2015.04.22-council-agenda (1)

Dalhousie Student Union - Council Meeting Wednesday, April 22, 2015, 6:30 PM – Room 224, Student Union Building

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Table of Contents 1. ROLL CALL .................................................................................................................. 2 2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA .................................................................................... 2 4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING ........................................................................... 2 5. COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED ................................................................................. 2 6. APPOINTMENTS ......................................................................................................... 2

A. DSAS Summer Director ......................................................................................... 2 B. Sexton Campus Director ....................................................................................... 2 C. Council Secretary ................................................................................................... 2 D. Board of Operations Chair .................................................................................... 2 E. Board of Operations Member (3 Positions) ......................................................... 2

7. PRESENTATIONS ....................................................................................................... 2 A. Executive Review Committee ............................................................................... 2

8. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ...................................................................................... 2 A. Board Caucus ......................................................................................................... 2 B. Other Committees .................................................................................................. 3

9. OLD BUSINESS ........................................................................................................... 3 A. Governance Review Discussion ........................................................................... 3 B. Orientation Week Surplus Motion ........................................................................ 3

10. NEW BUSINESS ........................................................................................................ 3 A. Motion to Amend Financial and Executive Policies ........................................... 3 B. Motion to Amend Union Rules and Procedure Policy ........................................ 3 C. Motion to Amend Policy to Enact Land Recognition Directive ......................... 4 D. RFP Decision .......................................................................................................... 6

11. BUSINESS OF THE EXECUTIVE .............................................................................. 7 A. President Ramz Aziz .............................................................................................. 7 B. Vice-President (Internal) Jenn Nowoselski ......................................................... 7 C. Vice-President (Financial and Operations) Mahbuber Rahman ........................ 7 D. Vice-President (Academic and External) Jacqueline Skiptunis ........................ 7 E. Vice-President (Student Life) Danny Shanahan .................................................. 7

12. NOTICES OF MOTION ............................................................................................... 7 13. ANNOUNCEMENTS ................................................................................................... 7 14. ADJOURNMENT ........................................................................................................ 7


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1. ROLL CALL

2. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA

MOTION 2015-04-22: A01

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the agenda be adopted as circulated.

4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

MOTION 2015-04-22: M01

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the minutes of the March 27, 2015 Council meeting be accepted.

MOTION 2015-04-22: M02

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the minutes of the April 8, 2015 Council meeting be accepted.

5. COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED

6. APPOINTMENTS

A. DSAS Summer Director

B. Sexton Campus Director

C. Council Secretary

D. Board of Operations Chair

E. Board of Operations Member (3 Positions)

7. PRESENTATIONS

A. Executive Review Committee – Kaitlynne Lowe

8. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES

A. Board Caucus

• Ramz Aziz, President

• Rebecca Haworth, Student Representative


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• John Hutton, Student Representative

B. Other Committees

• Please note that committee reports must be submitted before the term of the committee expires. In most cases that is the end of April.

9. OLD BUSINESS

A. Governance Review Discussion

B. Orientation Week Surplus Motion

MOTION 2015-04-22: O01

Whereas Orientation Week generated a surplus in 2014; and

Whereas the Dalhousie Student Union should strive to make Orientation accessible to all students; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED THAT 2014 Orientation Week Surplus be allocated for the 2015 Orientation Week in order to bring down the overall cost of Orientation Week fees and to provide bursaries to for Orientation Week fees.

Moved: Shanahan

10. NEW BUSINESS

A. Motion to Amend Financial and Executive Policies

MOTION 2015-04-22: N01

Whereas, three years of amendments have been made to Financial and Executive policy,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council pass the proposed amendments to Financial and Executive policy (Appendix A and B).

Moved: Aziz

B. Motion to Amend Union Rules and Procedure Policy

MOTION 2015-04-22: N02


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Whereas, the Dalhousie Student Union does not currently have a set of parliamentary rules set as the authority of union procedure; and Whereas, this can cause confusion where procedural issues arise outside of what is outlined in the Union Rules and Procedures Policy; and Whereas the DSU already refers to Robert’s Rules when issues arise outside the scope of the Union Rules and Procedures Policy; therefore BE IT RESOLVED THAT the following be added to the Union Rules and Procedures Policy:

“29. Parliamentary Authority a. Except for as provided for in the Constitution and Union policy, the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the procedures of the Union.”

Moved: Aziz

C. Motion to Amend Policy to Enact Land Recognition Directive

MOTION 2015-04-22: N03

Whereas, the Dalhousie Student Union passed a motion to begin recognizing that the territory that the Dalhousie Student Union building and Dalhousie are located on is unceded, unsurrendered, traditional Mi’kmaq territory; and Whereas, it is important this be defined in policy; therefore BE IT RESOLVED THAT the following clause be added to the Union Rules and Procedures Policy:

Recognition of Mi’kma’ki Territory a. At the start of each Council Meeting, the Chair shall read the following statement following Roll Call:

The Dalhousie Student Union acknowledges that Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Student Union Building are located on traditional, unceded and unsurrendered Mi’kma’ki territory. The Dalhousie Student Union seeks to honour the relational treaty process in its programming, events, and meetings.

b. At the start of a General Meeting of the Union, the Chair shall read the following statement:


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The Dalhousie Student Union acknowledges that Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Student Union Building are located on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Mi’kmaq people. The DSU wants to acknowledge that the ongoing impacts of colonization are present on campus and in the Halifax community. This is reflected in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, the under-representation of indigenous students enrolled in university, ongoing racism faced by indigenous people, the disproportionate number of indigenous people in the judicial system, the high number of indigenous children in state care, a chronic lack of basic services available to indigenous communities, the failure of government to honour treaty rights, and the disproportionate levels of violence faced by indigenous women. The Dalhousie Student Union recognizes and respects the Mi’kmaq people as the traditional keepers of this land with valuable coded-knowledge regarding its use and value, and seeks to honour the relational treaty process in its programming, events, and meetings.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the following clause be added to Executive Policy:

Recognition of Mi’kma’ki Territory a. The opening of all annual events organized by the Executive of the Union include one of the following statements recognizing Mi’kma’ki Territory:

The Dalhousie Student Union acknowledges that Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Student Union Building are located on traditional, unceded and unsurrendered Mi’kma’ki territory. The Dalhousie Student Union seeks to honour the relational treaty process in its programming, events, and meetings.

or The Dalhousie Student Union acknowledges that Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Student Union Building are located on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Mi’kmaq people. The DSU wants to acknowledge that the ongoing impacts of colonization are present on campus and in the Halifax community. This is reflected in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, the under-representation of indigenous students enrolled in university, ongoing racism faced by indigenous people,


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the disproportionate number of indigenous people in the judicial system, the high number of indigenous children in state care, a chronic lack of basic services available to indigenous communities, the failure of government to honour treaty rights, and the disproportionate levels of violence faced by indigenous women. The Dalhousie Student Union recognizes and respects the Mi’kmaq people as the traditional keepers of this land with valuable coded-knowledge regarding its use and value, and seeks to honour the relational treaty process in its programming, events, and meetings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the 2015-16 Vice-Presidents (Internal) and (Finance and Operations) prepare amendments to Society Policy to ensure that DSU-funded events by societies include similar statements; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the following text be posted in all DSU-owned and operated venues:

The Dalhousie Student Union acknowledges that Dalhousie University and the Dalhousie Student Union Building are located on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Mi’kmaq people. The DSU wants to acknowledge that the ongoing impacts of colonization are present on campus and in the Halifax community. This is reflected in a number of ways, including, but not limited to, the under-representation of indigenous students enrolled in university, ongoing racism faced by indigenous people, the disproportionate number of indigenous people in the judicial system, the high number of indigenous children in state care, a chronic lack of basic services available to indigenous communities, the failure of government to honour treaty rights, and the disproportionate levels of violence faced by indigenous women. The Dalhousie Student Union recognizes and respects the Mi’kmaq people as the traditional keepers of this land with valuable coded-knowledge regarding its use and value, and seeks to honour the relational treaty process in its programming, events, and meetings

Moved: Letendre

D. Request for Proposals for Retail Space

MOTION 2015-04-22: N04


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Whereas, TravelCuts ended its lease of the space in the basement of the Student Union Building in May 2014

Whereas, TravelCuts provided compensation for the remainder of their lease,

Whereas, an RFP process was initiated in July 2014,

Whereas, the RFP process resulted in three proposals being brought forward,

Whereas, the budget for 2015-2016 assumes revenue from the space as of July 2015,

Whereas, a budgetary deficit needs to be address in 2015-2016,

Whereas, Council must decide on an occupant for the space immediately to allow for conversions to be made over the summer,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the DSU Executive enter negotiations with Council's preferred proposal and prepare the space for occupancy.

11. BUSINESS OF THE EXECUTIVE

A. President Ramz Aziz (Attached)

B. Vice-President (Internal) Jenn Nowoselski

C. Vice-President (Financial and Operations) Mahbuber Rahman (Attached)

D. Vice-President (Academic and External) Jacqueline Skiptunis

E. Vice-President (Student Life) Danny Shanahan

12. NOTICES OF MOTION

13. ANNOUNCEMENTS

14. ADJOURNMENT

2015.04.22-council-agenda (1)

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