The following provides a brief summary of the recent Council meeting on March 30. The complete Council package, which includes the agenda and reports, can be accessed online. Full minutes of the February Council meeting will be available in the March 2017 Council package.
This summary is provided to increase transparency, and to support Councillors in completing their obligations under Bylaw 2.3.5; “shall regularly communicate with his or her constituents concerning the activities, programs, and decisions of the Society”.
If you have any questions, please contact our office or the Speaker.
You may jump to the relevant section:
Announcements
- The GSTA Award nomination period is open as of March 1 and runs through April 15. Please see online for further information.
- Many thanks to the Health Plan Committee for all their hard work on preparing tonight’s report & recommendations.
- Updates regarding the Health Plan will be made available as they arise.
- It has been confirmed that the Joint Fund will increase in the next fiscal year.
- Nominations are open for VP Academic and VP Finance. Please email speaker@sogs.ca if you have any questions or would like to nominate yourself.
Upcoming dates of importance
- Third week of April: Summer bus passes will be available from the SOGS Office.
- April 5: PSAC610 nominations open.
- April 18: PSAC 610 AGM, 1pm in SSC 2028. Followed by reception in Grad Club.
- April 21: Karaoke at the Grad Club.
- April 26: PSAC610 elections, 4:30pm in SSC 2024.
Motion decisions
Reminder: Motions generally include several clauses providing the background or justification of a motion followed by one or several resolutions. The resolutions are the specific actions being proposed. For brevity, resolutions use the initialisms BIRT (be it resolved that) and BIFRT (be it further resolved that).
Motions arising from the President/Executive
Motion 1 (President)
PASSED
Whereas the staffing needs of the SOGS office have changed
BIRT the position of “Communications Administrator” be created, as outlined in Appendix A
BIFRT Bylaws 2.1.3.4 and 2.1.3.5 be deleted.
Motion 2 (President)
PASSED
Whereas the staffing needs of the SOGS office have changed
BIRT the position of “Administrative Assistant” be created, as outlined in Appendix B.
Motion 3 (President)
PASSED
Whereas employee performance reviews for salaried staff are to be completed annually by
the SOGS President;
Whereas annual salary increases for these staff are subject to an acceptable performance
evaluation;
Whereas SOGS Presidents have sometimes failed to complete performance evaluations,
which jeopardizes the salary increases of SOGS staff;
BIRT the following be added to the personnel policies:
if the SOGS President fails to complete performance evaluations by April 1st of a given year,
the SOGS Accounting Manager shall make an email request of the executive requesting
approval for salary increases for salaried staff.
BIFRT no raise shall be processed in the absence of approval from the Executive
BIFRT if the executive must approve raises the President be asked to include in their April
Council report an explanation for failing to complete staff performance evaluations.
Motion 4 (VP Academic)
PASSED
Whereas SOGS administers programs, such as needs-based bursaries and
scholarships, which require disclosure and collection of highly sensitive or confidential
information;
Whereas this information is only needed for the purposes of administration or
adjudication of SOGS programs;
Whereas this policy seeks to make explicit what was previously implicit SOGS policy;
BIRT confidential records are those records that include at least two pieces of personally
identifying information (such as full name, email address, student number), in addition to
other sensitive information, including but not limited to health information or disclosure of
personal finances;
BIFRT all confidential records be kept in a secure location when not in use;
BIFRT all members of committees and the Executive must securely destroy all confidential
records and all backup records as soon as is reasonably possible in order to safeguard the
privacy of our members;
BIFRT secure destruction is defined as:
(i) at least one pass of formatting all data sectors of magnetic media;
(ii) paper and optical media must be destroyed by shredding, cutting, crushing or other
physical means;
BIFRT confidential records should not be transmitted or stored electronically unless
secured by strong encryption and user authentication.
Motion 5 (VP Student Services)
POSTPONED
Whereas the 2016-2017 Graduate Orientation Handbook earned a surplus of roughly
$3000;
Whereas the Handbook will continue to earn a surplus in future years;
BIRT the Handbook surplus remain separate from the SOGS surplus in future years;
BIFRT the VP Student Services, who oversees the Handbook, work in partnership with the
OSC to oversee the spending of this money in relation to Orientation/Graduate Student Life
projects.
Motions arising from Other Committees
Motion 6 (Health Plan Committee)
VOTE TOOK PLACE; RESULTS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BY EMAIL
HPC presentation, recommendation, and vote on health plan contract.