University Affairs

Students' Society of McGill University

Category: Blog

  • Over the Hump? Strikes, Medical Notes, & Service Point (November 3rd Council Report)

    Another month gone! I hope it feels like you’re over the hump of midterms, although there’s still a ways to go. If you haven’t heard, the Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) is on strike through Wednesday, November 2nd. This means a full work stoppage is in force for all AMUSE members by law. Casual employees should check their pay stubs if they are unsure of their union status, and visit the AMUSE website to learn more (including about essential services and strike pay).

    You should also watch for a new University Affairs listserv hitting your inbox soon. Otherwise, please check out my November 3rd Council Report for all the latest updates.

    Recent highlights:

    • Student Services has unilaterally determined that medical notes will only be provided to students already followed by a clinician or who qualify for restrictive “safety appointments”
    • The VP University Affairs participated in a cyclical review of McGill Human Resources
    • Enrolment Services (Service Point, Exams Office, Registrar, Admissions, & more) is undergoing a cyclical review November 9th-11th; students can submit feedback here
    • Senators submitted Senate questions regarding campus accessibility during construction & university regulation of unpaid internships
    • Meetings are ongoing regarding revisions to the draft Policy Against Sexual Violence (Dean of Students, Associate Provost, Provost, external consultants, McGill Association of University Teachers, labour unions & more)

    Fall goals completed to-date (italics = since last report):

  • Senate Caucus Biweekly Report for Oct 10-24, 2016

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    Mid-terms are definitely picking up, but the Senators are not slowing down. Here is the third biweekly report of the SSMU Senate Caucus. You can also find our previous biweekly reports here.

    A few highlights:

    • The Senators attended the October Senate meeting, where the Policy Against Sexual Violence draft was discussed for the first time at the Senate level.
    • We had Chris Buddle, the new Dean of Students, come in to Caucus to chat with us about his vision and goals of the Office of the Dean of Students, how he sees his role, as well as the Policy against Sexual Violence.
    • We discussed the ongoing Cyclical Unit Review McGill Enrolment Services. The review committee is looking for student input, so if you have thoughts about Service Point, exam scheduling, or student records, please fill out the short survey here.
    • We discussed the deferred exam policy pilot and the communication of this pilot project to the students.

    Minutes of each Senate Caucus meeting is available upon request via email.

    If you’re interested in attending a Senate Caucus meeting to learn more about what the Senators do, feel free to email me (the UA Secretary) to get more information. Senate Caucus meetings are held every Monday at 6:30 PM in the SSMU Office.

  • Mid-Term(s) Updates: October 20th Council Report

    Can you believe that we’re almost halfway through the semester? We hope that midterms are going well and that you’re still making time for self-care!

    This past weekend at the Student Academic Summit, we officially launched our SSMU University Affairs website! The site is your centralized resource for information on student representation, research, and advocacy at McGill. Check out my October 20th report for other updates from the UA portfolio.

    Recent highlights:

    • Proposed revisions to draft Policy Against Sexual Violence include centralized prevention & response office, recognition of professor-student relationships, & more
    • Submitted Senate question regarding relocation of McGill Bookstore
    • McGill Enrolment Services undergoing cyclical review this November; will be collecting student feedback on Service Point, Exams Office, Registrar, Admissions, & more
    • New Senior Director of Student Services announced: Martine Gauthier will begin in January
    • Town Hall on proposed smoke-free campus next Tuesday, October 25th from 2:30-4:30pm (Redpath Museum Auditorium)
    • Organizing cultural appropriation workshop for next week

    Fall goals completed to-date (italics = since last report):

  • Senate Caucus Biweekly Report for Sept 26-Oct 10, 2016

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    Add-drop is over, and as we students get more serious, so do the Senators! Here is the biweekly report of the SSMU Senate Caucus for September 26-October 10. You can also find our previous biweekly reports here.

    A few highlights:

    • The Senators discussed in length the draft Policy Against Sexual Violence that was recently circulated. Some Senators also worked with their Faculty Associations to gather faculty-specific feedback.
    • One of the Senators, Casarina, have started doing research under the McGill Library regarding students’ experience with textbooks and open-access educational resources. Fill out her survey here.
    • The North Wing of the Stewart Biology Building is planned to undergo renovations starting the Winter 2018 term.

    Minutes of each Senate Caucus meeting is available upon request via email.

    If you’re interested in attending a Senate Caucus meeting to learn more about what the Senators do, feel free to email me (the UA Secretary) to get more information. Senate Caucus meetings are held every Monday at 6:30 PM in the SSMU Office.

  • Sexual Violence Policy Recommendations & Extended Summit Registration: October 13th Council Report

    Registration for the 2nd Annual Student Academic Summit has been extended until this Wednesday, October 12th at 11:59PM. Sign up here to benefit from our many insightful speakers and presentations! Read my October 13th report to learn more about what’s going on this week.

    Recent highlights:

    • Release of SSMU-PGSS consultation report on the draft McGill Policy Against Sexual Violence
    • Consultation surveys on classroom repairs, textbook costs, and international health insurance
    • Launch of a survivor-led campaign for Quebec legislation on campus sexual assault policies
    • Attended AVEQ Members Assembly October 8-9 at Concordia University
    • Conducting internal scan of unpaid internships & meeting with administrative offices
    • Submitted October Senate questions on bookstore relocation & regulation of unpaid internships
    • Upcoming reviews for Human Resources (October 24-26) & Enrolment Services (November 9-11)

    Fall goals completed to-date (italics = since last report):

  • Senate Caucus Biweekly Report for Sept 2-26, 2016

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    This is an exciting time for the Senators, as they get a their first taste of their role for the year ahead. We present to you the first biweekly report of the SSMU Senate Caucus.

    A few highlights:

    • The Senators attended various kinds of training over the past two weeks, including during the SSMU Councillors and Senators retreat two weekends ago.
    • They also attended their first Senate meeting, in which they asked a Senate Question regarding for-cost course assessment software
    • We completed allocations of students to fill in more than 110 undergraduate representative seats in 47 University-level committees. The Senators themselves sit on many of these spots, and will work on many of their projects from this front. The list of committees (including the description of each committee) and the representatives are available here. Thank you to those who applied!
    • Students in many faculties now are allowed to have their first final exam deferral granted, without having to submit any supporting documentation (only for the first ever deferral during the student’s degree). Read about it in the report!
    • Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) have just launched a new Steering Committee to plan an Undergraduate Skills Program, which is created to enrich students’ undergraduate education experience by giving them skills they will need in the workforce and beyond.

    Minutes of each Senate Caucus meeting is available upon request via email.

    If you’re interested in attending a Senate Caucus meeting to learn more about what the Senators do, feel free to email me (the UA Secretary) to get more information. Senate Caucus meetings are held every Monday at 6:30 PM in the SSMU Office. We also sent out our first University Affairs Listserv! Click here to join the mailing list.