week! Hang in there – you’ve got this! 

All the best, 

Frank, President
The Students’ Union

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