After brief hiatus, SLC returns to pass teaching awards amendments, Quality Money project extension
By Ashar Memon, August 8 2018 —
Despite a mid-summer hiatus, the Students’ Legislative Council (SLC) reached quorum for its meeting on July 31, returning after a one-month gap due to the cancellation of a meeting earlier last month.
The meeting began with an announcement by Students’ Union vice-president academic Jessica Revington. She said that applications to join the SU Teaching and Excellence Awards committee and the Undergraduate Research Symposium working group are now open to both students-at-large and SU elected officials.
SU president Sagar Grewal’s executive report included participation in meetings for the Council of Alberta University Students as well as the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. He also reported emceeing the University of Calgary President’s Stampede BBQ in early in July.
Revington reported that she will co-coordinate the SU’s “get-out-the-vote” campaign for the upcoming provincial election along with vice-president student life Nabila Farid and SU external communications specialist Whitney Hunter. The SU vice-president external typically coordinates the campaign, but since that position remains vacant, the position’s responsibilities are currently divided among the other SU executives.
During committee chair reports, vice-president operations and finance Kevin Dang said that the SU nominations committee filled several vacancies for the Refugee Student Board.
Dang also reported that the operations and finance committee discussed potential new vendors for the MacHall food court, approved the budget for the Refugee Student Program and approved an extra-budgetary request for the construction of a walkway ramp for the Den and Black Lounge.
Later in the meeting, Revington presented a resolution to approve amendments to the Teaching and Excellence Awards committee terms of reference as well as its selection procedure. Notable changes include the requirement of a minimum evaluation score to qualify for consideration by the committee and a statement which specifies that no more than 10 teaching assistants from any faculty may may receive an award. The resolution passed unanimously without discussion.
SLC also voted on a resolution to approve a one-year Quality Money project extension request by ASSERT, a program which provides support and guidance for first- and second-year Indigenous students at the U of C.
Grewal said that since ASSERT still has funds remaining from their original Quality Money grant and the Native Centre has agreed to cover any overages, the project will not need extra funding. He added that the SU Quality Money committee would usually approve such a request, but since it hasn’t yet convened this year, the authority to approve the extension rests with SLC. The resolution passed with one abstention.
The next meeting of SLC will be on Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the MacHall Executive Council Chambers. Access executive reports, minutes and all other SLC documents here.
Correction: A previous version of this story erroneously said that a change to the Teaching and Excellence Awards committee terms of reference specified that teaching assistants from all faculties must receive an award. In fact, the change said that no more than 10 teaching assistants from any faculty may receive an award. The Gauntlet apologizes to its readers for this mistake.