GSA COUNCIL – EMINUTES
Carleton University Graduate Students’ Association, Ottawa, Ontario
Robertson Hall, Senate Chambers, 6:00 pm, Friday February 28th 2014
We would like to recognize that this GSA council meeting is taking place on unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin territory.
CALL TO ORDER – 6:00pm, Friday February 28th 2014
Chair: Jessica Squires
Recording Secretary: Sam Heaton
Council Members Present:
· Maggie Simpson (VP Operations)
· Justine De Jaegher (VP Finance)
· Justine Mallah (VP Academic)
· Lauren Montgomery (VP External)
· Vincent St-Martin (GSA)
· Colin Cordner (Senate)
· Rebecca Louis (Legal Studies)
· Mark Hosak (Political Management)
· Kerry Burke (Political Science)
· Andre Betim (Social Work)
· Jordan MacLaren (Social Work)
· Melinda Spry (Anthropology/Sociology)
· Abigail Kidd (Anthropology/Sociology)
· Dennis Arsenault (Human-Computer Interaction)
· Julie Nero (SPPA)
· Cecilia Jorgenson (Psychology)
· Lisa Menard (Physics)
· Matt Dunford (Physics)
· Katy Hartling (Physics)
· Fraser MacQuarrie (Computer Science)
· Ehsan Ghias-Begloo (Electronics)
· Alexa Dodge (Legal Studies)
· Scott Jarosiewicz (Political Economy)
· Rebecca Sullivan (Art History)
· Millesha Hill Charles (HSTP)
· Caitlin Turner (Communication)
· Jason Rothery (Communication)
· Rabbi Hossain (Guest)
· Amir Rafinazari
· Ayman Fareh (ALDS)
· Nick Hrynyk (History)
· Sebastien Plante (Cognitive Science)
· Michael Bueckert
· Jesse Robertson (History)
· Alicha Reddy (English)
· Andrew Connolly (English)
· Justin Famili (NPSIA)
· Gwen Temmel (NPSIA)
· Nick Falvo (BoG)
· Abdulhak Nagy (Electronics)
1. INTRODUCTION OF CHAIR
a. Announcement of Proxies
Fraser MacQuarrie (Computer Science) for Ahsan Imran (2 votes)
Kerry Burke for Lena Saleh (Political Science) (2 votes)
Scott Jarosiewicz (Political Economy) for Chris (2 votes)
Rebecca Sullivan for Emma Hamilton-Hobbs (Art History) (1 vote)
2. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Moved: Ehsan Ghias-Begloo (Electronics)
Seconded: Jordan MacLaren (Social Work)
Carried
3. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES
a. E-minutes from January 24th 2014
Moved: Rebecca Louis (Legal Studies)
Seconded: Lisa Menard (Physics)
Carried
b. Minutes from January 24th 2014
Moved: Cecilia Jorgenson (Psychology)
Seconded: Melinda Spry (Soc/Anth)
Carried
4. ANNOUNCEMENTS
· On March 6, the GSA will be hosting its annual Graduate Research Forum. Graduate students are invited to showcase their research in the medium of their choice. Posters are due March 4th.
5. Special Report: The Graduate Research Forum (Justine Mallah)
6. EXECUTIVE REPORTS
a. President (Grant MacNeil)
b. VP Finance (Justine De Jaegher)
c. VP Operations (Maggie Simpson)
d. VP Academic (Justine Mallah)
e. VP External (Lauren Montgomery)
f. Questions
7. OTHER REPORTS
a. Senate & Senate Committees
b. Graduate Residence Caucus (GRC)
c. Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA)
d. Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA)
e. Graduate Faculty Board (GFB)
f. Carleton Post-doctoral Association (CUPA)
g. First People’s Council
h. Canadian Union of Public Employees 4600 (CUPE 4600)
i. Board of Governors (BoG)
j. Questions
8. DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
9. NEW BUSINESS
(a) Motion 28.02.2014 – 01: Motion to Establish Voting Dates for the 2014 GSA Elections
Moved by: Lauren Montgomery (VPX)
Seconded by: Kerry Burke (Political Science)
Motion to amend BIR to include the 21st as a date for the GSA election
Moved by: Jordan MacLaren (Social Work)
Seconded: Jason Rothery (Communication)
Defeated
Motion to amend BIFR that the electoral board be tasked with including in its report the possibility of considering alternative voting for future elections
Moved by: Jordan MacLaren (Social Work)
Seconded: Ehsan Ghias-Begloo (Electronics).
Carried
Vote on main motion:
Carried
(b) Motion28. 02. 2014 – 02: Motion to Set Referendum Question on the Administration of the University Centre Levy
Whereas prior to April 30, 1998, CUSA was entrusted to manage the University Centre fees collected from undergraduate and graduate students, and;
Whereas following a graduate student referendum the GSA was entrusted to manage the University Centre fees pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Carleton University signed on March 17, 1999, and;
Whereas the MOU stipulated the fees were to be used to pay rent to the University, the GSA’s portion of the costs of Ombuds Services, to pay CUSA for health plan administration and student service organizations, such as Student Service Centres and Clubs and Societies, and;
Whereas CUSA and the GSA executed a Memorandum of Understanding on April 29, 2004, that provided CUSA with increased control over how graduate students’ contributions to student service organizations are allocated in exchange for guaranteed access and full participation for all graduate students and a commitment from CUSA to advertise graduate students’ right to access services administered by CUSA, and;
Whereas graduate students’ ability to participate fully in Clubs and Societies and Service Centres has been inconsistent since at least the 2012-2013 academic year, and;
Whereas CUSA ceased to provide health plan administration services to graduate students, and;
Whereas the current CUSA executive has refused to provide the GSA with financial information regarding the administration of the University Centre fees transferred to CUSA, and;
Whereas CUSA has not met deadlines for filing its audited financial statements with the Canada Revenue Agency for at least the past two fiscal years, and;
Whereas funding Student Service Centres and Clubs and Societies directly by the GSA would enable the GSA to ensure graduate students can access services funded by graduate students, and;
Whereas many graduate student organizations are specifically for graduate students, such as graduate departmental societies, and would benefit from direct funding from the University Centre fees through the GSA, and;
Whereas the GSA terminated the 2004 Memorandum of Understanding with CUSA according to the termination provisions of the Memorandum, effective April 29, 2013, and;
Whereas senior administration at Carleton University has expressed its desire to enter into a new MOU with the GSA regarding the use of the University Centre fees, therefore;
BIRT the following referendum question appear on a separate ballot in the 2014 GSA General Elections:
Do you support the Graduate Students' Association directly administering the University Centre Fee collected from graduate students for student services, groups and programming, rather than transferring this fee as a lump sum to CUSA, the undergraduate students' association? Yes/No
Moved By: Justine De Jaegher (VPF)
Seconded By: Rebecca Louis (Legal Studies)
Carried
(c) Motion 28.02.2014 – 03: Motion to Set Referendum Question on the Cost of the Graduate Student Health, Dental and Accident Plan
Whereas until the summer of 2012, graduate and undergraduate students worked collaboratively on a joint health, dental and accident plan for over a decade, and;
Whereas the Carleton Undergraduate Students' Association (CUSA) broke contracts with the GSA to initiated a separate health, dental and accident plan effective September 1, 2012, and;
Whereas the GSA Board of Directors has rejected offers to join the undergraduate plan because the CUSA executive refused to provide details of the contract and graduate students would have no say over the administration, design or coverage offered through the undergraduate plan, and;
Whereas graduate students are now part of a smaller plan without the ability to spread risk and benefit from economies of scale, and;
Whereas usage of the graduate student plan exceeded premiums by 53% in 2012-2013, and have continued to significantly exceed premiums in 2013-2014, and;
Whereas the current benefits covered at a cost of $178 per graduate student per year is not sustainable for the 2014-2015 health plan year, and;
Whereas the GSA is exploring longer-term options to increase membership in the plan, such as creating a joint plan with other graduate students' associations, which will take time and may or may not provide significant financial benefits, and;
Whereas the GSA is committed to ensuring full-time graduate students with alternative coverage can opt-out of the health plan and that part-time graduate students can opt-in to the health plan with few administrative barriers, and;
Whereas graduate students were surveyed about their priorities for a future plan, and the results revealed 65% of respondents supported increasing the price and the coverage, 21% supported increasing the price with the same coverage, and only 14% supported maintaining the current price and decreasing coverage, and;
Whereas the survey results have been incorporated into a Request for Proposals and six health plan brokers/providers have been invited to submit competitive bids on the graduate student plan, and;
BIRT the following referendum question be asked in the 2014 GSA General Elections:
Do you support increasing the annual levy for the graduate student health, dental and accident plan by up to $120 with some minor improvements to benefit coverage effective September 1, 2014? Yes/No
Moved By: Grant McNeil (President)
Seconded By: Jordan MacLaren (Social Work)
Motion to amend and add “by up to $120 to maintain current coverage and add some minor improvements…”
Moved by: Justine De Jaegher (VP Finance)
Seconded: Abigail Kidd (Soc/Anth)
Motion to amend and add “possible” before “improvements.”
Moved by: Ehsan Ghias-Begloo (Electronics)
Seconded by: Scott Jarosiewicz (Political Economy)
Vote on amendment:
Carried
Main motion:
Motion to amend and delete the clause from amendment “and possibly add some minor improvements to benefit coverage.”
Moved by: Ehsan Ghias-Begloo (Electronics)
Seconded: Lisa Menard (Physics)
Carried
Main motion
Carried
(d) Motion 28.02.2014 – 04: Motion to Set Referendum Question on Technology Information Fee
Whereas the university has asked the GSA to run this question in the 2014 GSA General Elections
BIRT the following referendum question be asked in the 2014 GSA General Elections:
“Are you in favour of a $22.50 fee per term, (prorated for part-time students) to enhance the student experience with the goals of:
- Increasing wireless performance and extending coverage to the entire campus
- Allowing access to software presently available in public student labs anytime, anywhere from my own computer”
(Yes / No)
BIFRT the results of the referendum be published April 4th, 2014.
Moved by: Maggie Simpson (VP Operations)
Seconded by: Justine Mallah (VP Academic)
Carried
(e) Motion 28.02.2014 – 05: Motion to Set Referendum Question on the Health Services Fee
Whereas the university has asked the GSA to run this question in the 2014 GSA General Elections
BIRT the following referendum question be asked in the 2014 GSA General Elections:
Do you support the increase of the Carleton University Health Service Fee by $5/term indexed to inflation to allow for Health and Counselling Services to add an additional two permanent counselling positions to better support the growing demand?
(Yes/No)
BIFRT the results of the referendum be published April 4th, 2014.
Moved by: Maggie Simpson (VP Operations)
Seconded by: Lauren Montgomery (VP External)
Carried
10. OTHER BUSINESS
11. ADJOURNMENT
Moved by: Ehsan Ghias-Begloo (Electronics)
Seconded by: Melinda Spry (Anth/Soc)
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