By: Eden Chipperfield, News Writer

On July 5, The Peak attended the bi-weekly Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) Council meeting. Business discussed during the meeting included elections for council-led committees, a notice of motion, and updates from a conversation with SFU president Joy Johnson regarding the TSSU strikes. 

Councillors are nominated for committee elections

The purpose of the elections was to nominate Council members to lead and organize specified committees, including the members meeting planning committee, the Vancouver Council committee, the first-year engagement committee, and the governance committee. Each committee had three rounds of nominations, and all nominated councillors were voted into the position with no dissent. Each elected member will serve their working committee for the rest of the Council term, ending April 2024. 

As of July 5, the members meeting planning committee is responsible for planning the annual executive and general meeting of the societies, as per the society act for SFSS’ bylaws and policies. The responsibilities include planning the public forum, consisting of bylaw changes, connecting with membership and having auditors go over finances. Two councillors were nominated and elected into the committee: data science councillor, Jennifer Huang, and Indigenous studies student union councillor (ISSU), Evan Accettola. 

The next election nomination was for the Vancouver Council committee, which focuses on the student experience at the Vancouver campus. The elected councillors are film student union councillor, Sofia Badzio, and ISSU councillor, Evan Accettola. 

The first-year engagement committee, which coordinates activities and engagement for first-year students, elected behavioural neuroscience student society councillor, Aarthi Srinivasan, vice president external, Nancy Brar, and vice president of equity and sustainability, Priyanka Dhesa. President Liam Feng said, “I was on the first-year committee last year; it’s quite fun. You are going to be the SFSS’ face for all the new-coming students.”  

The last election that took place was for the governance committee, which focuses on SFSS Council policies and makes recommendations to the Council relating to committee terms of reference and SFSS constitutions, bylaws, and Council policies. They elected gender, sexuality, and women studies councillor, Ashley Flett, and molecular biology and biochemistry councillor, Sam Killawee. As the vice president internal, Leonarda Ognjenovic was elected to the committee by default. It is mandatory for the vice president internal to be on the governance committee. 

Notice of motion for absent councillor voting brings about debate

A notice of motion was introduced that calls for the stipend reduction of councillors who are absent from voting. Meaning, if a Council member is absent during roll call for their vote, without informing the chat of their motion, they will be assumed absent and therefore not fulfilling their role as a representative. Thus, a $25 stipend reduction will be implemented for every absentee vote. 

The notice of motion was met with concern from Feng as he listed various reasons why an individual may be absent from voting, including using the washroom during the vote or stepping away momentarily. There was much debate among councillors. Flett commented, “The motion intends to increase Council engagement because it does suffer when people miss votes.” However, they clarified they did not believe a financial penalty was acceptable. 

Philosophy councillor Nava Karimi suggested Council track consistent absentee votes on a list for further discussion, and each individual case should be taken case by case. The notice of motion will be readopted in a future meeting. 

SFSS president gives updates from SFU president on TSSU strikes

Feng gave an update on a conversation he had with SFU president, Joy Johnson regarding the TSSU strike. “We talked quite a bit about the TSSU conflict with SFU at the moment, basically they’re still at a stand still from the SFU side,” Feng said. According to Feng, SFU “don’t see it feasible giving into TSSU demand, it looks like it might drag on for a while longer.”  

Reasons for the TSSU strike include compensation for increasing classroom sizes, mental health coverage, and keeping up with the rising cost of living. The Peak previously reported that  SFU has yet to offer conditions that meet TSSU’s demands, meaning the strike will continue indefinitely. 

The Peak is actively covering the movements of the TSSU strike, as it is an ongoing event.