By: Corbett Gildersleve, News Writer
On June 18, the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) met for their bi-weekly Council meeting. This meeting covered executive officer reports, an executive officer resignation, a motion on electronic voting in Council, and more. The Peak attended the meeting in person in room 4200 of the Student Union Building (SUB).
Executive officer reports
The president and vice-presidents reported on their work since the last Council meeting. President Landy Liu has been serving as the staff liaison officer, working with the HR lead, Chandra Trinh, on staffing issues and also serving as the legal liaison officer for the Society.
Jessica Lamb, vice-president external and community affairs, asked the Standing Committee on Finance and Governmental Services for increased funding for student mental health and wellness, increased student financial support, and Burnaby Mountain gondola funding at the Budget 2026 Consultation Public Hearing on June 5. This committee — one of eleven permanent committees of the BC parliament — “holds an annual public consultation on the provincial budget.” Lamb told the committee that these are the “three urgent areas of investment that are critical not only for students but for the future of BC’s economy and workforce.” She also pointed out that the funding for “expanded [counselling] services tailored to BIPOC students, 2SLGBTQIA+, mature learners, and survivors of gender-based violence” was not renewed.
Additionally, Lamb and Bagga met with the SFU International Students Office to find a better way to distribute around 200 International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam coupons to students on campus.
Albert Radu, vice-president events and student affairs, held two club nights — one that broke even and the other that ran a profit. Radu told The Peak, “This money will be put back into our events line item to help fund further events this year! Club night events in recent years have usually either broken even or lost money, so seeing profits and positive participation numbers is an encouraging sign of progress for the year to come!”
Upcoming events include pet therapy on June 24 at the SUB social stage. Radu is also looking at holding a student vendor fair in the SUB soon.
Vice-president internal and organizational development resigns
Council accepted the resignation of Ash Powers, vice-president internal and organizational development, to take effect on June 27. An interim vice-president will be appointed at the next Council meeting. In the meantime, a form will be sent out to members of Council to submit their interest. The position will be filled after a by-election is held sometime in October, as per SFSS bylaws.
Electronic voting for Council meetings
At the SFSS’ annual general meeting last year, a bylaw amendment was passed to have Council explore electronic voting at its meetings. A motion was discussed by Council to move forward on that requirement. The motion tasked the policy affairs and research coordinator to explore different software options available and report back to Council by the next meeting. It was later amended and passed with an extension on the date to report back.
Common room furniture grant request
Councillors Ananga Bajgai from the Math Student Union and Sharneet Kaur from the Statistics and Actuarial Science Student Association asked for $2,500 from the space expansion fund to buy new furniture and equipment for their shared common room located in the Shrum Kinesology building. Later in the meeting, the motion was discussed, where Council members asked about the costs in more detail, and the motion was approved unanimously. The space expansion fund collects upward of $300,000 a year from students, according to 2024’s financial statements, and can be used for leasing and renovating space, purchasing furniture for common rooms, and other items as listed in their policy.