Written by: Jaymee Salisi, News Writer
Return-to-campus student accommodations discussion
Councillors of the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) discussed their plans to accommodate COVID-19 safety protocols and learning accessibility in the fall when campus reopens.
Chaired by SFSS president Gabe Liosis, the Student Union Building (SUB) reopening working group will prepare COVID-19 safety plans to eventually be approved by Council.
Vice president (VP) equity and sustainability Marie Haddad said their plans will go through a two-level consultation process. They will first take recommendations from marginalized groups such as the Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry, First Nations Student Association, and the Disability Neurodiversity Alliance.
The second level of consultation involves receiving recommendations from the general student body. Haddad said this is “a good way for us to figure out the needs of folks in terms of the SUB building.”
According to Haddad, SFU started their own working group last month.
“They weren’t centred around marginalized students — it was almost as if it was a last thought,” Haddad said.
Disappointed with their initial lack of preparation, Haddad said she expects an update from them soon and hopes to see progress.
The SUB working group advised the university to “centre their working groups around specifically Black, Indigenous, and disabled students — especially international students.”
In regards to in-person classes, VP university and academic affairs Serena Bains said she was told learning accommodations will not be handled by the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL), but will vary among professors. During the June Senate meeting, vice president academic and provost Catherine Dauvergne said CAL will work to address accommodation requests.
Bains said this is concerning because “there’s not a lot of information about whether these things will be mandated or standardized.”
She said the SFSS is considering the creation of a centralized space for students who might encounter learning accessibility barriers in the fall. She said the space would provide a “network of people who can rally around behind that student and then advocate for their needs.”
Haddad added professors should give students more leniency during the transition to in-person classes in the fall. Haddad and Liosis discussed a hybrid learning model and asked BC health officials in a separate meeting how they would “ensure the burden isn’t on the student to access accommodations, and prove they need them in the first place.”
The SUB working group was created by last year’s SFSS board. Recommendations from the group will be coming to Council for approval soon, according to Liosis.
Access For All campaign
On June 2, 2021, the SFSS created Access for All to draft letters to SFU and the province of BC. These letters advocate for student accessibility accommodations to be made during the transition back to in-person classes in Fall 2021.
Brought forward by Bains, this motion called for Council to approve and sign onto the drafted letters to be sent to SFU and the province of BC.
International studies student association representative Deanna Short suggested the calls to action be more demanding and specific.
“From other advocacy work I’ve done, I’ve noticed that the province in particular doesn’t really like to take action, unless it’s clearly laid out for them,” she said. Short recommended they list distinct capacity limits and specifically indicate mask mandates.
Bains agreed to add the suggestions and work with Short on any further edits. Bains added they had been looking into COVID-19 emergency funding for ways to support students in need.
“These lists are definitely not exhaustive and there is absolutely always more we can do in terms of our demands for SFU as an institution or the province, as well as what we can do internally as an organization,” Liosis added.
Bains invited Council members to send potential recommendations for further steps the working group should take as they continue to decide on official plans.
The motion was carried unanimously.
