Notes from UMSU Council

Tessa Vanderhart, Staff

The University of Manitoba Students’ Union holds open council meetings every second Thursday at 6:30 pm, in UMSU Council chambers at 176 Helen Glass. The next meeting will be held on December 2.

AIDS in Africa

Elon, a first-year medical student, gave a presentation on his experience in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He spent five months with Hillcrest AIDS Centre, dealing with the AIDS pandemic, because, he said, the government is “absolutely incompetent when it comes to AIDS policy — completely useless”, denying links between HIV and AIDS and advocating garlic and olive oil rather than anti-retrovirals.

He is selling “Little Traveller” dolls from women affected by AIDS in Africa, the proceeds of which go to income generating program for infected South Africans, and also to home-based care by the Hillcrest AIDS Centre.

Policy & Bylaws update

UMSU president Amanda Aziz noted that the policy changes made in the Nov. 3 UMSU council meeting effectively remove non-student staff from the policy manual. By putting the management of staff members under the jurisdiction of the executive, staff policies are clearer, as non-student staff are no longer required to fill specific positions or functions.

Banking change

Aziz also noted that there will be three new CIBC terminals on campus. She added that UMSU is looking into alternate ways of providing cash withdrawal services for students who do not bank with CIBC.

At Brock University, she said, there is a white-label ATM which the SU operates, so they set the fee — if UMSU did this, they could charge $0.75 instead of the $1.50 most students pay at the CIBC terminals.

Exec report

The UMSU annual general meeting has been deferred as a result of the recent CFS referendum, and will instead be held next term. The bylaws require two general meetings, one on each campus; this year, both will around the same time — early next semester — at both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses.

Greenie awards

Jason Kelly, a Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) rep and chair of UMSU’s ad hoc environmental sustainability committee, asked people to nominate anyone working to reduce the environmental impact of the university for a Greenie award.

Referendum in Review

Darryl Draeger, one of the UMSU representatives to the Referendum Oversight Committee for the CFS referendum held Nov. 8-10, provided a final report on the referendum to council.

“We modified the rules so that GSA Council could vote; we had a ‘yes’ side, a ‘no side’,” Draeger said. “[It was] done fairly; the results are reflective of the student body as a whole.”

He noted that there were a few infractions of the official Referendum Rules — mostly with postering — but no official complaints. However, there were voting irregularities, with three attempts, and one success, at voting twice. Because the voter was not caught immediately, there is no way to account for the double vote.

Cathy Anstey, UMSU Executive Director and the other representative to the Oversight Committee, noted that previous elections had much higher reports of multiple voting.

Students had to vote without a partition to keep votes secret, but Anstey said that people were able to step to the side, and that the lack of physical dividers was simply an oversight. She also addressed concerns that some medical students had not been able to vote through the mail-in ballot system, which was successfully used for the first time with Education students, because of the difficulty in coordinating this on short notice.

Ryan Supeene, Engineering senior stick, said that a student has expressed concerns to him in regards to campaigning during the referendum.

Melanie Rollins, a U1 representative to council, asked why there was no table in the Asper School of Business. Draeger said that most tables were set up where people walk by in their student day, near most-used entrances; the number of polling stations was reduced for this referendum, from every faculty, college, and residence, to cut costs.

UMSU president Amanda Aziz addressed GSA rep Christina Fawcett’s concerns about discrepancies between the U of S and U of M referenda; she said that at the U of S, the referendum operated under the student union’s bylaws, and modified rules were used at the U of M.

UMSU aboriginal community representative Tara Williamson asked what would be done about the incidence of double voting.

In future referenda, possibly even for the general election this spring, UMSU will consider a computerized database to prevent multiple voting, according to Anstey.





Volume 93 • Issue 14	The Official University of Manitoba Students' Newspaper Website	November 23, 2005

Home About Us Advertise Contact Staff Current Issue PDF Employment Letters to the Editor Meet the Staff Online Archives Personals Volunteer	Font Size Respond Email Print-Friendly Notes from UMSU Council Tessa Vanderhart, Staff The University of Manitoba Students’ Union holds open council meetings every second Thursday at 6:30 pm, in UMSU Council chambers at 176 Helen Glass. The next meeting will be held on December 2. AIDS in Africa Elon, a first-year medical student, gave a presentation on his experience in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He spent five months with Hillcrest AIDS Centre, dealing with the AIDS pandemic, because, he said, the government is “absolutely incompetent when it comes to AIDS policy — completely useless”, denying links between HIV and AIDS and advocating garlic and olive oil rather than anti-retrovirals. He is selling “Little Traveller” dolls from women affected by AIDS in Africa, the proceeds of which go to income generating program for infected South Africans, and also to home-based care by the Hillcrest AIDS Centre. Policy & Bylaws update UMSU president Amanda Aziz noted that the policy changes made in the Nov. 3 UMSU council meeting effectively remove non-student staff from the policy manual. By putting the management of staff members under the jurisdiction of the executive, staff policies are clearer, as non-student staff are no longer required to fill specific positions or functions. Banking change Aziz also noted that there will be three new CIBC terminals on campus. She added that UMSU is looking into alternate ways of providing cash withdrawal services for students who do not bank with CIBC. At Brock University, she said, there is a white-label ATM which the SU operates, so they set the fee — if UMSU did this, they could charge $0.75 instead of the $1.50 most students pay at the CIBC terminals. Exec report The UMSU annual general meeting has been deferred as a result of the recent CFS referendum, and will instead be held next term. The bylaws require two general meetings, one on each campus; this year, both will around the same time — early next semester — at both the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses. Greenie awards Jason Kelly, a Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) rep and chair of UMSU’s ad hoc environmental sustainability committee, asked people to nominate anyone working to reduce the environmental impact of the university for a Greenie award. Referendum in Review Darryl Draeger, one of the UMSU representatives to the Referendum Oversight Committee for the CFS referendum held Nov. 8-10, provided a final report on the referendum to council. “We modified the rules so that GSA Council could vote; we had a ‘yes’ side, a ‘no side’,” Draeger said. “[It was] done fairly; the results are reflective of the student body as a whole.” He noted that there were a few infractions of the official Referendum Rules — mostly with postering — but no official complaints. However, there were voting irregularities, with three attempts, and one success, at voting twice. Because the voter was not caught immediately, there is no way to account for the double vote. Cathy Anstey, UMSU Executive Director and the other representative to the Oversight Committee, noted that previous elections had much higher reports of multiple voting. Students had to vote without a partition to keep votes secret, but Anstey said that people were able to step to the side, and that the lack of physical dividers was simply an oversight. She also addressed concerns that some medical students had not been able to vote through the mail-in ballot system, which was successfully used for the first time with Education students, because of the difficulty in coordinating this on short notice. Ryan Supeene, Engineering senior stick, said that a student has expressed concerns to him in regards to campaigning during the referendum. Melanie Rollins, a U1 representative to council, asked why there was no table in the Asper School of Business. Draeger said that most tables were set up where people walk by in their student day, near most-used entrances; the number of polling stations was reduced for this referendum, from every faculty, college, and residence, to cut costs. UMSU president Amanda Aziz addressed GSA rep Christina Fawcett’s concerns about discrepancies between the U of S and U of M referenda; she said that at the U of S, the referendum operated under the student union’s bylaws, and modified rules were used at the U of M. UMSU aboriginal community representative Tara Williamson asked what would be done about the incidence of double voting. In future referenda, possibly even for the general election this spring, UMSU will consider a computerized database to prevent multiple voting, according to Anstey.


Terms of Use \| Member of the CUP \| RSS Newsfeeds © Copyright 2006 The Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation