Code of Conduct working group

The SFSS set the revision and implementation of the draft Code of Conduct for SFSS board members as an organizational priority. The code was originally prepared last summer.

President Chardaye Bueckert motivated in favour of the code: “It’s formalizing the mechanism whereby students can relay [their] concerns. [. . .] It’s positive inasmuch as it does empower council to be more of an advisory body.”

She continued, “I would also point out that this has been outstanding since 2013, when over 600 students signed a petition asking that SFSS do this very thing and implement such a Code of Conduct.”

The board also requested that Council, which meets after board, strike a working group to review and implement the proposed code. Each council member on the working group will receive a $50 honorarium.

Accessibility Projects assistant

The board voted in favour of the creation of a temporary project worker position to do a full accessibility assessment for the society this summer.

VP Finance Adam Potvin spoke in favour of the position: “It could only benefit the society with having the time and resources to conduct surveys, to focus on accessibility issues as they pertain to the website and to student spaces.”

The proposed accessibility projects assistant position would also entail looking into how other institutions approach accessibility. The budget is yet to be determined.

Not all board members were equally convinced that a new student hire was the best way to improve the society’s accessibility. Concerns of redundancy arose over the fact that the board already has an Accessibility Fund Advisory Committee (AFAC) that could do the same thing, as well as whether a student could complete a proper financial audit.

Bueckert pointed out that AFAC members already feel “quite maxed out” and adopting this position would be in line with the society’s goal of “moving to governance, rather than operations.”