Advocacy

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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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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A Guide to Great Study Spots around the UCalgary Campus

A Guide to Great Study Spots around the UCalgary Campus 1300 500 Gene Baines

By: Rafael Sanguinetti

This Fall, both first-year and second-year students will be joining their first-year counterparts in experiencing the act of physically attending classes for the first time in their post-secondary careers. Adjusting to this new environment is no simple feat; the University’s Main Campus alone spans over 200 hectares which, according to the institution, is bigger than Calgary’s own downtown.

With such a huge space, along with the University’s four additional campuses, finding a good place to study can be a difficult, and often daunting, task. Fortunately, this guide, while not exhaustive, is here to provide some well-known study locations throughout the facility that can be used while waiting in between classes or cramming before a major exam.

The Taylor Family Digital Library (TFDL)

TFDL is arguably the University’s main library, and it sits right at the centre of the Main Campus location, making TFDL an ideal study location for students that want to be relatively close to any of the buildings on the campus. The library has six floors: the bottom three floors are usually quite busy and are often used by students working in group assignments or meeting with friends in between classes, while the top three floors are dedicated exclusively to students who prefer to study in a quiet (and we mean quiet) environment. Overall, TFDL is the go-to place to study for anyone on Main Campus; however, there are other great spots for when this library is too busy or too far from your next class.

Bennett Jones Law Library

The Law Library is a great spot for students who prefer a more traditional library vibe over TFDL’s more modern environment. Located in Murray Fraser Hall by the south side of the campus, the Law Library is also convenient for students with classes near Craigie Hall, Professional Faculties, or the Education buildings. While popular among law students, all undergraduate students are welcome to use the library for their own studying needs.

Energy Environment Experiential Learning (EEEL)

For students with classes on the north side of the campus, including the Engineering building, ICT, Environmental Sciences, and Mathematical Sciences; EEEL can be a great study spot. EEEL is home to many of the University’s science laboratories, where students conduct experiments for their physics, chemistry, and biology classes, among others. Expect to see a lot of students sporting white lab coats!

The Atrium – Administration Building

The Administration Building is home to one of the most unique—and most popular—study spaces on the campus: the Atrium. This greenhouse-style space is great for students who either want to relax or study in a lively environment. This spot is particularly liked during the winter as it can get quite hot and humid! The Atrium is located on the east side of the campus, which is near Professional Faculties, Social Sciences, Science Theatres, Science A, and the University’s LRT station.

Kinesiology Buildings

Located on the Campus’s west side, the Kinesiology Buildings have several convenient areas for studying uses. Most notably, the atrium in Kinesiology Building B is a popular spot. The Kinesiology Buildings contain many of the University’s athletic facilities, including the Fitness Centre, the Jack Simpson Gym, and the Outdoor Centre, and the Aquatics Centre, among others. The Kinesiology Buildings are also connected to the Olympic Oval, MacEwan Student Centre, and Hotel Alma.

Health Sciences Library and Feasby Lounge – Foothills Campus

Finally, even for students who spend lots of time at the Foothills Campus, there are two excellent study spots at the Cumming School of Medicine! Firstly, the Health Sciences Library, like TFDL, is a general and popular go-to spot for students. Containing several work desks, group spaces, and quiet areas, the Health Sciences Library is perfect for loud group projects or focused studying. Secondly, the Feasby Lounge is a great place for students to socialize, study, or eat. The Lounge contains several desks for work, as well as table games like ping-pong, foosball, and pool for leisure breaks while studying.

There you have it, a list of six study spots to check out in the upcoming semester. Because this list is not comprehensive, there are several more study spots around the University that may be more convenient for different styles of studying. In fact, the Students’ Union has also compiled a map of several student-approved study spaces, which can be accessed on our website. As students explore the campus grounds starting in Fall 2021, making note of potential study spaces is strongly encouraged. Asking senior students about their preferred study spots may also be helpful.

As always, the Students’ Union Representatives are happy to address any further questions or concerns. Good luck in the upcoming school year and happy studying!

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

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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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Advocacy Blog – February 2021

Advocacy Blog – February 2021 150 150 Michael Brown

February was a busy month for SU advocacy culminating with the release of the provincial budget towards the end of the month. Throughout February the SU met with university officials as well as provincial elected officials to advocate for students.

The SU is continuing its work towards a permanent Credit Received (CR) option for students. While the SU has had small advocacy wins with CR options for students in the fall and winter semester, the SU continues to drive towards a permanent CR option. This is relatively commonplace in Canadian universities and we remain committed to getting this over the finish line for the 2021 fall semester.

The SU is also working with UCalgary to support the SU Campus Food Bank. Students who have parking fines to pay may be able to put a portion of payment towards the SU Food Bank. More details to come on this!

Provincially, SU staff and executives worked with our CAUS counterparts from other institutions to protest post-secondary cuts and increased tuition. Students built 300 snow penguins at McDougall Centre since students cannot currently gather in a more traditional protest. The penguins carried signs highlighting stories that the SU and CAUS have heard directly from students. In these stories students highlighted challenges finding work, paying tuition, and supporting their family while going to school. The event was picked up by multiple major media outlets. Check out that story.

In addition, the SU President and VP External met with Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides ahead of the budget and received an update on the Alberta 2030 initiative. While details from the Minister were still scarce, the SU was relieved to learn that university governance will remain with the institution rather than go to a provincial superboard. President Frank Finley and VP External Marley Gillies also called on the Minister to implement some form of summer job program specifically targeted at post-secondary students. Last summer nearly one-third of UCalgary students surveyed were unable to find summer employment while another 12% had summer opportunities cancelled due to the pandemic.

Lastly, the SU responded to the provincial budget released on February 25. The asks the SU put forward to government were that student jobs program, a reversal or at least a stop to cuts, continuing funding for student mental health, and to re-implement the tuition tax credit. The UCP government did none of these things.

The cuts to UCalgary continue, there is no student job program, and, while the Minister says the mental health funding continued, he was unable to tell student leaders how much money was earmarked and for how long. You can read our news release here but as the release says “silver linings in the budget were non-existent.” The SU was again successful in speaking to media about the budget and its student impact. You can see some of those stories here.

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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Advocacy Blog – January 2021

Advocacy Blog – January 2021 1400 450 admin

As classes started for the winter semester in January, the SU was busy continuing its advocacy efforts to all three orders of government and university administration. 2020 presented new and unique challenges for student and academic life. 2021 appears as though it will be no different.

The SU always wants to hear from students about your ideas on advocacy and what you need to navigate your studies during the pandemic. Please reach out to the SU if you have ideas or need support.

At the university level, the SU continues to advocate on tuition, fees, and student costs. The SU successfully advocated for a ‘Credit Received’ or CR option for students who may have a course where they would prefer not to have a letter grade in the fall semester, and were able to secure the same option for early in the winter semester. Students who receive a C- or better may convert that grade to a CR which wouldn’t count towards their GPA. We are currently working on having the university offer this option permanently – we expect this change to be announced by the end of this semester. In addition, the SU has successfully made sure that online exam proctoring will not be used by the university. However, individual professors may still be using this software; if that’s the case please contact the SU.

The SU continued its government advocacy by meeting with several elected officials individually to bring student concerns forward. This included an introductory meeting with Calgary MP Jasraj Hallan who met with the SU to discuss student mental health and student jobs and internships.

The SU met with Minister Copping who is the provincial Minister of Labour and Immigration. Minister Copping also represents the University of Calgary and surrounding area in the Legislature. The SU advocated for a student summer job program to help UCalgary students find work over the summer months. Last summer near one-third of UCalgary students surveyed said they couldn’t find a job at all or had a position cancelled due to the pandemic. The SU is working hard to ensure more opportunities for student work this summer.

The SU also supported awareness efforts on the cuts to post-secondary education from the provincial government and subsequent increases to tuition. Through the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS), our colleagues in Edmonton created a snow penguin army of 800 penguins carrying signs asking the government to freeze the cuts.

SU VP External Marley Gillies also participated in a drive by protest outside the Advanced Education Minister’s Calgary office. The event raised awareness of and called for an end to the severe funding cuts by the province.

Early in January, the SU also held its annual Calgary Leaders Dinner. This year’s event was reimagined as the Calgary Leaders Dialogue since it couldn’t be held in-person as usual. SU Executives and SLC members spent time talking to Calgary elected officials from the three orders of government. In total, 18 elected officials attended and Councillor Druh Farrell acted as keynote speaker. The elected officials discussed student issues such as tuition, mental health, and transit while also providing tips to student leaders on how best to advocate and build solid relationships with governments.

If you have questions or concerns about these initiatives or have ideas on what the SU should pursue on behalf of students, again, please contact us.

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Our Statement on Anti-Asian Racism

Our Statement on Anti-Asian Racism 150 150 admin

We at the University of Calgary Students’ Union are concerned of many of the recent acts of hate in our city and country. Anti-Asian hate crimes, in particular, have seen a sharp rise in both Calgary and Canada. Further, this past weekend in Calgary, a Muslim woman was physically assaulted, a man using a wheelchair was attacked as he confronted anti-mask protestors, and anti-mask protestors wore antisemitic imagery as they marched through Prince’s Island Park. We categorically denounce these acts of hatred and stand in solidarity with all those experiencing acts of prejudice and racism.

While anti-Asian hate crimes have risen massively with the pandemic, the pandemic did not signal their start – these issues are deep-rooted in our society. Further, we fear it can be easy for some to compare Calgary or Canada to other places in the world and believe that these issues do not exist here. To do so would be dangerous and wrong.

These acts of hatred serve to divide us, at a time when solidarity is most needed. We must stand together to fight against these nefarious issues and to ensure everyone feels safe in our university and city.

It is not radical to believe that one should not fear for their safety because of their religion, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual identity, or ability.

Beyond statements, it is important to take action and stand up for others when we see acts of hatred being committed. We encourage any student who believes they have been mistreated or discriminated against at the University of Calgary to contact us and the university’s Ombudsperson. A full list of our anti-racism work and resources can be found here.

We stand with those fighting against prejudice and racism at UCalgary and in the rest of our society. Students have been at the forefront of many social movements, so let us fight for a future we can proud of.