Students' Union, UCalgary

SU @UCalgary
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Advocacy Blog: Updates From Summer 2023
Advocacy Blog: Updates From Summer 2023 150 150 admin

The SU executives have been busy over the summer, transitioning into their roles, working to have student issues heard in the media, and preparing for the fall semester. Cultivating strong relationships at all levels of government has been a key priority for the elected SU executives. Over the summer SU executives have had the opportunity to meet with the UCP Minister of Advanced Education, Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism, and many elected NDP MLAs. Read all about what we accomplished this summer, as well as what we are still working on!

Affordable housing solutions cannot wait

For the second consecutive year, UCalgary on-campus residences are completely full, leaving many students scrambling for alternatives. Vacancy rates in Calgary are the lowest in nearly a decade, and prices have increased rapidly. Many students are struggling to find affordable housing near the university and are being forced to live far from campus, often in areas poorly served by transit.

The SU is here to help fight back. To provide assistance immediately, we put a call to action out for all Calgarians with a spare room or rental to consider renting to a student and posting it on the SU’s housing partner’s website at www.places4students.com. Calgarians showed up for students and played a key role in helping many students find a safe place to live. Anyone with a place to rent can continue to post listings on the SU’s housing partner’s website at www.places4students.com. The immense support from Calgarians coming together to support students when they need it most has been heartwarming, but the need to support folks being impacted by the housing crisis doesn’t stop there.

Looking at the bigger picture, the SU is advocating to the city council the importance of supporting and implementing the housing affordability recommendations, which will be brought to committee on September 14th. The recommendations are essential for students and Calgarians alike, to address the housing challenges that folks are currently facing. The SU advocacy team will be speaking to city councillors before this meeting to express the need to pass all 33 housing recommendations and the significant impact that the housing crisis is having on students. Join the SU at City Hall on September 14th to stand in support of the housing recommendations!

Taking a big STEP forward

Did you have trouble finding a summer job between the school years? You weren’t alone. This summer, youth unemployment was double the provincial average, pushing many students further into debt and unable to make ends meet. With increased tuition and cost of living, many students need full-time work in the summer to support themselves and afford tuition.

The Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) helped students find meaningful work over the summer, but that program was cancelled in 2019 and has not been replaced since. This summer, we met with multiple government officials expressing the importance of reimplementing a temporary jobs program that supports students and helps connect them to employers. This work will continue throughout the year in hopes of providing students with more options to gain temporary employment opportunities next summer.

Making progress here on campus

A big win that is just in time for the fall semester is that your term breaks will now be actual breaks. The university has recognized that term break is a time for students to prioritize their mental health and well-being, free of academic assessments. Even though the 2018-19 calendar recognized that term breaks were critical aspects of student well-being and mental health, we heard from many of you that it didn’t feel like a break with so many assignments still due in your courses. Our SU President Shaziah Jinnah Morsette started the fight to make sure that student mental health was made a priority during her term as VP Academic last year and has seen that fight through this year. We are overjoyed to have the university commit to respecting students’ need for time to rest and take care of their well-being ahead of this fall semester. Relevant policy changes to ensure that their statement can be enforced will be worked on by the University this governance year. Term breaks this academic year will be held during the fall and winter semesters from November 12-18th and February 18 –24th, respectively. Read the full statement from the University on the Term Break Resources website here for more details.

Tuition prices remain a major issue for students, and it is important to have your voice heard. The SU is working with the university to finalize a tuition and fee consultation guide. This is especially important to ensure that student consultation is consistent and meaningful throughout discussions regarding tuition and fee increases. The SU continues to advocate on behalf of students in these discussions and determining how best to foster ongoing communications between the university, the student body, and the Students’ Union.

In 2020 the university paused the use of Academic Regulation relating to Supporting Documentation and Statutory Declaration (M.1), announcing plans this past June to reinstate this policy. The SU fought heavily for the university to pause the reinstatement of the regulation before having thorough student consultation because this policy does not work for students, but the university moved forward with reinstating the policy anyway. However, because of continued advocacy, the SU has received a commitment from the university to work together on a holistic review of regulations around absences due to illness for assessments.

Demand at the SU Campus Food Bank keeps increasing as student costs skyrocket. The SU Campus Food Bank has been actively supporting the campus community for over 30 years and worked tirelessly over the summer to continue to support folks. To expand the SU Food Bank capacity, the SU hired a third food bank coordinator to help support outreach and awareness efforts, food literacy education, and food hamper preparations. To donate or access resources from the SU Campus Food Bank visit here.

If that wasn’t enough for you, we also have two meaningful wins to benefit students coming back to school! First is that walk-ins at the wellness centre are back for students. The SU has been working with the SU Wellness Centre to bring walk-in appointments back to better support students. Second, club funding has also been streamlined, meaning it’s now easier for clubs to access funds for events and activities. Learn more about Clubs here.

SU executives extending advocacy efforts

Finally, the executives have extended their advocacy efforts at municipal and federal levels through collaboration with other post-secondaries. Vice President External Mateusz Salmassi was elected the Director of Advocacy for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. Through this role, he elevates the advocacy work the SU does by collaborating with other student associations across Canada to fight for student needs federally. The hot button issues this summer have been housing and student affordability, as mentioned earlier in our blog.

SU President Shaziah Jinnah Morsette was elected as chair of the Calgary Student Alliance (CSA) at the beginning of her term, representing 120,000 postsecondary students on municipal issues in Calgary. This role allows her to amplify the voices of postsecondary students in Calgary, by collaborating towards common goals and bringing attention to the challenges students in Calgary are currently facing. Significant efforts from Shaziah and the CSA have been focused on housing and the upcoming city committee meeting on September 14th. The work that she has undertaken to strengthen the relationships among postsecondary institutions in Calgary has been vital to further the SU’s advocacy reach.

  • Gene Baines
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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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President – Biography
President – Biography 150 150 admin

Naomie Bakana, President

Naomie Bakana is a fifth-year sociology student and your SU Vice President Internal, which is a newly-created position that merges the portfolios of the previous Vice President Student Life and Vice President Operations and Finance.

After serving as a Faculty of Arts Representative in 2023-24, Naomie ran for a Vice President position to help pave the way for future leaders and leaving a lasting impact on her campus. Naomie aims to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, champion affordability and accessibility initiatives, and address critical issues such as food security and representation. Through her role at the SU, she hopes to inspire and empower future leaders from underrepresented communities to step forward and take on leadership roles.

Naomie is a member of several SU Clubs, including the Nigerian Students’ Association (NSA), the Ethiopian Eritrean Students’ Association (EESA), and the African Caribbean Students’ Association (ACSA), where she is part of a supportive community that celebrates and promotes African and Caribbean cultures. She is also a member of P2C (Power to Change), another SU Club that serves as a spiritual resource for students.

Naomie also dedicates her time to volunteering: both on-campus with the African Studies Expansion Taskforce and off-campus as a worship leader at her church. She previously volunteered for two years at the Women’s Resource Centre.

Outside of her role at the SU and her volunteer commitments, Naomie enjoys playing, singing, or simply listening to music which serves as both a creative outlet and a source of inspiration for her.

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Vice President External – Biography
Vice President External – Biography 150 150 admin

Julia Law, Vice President External

Biography coming soon.

  • Michael Brown
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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.

  • Gene Baines
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Advocacy wrap-up and a farewell message from Nicole
Advocacy wrap-up and a farewell message from Nicole 150 150 Gene Baines

As my term as Students’ Union President comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to say goodbye and reflect on the past year. Looking back, I am incredibly proud of what the 80th SU Elected Officials have accomplished together: from fighting against term break assignments and ensuring students’ academic rights are upheld, to lobbying on behalf of students to all three levels of government. Some of the most notable advocacy wins from the year include:

  • Student Mental Health: We are excited to announce a new SU Mental Health Bursary, funded to $700,000. Beginning in fall 2023, SU Quality Money will fund $1,000 bursaries for mental health therapy and services for UCalgary undergraduate students.
  • Price Tags: Over the years, students have wondered when price tags are coming to Stör. We are pleased to announce that by fall semester, Stör will have a new system of price tags in place.
  • UPass: SU leaders continue to meet with city councillors to work to provide a better transport option for students that is more equitable for all student needs. Summer UPass eligibility has also been expended to more undergraduate programs starting Summer 2023.
  • Preferred Names: The SU has been advocating to the university to make preferred name changes across university systems accessible and available for students. Students seeking name changes are now able to do so with one request to change their name on a variety of systems. All information regarding this process can be found here.
  • Get Out the Vote: The SU GOTV Campaign continues 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 two $250 bookstore gift cards or one of five $100 Den gift cards.
  • Provincial Election Advocacy: The SU hosted Opposition Leader Rachel Notley who took questions from students about post-secondary issues. During her address, she 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%. Other announcements included additional mental health supports, no tuition increases above inflation, and to bring in a summer employment program for students. Many of these commitments are thanks to ongoing SU advocacy with political leaders of all stripes.
  • Board of Governors protest: The SU led a student protest against a fourth consecutive tuition increase in January. About 250 students joined and made their voices heard outside the boardroom, as students were not allowed in. This protest and our calls for inflation supports for students led to Premier Smith committing to financial supports for students the following day. The protest showed how strong students can be when we speak with one voice. Should the university again fail to consult with students on matters, like tuition, that affect them, they know that students will make their displeasure known.

To conclude, I would just like to say thank you to all of the students who voted in the SU General Election for once again putting your trust in me to represent you and lead you this year. I am incredibly honoured to be the first two-term female president in the 80-year history of the Students’ Union. It has been an honour working with you all and I am so proud of what we have accomplished together.
Congratulations on making it to the end of the term – we did it.

Nicole Schmidt
President, The Students’ Union

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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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  • Michael Brown
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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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