Students' Union, UCalgary

SU @UCalgary
  • Gene Baines
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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.

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

  • Michael Brown
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SU welcomes new City Council, stands with survivors
SU welcomes new City Council, stands with survivors 150 150 Michael Brown

The UCalgary Students’ Union looks forward to working closely with the newly elected and sworn-in Calgary City Council. The SU offers its congratulations to Mayor Gondek as she begins in her historic position as the first woman Mayor of Calgary.

The SU also congratulates new Ward 7 Councillor Terry Wong. The SU had a close relationship with the previous Ward 7 Councillor and we look forward to continuing this important relationship.

The SU plans to bring forward important student issues to Mayor Gondek and Councillor Wong, as well as other members of Council. Students are concerned about transit accessibility, plans for the Green Line, the hollowing out of downtown, and how our new elected officials will engage and better involve young people in political processes.

The SU is sending a letter outlining these concerns as well as a request to meet with most City Councillors and the Mayor.

Gender-based and sexual violence is a problem on all post-secondary campuses. UCalgary is no exception. Students and young people look up to our elected officials and expect them to be held to a high standard. The recent revelations regarding Councillor Chu are disturbing.

The SU believes victims and survivors.

Working with Councillor Chu would erase much of the work our organization has done in the area of campus sexual violence. Students deserve an organization who will speak up for them and that is exactly what we are doing.

Our organization is committed to representing all students, including students who have been victims of or affected by sexual violence. Therefore, our organization cannot, in good conscience, engage with Councillor Chu going forward. Many UCalgary students live in ward 4 and deserve effective representation from their Councillor. The SU cannot see how this can be achieved given the current situation.

If you need immediate help and support on this issue or others, please reach out to the Distress Centre by calling them at 403-266-4357. They are available to help 24 hours a day.

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Mike Brown

External Communications Specialist

University of Calgary Students’ Union

403-560-0577

Michael.brown1@ucalgary.ca

 

 

 

  • Michael Brown
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Board of Governors Approves Exceptional Tuition Increases…again
Board of Governors Approves Exceptional Tuition Increases…again 150 150 Michael Brown

The SU is disappointed, but not surprised, that the University Board of Governors passed two undergraduate Exceptional Tuition Increases. The increases will affect students starting their studies in fall 2022 in Engineering and the Medical Doctor program. Tuition will increase by more than 30% and 15%, respectively. These increases will now go to the Minister of Advanced Education for final approval.

The SU has opposed these undergraduate increases for the following reasons:

– The SU has not received a full itemized list of program improvements funded by these increases.

– The SU has asked about how the university will measure program improvement over the next five years and how it will determine that the programs have actually improved.

– It is unclear how students feedback this fall has changed the increase proposals, or if it has at all. The SU believes this should be reflected in the proposal submitted to the Minister.

– Recent tuition increases should be considered as a package. An engineering student starting in 2022 will pay at least 50% more than a student who started in 2019.

– Students are having a hard time finding work. To increase tuition by this magnitude during a pandemic and economic downturn is poor timing and ignores the circumstances of students.

The SU was successful in advocating for a delay to approval when these proposals were initially brought forward in May. The SU cautioned the Board of Governors in May and June, that consultation with students was not adequate. The faculties conducted surveys in March and April but failed to tell students what the survey was about or link them in any way to massive tuition increases. It wasn’t until after students had left campus for the summer that the full details of tuition increases were revealed.

The Board of Governors declined to delay the process despite inadequate consultation. Thanks to SU advocacy, the Minister of Advanced Education rejected the proposals and sent them back to the university to conduct proper consultation. The university was forced to consult again throughout the first month of the fall semester and that consultation was more robust.
It remains unclear just how student feedback gained this fall by the university has changed the ETI proposals. The SU strongly believes that if no changes were made as a result of the redone student consultation, the university should note that in its final submission to the Minister.

To prevent such a situation from happening again, the SU is preparing a document that sets out what meaningful consultation looks like and what the roles and responsibilities are for both the SU and the university when it comes to consultation processes. Through this we will make sure that when the university consults with students, students are given the full details of what is occurring and ensure that consultation occurs while students are enrolled in classes.

The SU is anticipating further tuition increases this year, meaning costs for these programs and others will increase further and students will be asked to shoulder that burden going forward.

  • Michael Brown
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2021 SU By-Election Results
2021 SU By-Election Results 150 150 Michael Brown

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2021 SU By-Election results
October 15, 2021

Students went to the polls for the SU By-Election in what has become a busy election season. The SU is asking students to vote in several Faculty Representative races, a Senate race, and a series of plebiscite questions with regards to the SU Health & Dental Plan. For the first time, there were no immediate acclamations announced after Nomination Days, instead students were asked to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for uncontested races.

The results are in.

The Faculty of Social Work has chosen Nik Jarvis with 55% of the vote.

Haskayne School of Business students chose Jaime Pablo with 61% of the vote. He will join Adrian Alcantara as the Haskayne Faculty Representative.

For the Cumming School of Medicine, Emily Macphail will join Rafael Sanguinetti as Faculty Representative after winning 97% of the ‘yes’ vote.

For University of Calgary Senate, Armaan Sidhu was elected with 86% of ‘yes’ votes.

Several questions were also posed to students around the SU’s Health & Dental plan. The questions are non-binding and seek to better understand student perspectives on how they use the plan and its future.

Students were asked for their priorities when it came to the dental portion of the plan and the medical portion of the plan. Of students who indicated a preference on the dental plan, the largest plurality of students (21%) are willing to pay up to $15 more per year for improved coverage. Of students who indicated a preference on the health plan, the largest plurality (33%) are willing to pay up to $25 more annually to improve coverage.

On the third question, 50% students who voted support a potential constitutional amendment to allow for price increases to the plan tied to inflation up to a maximum of 4% annually.

The officials elected will serve until the end of April. The SU will be running its General Election next March to form the 80th SLC.

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Mike Brown
External Communications Specialist
University of Calgary Students’ Union
Cell: 403-560-0577
Email: Michael.brown1@ucalgary.ca

  • Michael Brown
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Advocacy Update – October 2021
Advocacy Update – October 2021 150 150 Michael Brown

October was a busy month on the advocacy front. The SU was ramping up its efforts ahead of the municipal election. The SU advocacy radio show had been hosting guests each week, including candidates from several wards and the leading mayoral candidates.

The SU was thrilled to see so many students choose to vote on campus while municipal polling stations were open at UCalgary. Our student Get Out the Vote campaign has concluded and we’d like to thank all students who signed up to receive text updates from us about when and where to vote. We’ve drawn the bookstore and Den prizes. Congratulations to all of the winners.

On the ongoing advocacy side of things, the SU is still pushing the university to accept responsibility and adequately compensate students who had most or all classes moved online at the last minute. The bursary the university offered was completely inadequate and failed to fully compensate students and failed to make all affected students eligible as well. Our stance is simple: The university should own the consequences of its actions. To date, it has not.

The SU is continuing to advocate for a campus wide Credit Granted (CG) option. Over the summer, the SU was assured that undergrads in all faculties would have some type of access to CG. It now appears that students in the faculty of Engineering, and others, will not have any access to a CG option. CG allows a student to credit a course and have it not impact their GPA as long as they receive at least a C- in the class.

We are continuing to advocate on this issue and are questioning the university as to why they are not following through with the commitment they made to students in the summer. While we don’t expect all courses to be included in a CG program, we do not believe there is a valid reason for any faculty to completely restrict the option.

Finally, we have two tuition updates to share:

The UCalgary Board of Governors passed the exceptional tuition increase proposals for a second time. These were passed in the early summer but were rejected by the province due to a lack of proper student consultation as a result of SU advocacy efforts. The increases affect the faculties of engineering and medicine. The university consulted with students again throughout the month of September and the consultation was better. What remains unclear is what changed in the tuition proposal content from the summer until now. The SU representative on the Board voted against but the vote still passed 11-5. The SU is looking to meet with the Minister to discuss these proposals further.

The second tuition update is the ‘regular’ tuition increases. This is third and final year that the university will be able to increase tuition by more than inflation. Under regulations right now the university can increase tuition by an average of 7% across programs with no program increased by more than 10%. These increases are largely due to provincial budget cuts. Students are paying the price as a result.

The university is also increasing a number of fees including the Student Services Fee and the Athletics fee. So, if you’re (still) reading this we’d like to hear from you as to whether you think you get value from the Student Services fee you pay or the Athletics fee you pay to subsidize the Dinos. Reach out to us on any of our socials or to feedback@su.ucalgary.ca.

  • Michael Brown
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Advocacy Update – September 2021
Advocacy Update – September 2021 150 150 Michael Brown

There was a lot going on in September. It was great to welcome students back to campus and the SU was busy advocating for you and making sure everyone was safe as classes resumed.

First, the SU is continuing its advocacy with regard to the last-minute course changes imposed by the university and resulting steep financial costs students unnecessarily incurred as a result. The university moved hundreds of courses online at the discretion of instructors in late August and early September. We heard from hundreds of students who had most or all of their classes move online suddenly. The SU was not consulted on this decision at all.

Many affected students incurred travel, accommodation, or parking costs under the assumption that the university would honour the course delivery type students registered for. We have heard from international students who have spent up to $5,000 to be here and domestic students who have spent around $3,000. Now they get to learn from a laptop.

Unfortunately, the university hasn’t stepped up to fix the problem they created. The bursary they announced covered only $500 or $1000 of costs and only included a fraction of students who had their courses changed. The university has refused to meet with the SU on this topic and we are continuing to demand a meeting. Our demand is that the university fully reimburse travel and accommodation expenses for students for course changes announced to after the August 20th deadline. We will keep you up to date as this progresses.

Next, the SU won a delay to the university’s Exceptional Tuition Increases in Medicine and Engineering. The university was asked to consult with students again since they only consulted after classes had finished for the summer. The consultations are better this time but it remains unclear how student feedback has changed the proposed increases. The tuition increases will go to the Board of Governors on October 22.

The SU hosted a Mayoral candidates forum on September 23rd and it was quite the event. CBC News host Rob Brown moderated the nine invited candidates who discussed issues like campus voting, transit, downtown revitalization and more. If you haven’t decided who to vote for yet, you can listen to the debate on the SU website.

  • Gene Baines
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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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  • wrushfel
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Notice of Election – By-Election 2021
Notice of Election – By-Election 2021 150 150 wrushfel

Notice is hereby given that an election will be held for the filling of the following offices:

  • Faculty Representative, Cumming School of Medicine (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Faculty of Social Work (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Haskayne School of Business (1)
  • Senate Student-at-Large (1)

Online voting will take place on the 13th, 14, and 15th days of October, 2021 through the myUofC Student Centre. Voting opens at 9 a.m. on October 13th and closes at 4 p.m. on October 15th, 2021. All University of Calgary undergraduate students registered in the Fall 2021 session are eligible to vote.

For more information, visit www.su.ucalgary.ca/elections.

DATED at the University of Calgary in the City of Calgary, Province of Alberta, this 30th day of September 2021.

 

There is also a Notice of Plebiscite as part of the 2021 By-Election. Please see the Elections page for ongoing updates. 

  • Gene Baines
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Notice of Plebiscite – By-Election 2021
Notice of Plebiscite – By-Election 2021 150 150 Gene Baines

These three (3) plebiscite questions will appear on the 2021 By-Election ballot.

Question 1:

Background Information: The Students’ Union Dental Plan was established by Referendum in 1991, and its premiums have never been increased. Students pay $90 annually for the Dental Plan, which provides partial coverage for dental services such as cleanings, fillings, extractions, and dental emergencies. Due to the rising costs of providing the Dental Plan, current coverage levels cannot be sustained without an increase in fees. Without an approved increase, the SU Dental Plan will need to reduce coverage and services to remain financially sustainable. The Dental Plan covers only full-time students, and students may opt-out of the Dental Plan if they have comparable coverage. Changes to this fee would have no effect on students who opt-out of the Dental Plan.

The current low cost of the Dental Plan is only possible because of an exclusive contract with Dental Choice as the provider of all services. Changing this structure to give students more options in which dentist they see would result in a higher fee for the Dental Plan.

Which of the following statements best represents your priorities regarding the SU Dental Plan?

  • I opt out of the Dental Plan, or otherwise do not have an opinion on the cost of the Dental Plan.
  • I am not willing to pay more, and understand that service coverage may need to decrease to keep the Dental Plan at a total cost of $90. This may include decreasing coverage in areas such as preventative services such as cleanings, or decreasing the amount of coverage provided for services such as filling cavities.
  • I am willing to pay up to $10 more each year to maintain current coverage levels and keep Dental Choice as the exclusive provider of these services, for a total cost of $100. No changes would be made to the number of included services, or the total amount of coverage provided for each service.
  • I am willing to pay up to $15 more each year to make some coverage improvements and keep Dental Choice as the exclusive provider of these services, for a total cost of $105. This may include increasing the coverage available for preventative services such as cleanings or increasing the amount of coverage provided for services such as filling cavities.
  • I am willing to pay up to $35 more each year to expand my service provider options beyond Dental Choice, for a total cost of $125. This option would increase the cost of the Dental Plan, but likely would not include any additional services at this time. Students would be able to receive services from the dentist of their choosing at any accredited dental office.

Question 2:

Background Information: Students voted in 1989 to establish a Students’ Union Undergraduate Health Plan, and last increased the fee for this plan in 1993. Students pay $103 annually for the Health Plan, which provides partial coverage of services such as prescription drugs, vision, ambulances, and access to health practitioners. Due to the rising costs of providing this plans, current coverage levels cannot be sustained without an increase in fees. Without an approved increase, the SU Health Plan will need to reduce coverage and services to remain financially sustainable. The Health Plan covers only full-time students, and students may opt-out of the Health Plan if they have comparable coverage. Changes to this fee would have no effect on students who opt-out of the Health Plan.

Which of the following statements best represents your priorities regarding the SU Health Plan?

  • I currently opt out of the Health Plan, or otherwise do not have an opinion on the cost of the Health Plan.
  • I am not willing to pay more, and understand that service coverage would need to decrease to keep the Health Plan at a total cost of $103. This may include decreasing service coverage in areas such as vision services such as eye exams, eye wear and contact lenses, as well as decreasing the percentage of coverage for prescription drug reimbursements.
  • I am willing to pay up to $10 more each year to maintain current coverage for services, for a total cost of $113. No changes would be made to the number of included services, or the total amount of coverage provided for each service.
  • I am willing to pay up to $25 more each year to increase coverage levels and amounts, for a total cost of $128. This may include increasing the amount available for vision services such as eye exams, eye wear and contact lenses, as well as increasing the amount covered per visit for paramedical practitioners such as counseling, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and others.

Question 3:

Using an inflationary adjustment measure, similar to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), to adjust the cost of the SU Health and Dental plans over time could ensure these plans remain sustainable without requiring large, infrequent increases to the cost of the plans through successful referendum questions. These increases would occur a maximum of one per academic year, and would only occur if necessary to ensure the plans remained financially viable. This means that students might not experience an increase for several years, or that an increase may occur to only one of the plans, as needed. Students would be informed that the price of their plan was changing prior to the payment deadline. At this time, the SU is considering an increase of up to 4 per cent annually.

Would you be supportive of amendments to the SU’s Constitution that would allow modest increases to the SU Health and Dental Plans to occur without student referendum, if tied to an inflationary adjustment measure?

  • Yes, up to a limit of 4 per cent annually.
  • Yes, without an annual limit.
  • No.

Please see the Elections Page for ongoing updates.

  • Gene Baines
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Notice of Nomination – By-Election 2021
Notice of Nomination – By-Election 2021 150 150 Gene Baines

[alert]Nominations update: we will receive nominations via Zoom link only. See elections page for the link.[/alert]

Notice is hereby given that Nomination Days are Monday, September 27 to Wednesday, September 29, 2021. Nominations for the election of a candidate for the following offices will be received via Zoom video conferencing, or in person at Council Chambers in MacEwan Student Centre, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Please visit www.su.ucalgary.ca/elections to access the Zoom link.

OFFICES AVAILABLE (# VACANCIES)

  • Cumming School of Medicine Faculty Representative (1)
  • Haskayne School of Business Faculty Representative (1)
  • Social Work Faculty Representative (1)
  • Senate Student-at-Large (1)

 

There is also a Notice of Plebiscite as part of the 2021 By-Election. Please see the Elections page for ongoing updates. 

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