Students' Union, UCalgary

SU @UCalgary

Teaching excellence, SU election candidates, and jobs at the SU

Teaching excellence, SU election candidates, and jobs at the SU 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

I hope you are enjoying a well-deserved rest on your term break. (And if you have a few extra minutes, consider nominating your most deserving prof for an SU Teaching Excellence Award!)

SU 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! Show them you appreciate their efforts and help us recognize them by filling out a quick online form. The deadline for nominations is this Friday, Feb. 24, 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 watch one or more of the candidate forums next week to see them in action. This year’s General Election ballot will also have a plebiscite question about the mandatory Dinos Athletics fee. You can preview the question here. Voting days to elect SU leaders and participate in the plebiscite will be March 7, 8, and 9 through your my.ucalgary.ca student centre.

The SU is hiring: 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 SU Volunteer Tax Clinic opens next week

The tax clinic will open on Monday, Feb. 28. Tax filing services are provided by CRA-trained volunteers for qualifying clients at no charge. Eligibility and booking on our website.

All the best,

Nicole Schmidt, President, Students’ Union


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Student inflation supports are welcome relief, but students remain at breaking point

Student inflation supports are welcome relief, but students remain at breaking point 150 150 Michael Brown

Calgary – Over the last several months, the SU has advocated for financial relief for students. Students have told us they are at a breaking point and making difficult choices between their education, food, and housing. The SU is pleased to see our advocacy efforts pay off with increased and additional supports for students.

 

“Today’s announcement of supports is positive but this cannot be the end of the discussion when it comes to affordability and accessibility to post-secondary in Alberta,” says SU President Nicole Schmidt. “Since 2019, students have endured the largest increases to tuition in Alberta’s history. Today’s announcement, while welcome, is a drop in the bucket when compared to the additional costs students are facing due to government cuts and the inflation crisis.”

 

The average domestic UCalgary student is paying over $1,200 more each year for their education by comparison to 2019. The situation is even more dire for international students who, on average, are paying more than $6,000 more annually than they did in 2019. These numbers also do not include mandatory fee increases and an upcoming 5.5% domestic increase and 10% international increase to tuition this fall.

 

A one-time increase to the Alberta Student Grant is a positive step, but the reach of this program is limited and dependant on family income, regardless of parental financial support. The provincial government have left out a significant number of students from this temporary support.

 

Many students may not be receiving financial support from parents for their education or cost of living but may also not qualify for the Alberta Student Grant because of household or family income. This means that many truly low-income students will not qualify for the support announced today.

 

The 2% cap on tuition increase is welcome but comes after UCalgary students have endured a 33% increase to tuition and 20% to mandatory fees since 2019. The tuition cap also does not help international students who have seen tuition increase at a rate close to 10% per year for the last four years.

 

“International students have been completely left behind by this government. This is concerning as Alberta attempts to attract more international students to its institutions,” says SU VP External Mateusz Salmassi. “International tuition remains unregulated and today’s announcement makes it easy for universities to continue using international students as cash cows to fund university operations. This needs to change.”

 

Changing of the student loan interest rate back to prime is positive, but it was the UCP government that increased this rate in the first place. It is positive to see them reverse this bad policy, but interest rates never should have increased.

 

The Government of Alberta should be taking further affordability action through student financial aid by rebalancing student financial aid to a more equal mix as exists in several provinces, including MacKinnon Report comparator provinces like B.C. and Ontario.

 

The UCP government should also take action by bringing in a student provincial jobs program. Students want to work but are struggling to find summer employment opportunities since the cancellation of the Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) in 2019. A Students’ Union survey found that 1 in 5 students could not find full-time summer work in the summers of 2021 and 2022. Overall youth unemployment remains double the provincial rate.

 

Heading towards the provincial election in May, the SU will be engaging in a conversation with Calgarians and Albertans about the importance of post-secondary education and what can be done to ensure education is accessible and affordable as well as the value post-secondary institutions provide to our city and province.

 

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Mike Brown, Manager Communications & Government Relations

University of Calgary Students’ Union

403-560-0577 or Michael.brown1@ucalgary.ca

GENERAL ELECTION 2023: NOTICE OF ELECTION

GENERAL ELECTION 2023: NOTICE OF ELECTION 1920 1080 Gene Baines

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

(Parentheses denotes number of positions to appear on the ballot.)

  • President (1)
  • Vice President Academic (1)
  • Vice President External (1)
  • Vice President Operations and Finance (1)
  • Vice President Student Life (1)
  • Faculty Representatives, Arts (2)
  • Faculty Representative, Cumming School of Medicine (2)
  • Faculty Representatives, Haskayne School of Business (2)
  • Faculty Representative, Kinesiology (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Law (1)
  • Faculty Representatives, Schulich School of Engineering (2)
  • Faculty Representatives, Science (3)
  • Faculty Representative, Werklund School of Education (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Social Work (1)
  • Senate Student at Large Representative (2)
  • Board of Governors Student at Large Representative (1)

Online voting will take place on the 7th, 8th, and 9th days of March, 2023 through the myUofC Student Centre. Polling stations will be available at these locations: MacEwan Student Centre, Science Theatres, and TFDL. Voting opens at 9 a.m. on March 7th and closes at 4 p.m. on March 9th, 2023. All University of Calgary undergraduate students registered in the Winter 2023 session are eligible to vote. 

VACANCIES

In accordance with section 48 of the The Union Bylaw, the Chief Returning Officer declares the following positions vacant:

  • Faculty Representatives, Arts (2)
  • Faculty Representative, Nursing (1)
  • Faculty Representatives, Schulich School of Engineering (1)
  • Faculty Representative, Veterinary Medicine (1)

 

Statement: Free Speech on Campus

Statement: Free Speech on Campus 150 150 Michael Brown

The Students’ Union (SU) stands with our counterparts from the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union as they push back strongly against hate on their campus.

 

U of L students made it clear that there is no place for hate on their campus. As Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said earlier this week “it should be for students to make the final decision about whether to listen to a speech or not.” U of L students stood up, held firm, and made it clear that they had no interest in hearing a lecture that denies the genocidal nature of residential schools and the lasting harm these institutions have done to Indigenous peoples. That decision should be respected.

 

Universities are bastions of free speech and expression. However, just like all freedoms, there are limits. Just as Section 1 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms puts reasonable limitations on rights and freedoms, there should be limits on our campuses.

 

Denying the genocidal nature of residential schools and suggesting the contemporary civil rights movement is destroying post-secondary institutions is an antagonistic position designed to incite hate and discrimination.

 

Administration at the University of Lethbridge deserves credit for listening to students and making the difficult, but correct decision to cancel the lecture.

 

University of Calgary administration could learn from this example to better manage speech and expression on campus. For years, University of Calgary administration has allowed anti-abortion demonstrators on campus in areas that students must walk through to attend their classes. Protestors bring graphic imagery intended incite anger from members of the campus community. This has led to ongoing harassment of students as students have reported being shouted at and followed.

 

The SU has asked the university to take action and follow its own harassment policy when speech includes harassment and discrimination. To date, the University of Calgary has done nothing with regard to these demonstrations, and protestors continue to create an intimidating and hostile educational environment for students.

 

The SU renews its calls for the university to restrict graphic and misleading imagery and to ensure that students are not shouted at, harassed, or followed by protestors. The SU calls for the university to take action and ensure debate of ideas is meaningful, not antagonistic and not rooted in harassment.

 

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Mike Brown, External Communications Specialist

University of Calgary Students’ Union

403-560-0577 or Michael.brown1@ucalgary.ca

 

WinterActive, Sex Week, and SU Election details

WinterActive, Sex Week, and SU Election details 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

February is just around the corner and it’s going be another busy month around the SU – here’s what we have lined up:

WinterActive: physical fitness, games, and prizes

We’ve partnered with Active Living to help you jumpstart your semester. Drop by Mac Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and participate in some easy physical games and activities designed to energize you. Looking for a bigger challenge? Register your team of five for a dodgeball tournament in the Gold Gym on Thursday, Feb. 2. (Participants on both days will be entered to win lots of prizes, including a Nintendo Switch!)

SU General Election: important dates

Nomination Days are from Feb. 6 – 8. If you have decided you’re going to run for a position, download the nomination package here, and make sure to drop it off in person at Council Chambers 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Voting days will be March 7, 8, and 9 through your my.ucalgary.ca student centre.

Sex Week (Feb. 13 – 17)

Join us in the Mac Hall North Courtyard on Monday for a resource fair/carnival, and all week long for trivia, speakers, and other events throughout Mac Hall. Check out the full week of events here.

Sex Week Speaker Event: a Conversation with Martin Boyce

Join us on Thursday, Feb. 16 for a conversation with Martin Boyce, LGBTQ2SIA+ activist and participant in the Stonewall riots. This event is presented by SU Q Centre, RBC, and your SU. RSVP at this link.

Fines for Food (Feb. 13 – 19)

We are excited to continue our partnership with UCalgary’s Parking and Transportation Services – it’s called Fines-for-Food. Have you got outstanding parking fines? Pay them between Feb. 13 – 17, and half of the revenue will be donated to the SU Campus Food Bank!

All tickets paid during this period will be included in the program, regardless of when they were originally issued. Not sure how to pay your tickets? Visit parking.ucalgary.ca.

SU Survey

Got a few minutes to fill out a survey? You could win one of ten $100 Amazon gift cards just for letting us know what you think of the SU’s programs, services, and advocacy. The survey is open until Feb. 13. Take the survey now.

Students for Literacy Book Sale

Browse through a tonne of books for just $2 – $3 from February 6 – 10 in the North Courtyard, Mac Hall. All proceeds will go directly towards supporting literacy in our community.

Trivia Night is back at the Den

Join us for a Valentine-themed trivia night at the Den: Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 6 – 8 p.m.

Teaching Excellence Awards

Last (but not least) – do you have an exceptional prof or a TA this semester? Show them you appreciate their efforts and nominate them for a Teaching Excellence Award! The deadline for all TEA nominations is February 24.

All the best,

Nicole Schmidt,
President, Students’ Union


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General Election 2023: Notice of Plebiscite

General Election 2023: Notice of Plebiscite 150 150 Gene Baines

Background

Students pay a mandatory fee called the Athletics Fee to subsidize the Dinos Athletics program. For the current academic year (fall 2022 and winter 2023), undergraduate students pay $115.16 ($57.58 in each term) for the Athletics Fee. In return, students receive free admission to Dinos regular season games. Students would need to attend more than 7 games per year to recoup the costs of the fee. The university could raise this fee by up to 5.5% for the 2023-24 academic year. Students contribute about 48% of the Dinos’ operational budget through this fee. The university contributes about 30% by comparison.

The SU is asking this question to better understand how students perceive this fee, to inform our advocacy efforts towards the university. The fee amount is ultimately set by the university, not the SU. 

Question:

Which option(s) below describe your opinion of the Athletics Fee? (Select all that apply).

Students should be able to opt out of the fee.

  • The fee should be eliminated entirely.
  • The fee should be reduced.
  • The fee should remain the same.
  • The fee should be increased.
  • The benefit of free Dinos games is not good value for the money paid by students.
  • The benefit of free Dinos games is good value for the money paid by students.

SU Survey, Run in the Election, and Trivia Night at the Den

SU Survey, Run in the Election, and Trivia Night at the Den 150 150 Gene Baines

Happy New Year, UCalgary!

In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Nicole Schmidt – your Students’ Union President. I have a few updates for you as you ease back into classes as well as updates on events for the winter semester.

Take the SU Survey: Open now until Feb. 13

Take the annual SU Survey now and enter to win one of ten $100 Amazon.ca gift cards. It’s your chance to voice your thoughts on the SU and your student experience – we want to make them even better, but we can’t do it without your help. It only takes 10 minutes: take the survey now.

SEED Conference: RSVP by Jan. 13

Explore what leadership means to you, and discover resources that you can use to support yourself and your peers right here on campus. The SEED Conference will be held in MacEwan Conference and Event Centre on Friday, Jan. 27 beginning at 10 a.m. Sessions will include Mental Health and Wellbeing, Conflict Management, and other leadership topics, with an insightful keynote talk from our VP Academic, Shaziah Jinnah Morsette.

RSVP by Jan. 13: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/students-union-seed-conference-tickets-473425015967

Trivia Nights at the Den!

Who is the manager of Central Perk? Who gets meat sweats? Join us for F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Trivia night at the Den: Tuesday, Jan. 17 from 6 – 8 p.m.

Run in the SU General Election 

Have you ever thought about taking on a leadership role at the SU? The SU General Election is coming soon. Official nomination packages will be available at the end of the month – but in the meantime, we’re regularly updating our election webpages with important information and deadlines.

Want the details about what it’s like to campaign? Need insight into the life of an SLC member? Attend one of our Pre-Election Workshops (Jan. 24 online, and Jan. 25 in person).

SU Clubs Week: Jan. 16 – 20

Clubs Week is back! Stop by the North and South Courtyards in Mac Hall – there’s bound to be one or more clubs that’s a perfect fit for you. If you are a club leader and want some help getting the word out about your events, we are happy to help. Make sure to connect with @SUUofCClubs on Instagram.

Wayback Wednesday: movies in That Empty Space Jan. 25

Put a movie break in your calendar this month. Drop by That Empty Space any time Jan.25 for free movies, snacks, and fun activities. We’re showing The Devil Wears Prada at 11 a.m., and School of Rock at 1:30 p.m.

More events in That Empty Space…

The puppies are back! Pet Therapy returns on Jan. 18 at 12 p.m.

Mind and Body in the Space: join us for free guided meditation sessions at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and free yoga classes at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Last call to join our Election Staff Team! Part time work in February and March.

Join our elections team to help run the SU’s General Election this semester. The deadline has been extended to Tuesday, Jan. 10. Apply on the SU website.

Health and Dental Plan Deadline (Opt-out and Family Add-on): Jan. 27

If you are a new student this semester, you should know that you are automatically enrolled in the SU’s health and dental plan. If you have alternate coverage, you may opt out by Jan. 27.

If January is your enrolment anniversary (you are not a new student but you started at UCalgary in a previous January), then this is also your annual deadline for adding family members. Details and forms are all here at: https://www.mystudentplan.ca/uofcalgary

 

All the best,

Nicole Schmidt,
President, Students’ Union


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Undergraduate Research, Stress Less Events, and World Cup at the Den

Undergraduate Research, Stress Less Events, and World Cup at the Den 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

I know it’s crunch time right now, but if you need a quick break we’ve got a few events to help you recharge before exams, and a few more updates to look forward to in the new year.

Undergraduate Research Symposium (Nov. 23 – 24 in MacEwan Conference and Event Centre/MacEwan Hall)

The SU’s 17th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium is happening this week. On Wednesday, we are hosting six different research workshops with topics like how to find research opportunities and even presentation techniques. On Thursday, we celebrate the undergraduate research award winners with an all-day drop-in event in MacEwan Hall. Drop by any time beginning at 10:00 a.m. to see short presentations from across all faculties! See the full schedule of presentations on our website.

StressLess Week is next week (Nov. 28 – Dec. 2)

StressLess Week returns to Mac Hall just in time. Drop by the North Courtyard every day for fun activities like aromatherapy, painting, and origami. Or join us in That Empty Space for a free meditation session on Tuesday, and yoga on Thursday. And last, but never least, we’ve got Pet Therapy on both Monday and Friday.

SU Living Room (Dec. 7)

Take a study break with us! Drop by That Empty Space any time Dec. 7 for free movies, snacks, and fun activities. We’re showing Lightyear at 10 a.m., Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings at 12 p.m., and The Incredibles at 2:30 p.m.

Q Centre presents Intro to Dungeons and Dragons (Nov. 30)

Q Centre is hosting an intro to Dungeons and Dragons on Nov. 30 from 4 – 6 p.m. Beginners are welcome – come and learn the basics of character creation and gameplay!

Catch World Cup Games at The Den

The Black Lounge will be showing World Cup games at noon weekdays beginning Nov. 21.

Textbook Consignment

Are you ready to say goodbye to some old textbooks? Consignment will be happening in the North Courtyard from 11AM – 2PM the week of Dec 12-16 BUT consignment can be brought directly to Bound & Copied during regular operating hours; 9:00AM to 5:00PM.

Locker Rentals

It feels like winter is going to stick around – are you tired of lugging a heavy jacket around campus? We’ve got lockers in convenient locations all over campus, and you can rent one through your my.ucalgary.ca student centre.

Are you already thinking about 2023? So are we.

Clubs Week

Clubs Week returns Jan. 16 – 19 in the Mac Hall North and South Courtyards.

SU General Election

Have you ever thought about taking on a leadership role at the SU? Official nomination packages will be available Jan. 23, but in the meantime, we’re regularly updating our election webpages with important information and deadlines. If you have questions about life as an SU elected official or campaigning, we are also hosting pre-election workshops Jan. 24 and 25.

Good luck on your exams! You’re only a few weeks away from a well-deserved break.

All the best,

Nicole Schmidt
President, Students’ Union


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University refuses to allow students to be consulted on upcoming tuition increases

University refuses to allow students to be consulted on upcoming tuition increases 150 150 Michael Brown

Calgary – The Students’ Union is sounding alarm bells after University of Calgary administration has refused to allow the SU to discuss with undergraduate students on upcoming increases to tuition and fees. As a result, students have not yet been made aware of the details of upcoming increases.

 

The Finance and Property Committee of the UCalgary Board of Governors will vote on tuition increases on November 21. It is not until November 29th that the university will speak to elected student leaders. The item will then go to the Board of Governors on December 9. In previous years the university has held student town halls on tuition and attended the SU’s student council much earlier in the process. This has not occurred this year.

 

“The university will essentially be approving the tuition and fee increases before students even know about them,” said SU President Nicole Schmidt. “The university has shared the proposals privately with the SU but is unwilling to allow us to consult with students about these increases.”

 

In a 2021 judicial review of tuition increases at NAIT, brought by its student association, the judge ruled that consultation must go beyond the simple creation of the consultation mechanism and two student council meetings.

 

“The university has failed to meet its obligations under the Tuition and Fees Regulation and Alberta Tuition Framework,” says SU VP External Mateusz Salmassi. “By blindsiding students with tuition and fee increases and failing to report, as required, on how fee revenue is being spent, the university is being secretive and unaccountable to its largest stakeholder.”

 

Alberta’s Tuition and Fee Regulation requires the university to report specifically on how mandatory fee revenue, collected from students, is being spent. The university has failed to produce a report on two of its three mandatory fees.

 

The SU has asked for the vote on the tuition and fee proposals at committee and the December 9th Board of Governors meeting to be delayed to ensure that students are meaningfully consulted. The university has refused both of these requests, allowing only for elected student representatives to be able to receive the tuition and fee increase details.

 

As a result, the SU has written to Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides asking him to intervene and ensure that students are engaged and consulted. This is not the first time that the SU has asked the Minister to intervene due to inadequate consultation. In 2021, the university also failed to adequately consult with students on Exceptional Tuition Increases, resulting in the university being required, by the Minister, to re-start the consultation process properly and delay the government approval of large tuition increases to two faculties.

 

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Mike Brown, External Communications Specialist

University of Calgary Students’ Union

403-560-0577 or Michael.brown1@ucalgary.ca

 

SU Teaching Excellence Awards: Nominations Close this Friday, Oct. 21

SU Teaching Excellence Awards: Nominations Close this Friday, Oct. 21 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello UCalgary,

Thank you so much to all those who voted in the SU By-Election and Referendum last week. I’ve got just a few more quick reminders for this month.

Teaching Excellence Nominations close on Friday, Oct. 21

This is the last week to nominate your prof or TA for an SU Teaching Excellence Award. Has an instructor or TA gone the extra mile this semester to make your class extraordinary? Nominate them for a Teaching Excellence Award. It’s super easy: just complete the short online form.

Fall Food Drive continues until Oct. 31

October is Food Security Awareness Month at the SU, and we are holding our annual Fall Food Drive. You can make a donation in person at the Information Centre in Mac Hall, or a monetary donation on our GoFundMe page. Your support helps us provide healthy food options for campus community members in need.

SU Quality Money proposals are due Nov. 25

Finally, SU Quality Money is a program that funds projects and programming that improve campus life. In the past, we’ve funded brilliant ideas like club scholarships, the SU Pride Scholarship, study space renovations, and free menstrual products in Mac Hall. If you’ve got a big idea, apply for a SU Quality Money grant and make it a reality. The deadline is November 25. Need some inspiration? Check out the hundreds of projects we’ve funded already.

I’ll be back with another email soon, and 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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