Author: ksu

Good morning everyone! Welcome to today’s council meeting.

10:04: Meeting called to order, land acknowledgment.

10:09: Agenda adopted.

10:10: Meeting minutes from last meeting adopted (with minor corrections).

10:10: Oral reports of the councillors.

Victor: Working on refurbishing pool tables, hoping to plan a Valentine’s event, planning increased DSS visibility this semester.

Sara: Nothing to report. Looking forward to getting back to campus next week!

Tessa: Participating in Academic Accessibility Working group, otherwise nothing to report.

Daniel: Meeting with residence staff on January 17th to discuss concerns. Informal ukings2026 Instagram account has been established for incoming students.

Julian: Nothing to report. Suggests that therapy should be more accessible to students at King’s.

Victoria: Notes Dal’s same-day counselling services.

Nick: KSU health plan does cover therapy/social workers. Wait times at Dal are high.

Aideen: Mental health supports at King’s are lacking. Dal Health can be difficult to access and there is a lack of therapists in Halifax generally. Isa Wright (or Jordan or Rhema) can be resources to help find care.

10:24: Oral reports of the executive.

Nick’s report (President): Student businesses (Wardy and Galley) will likely reopen about two weeks into February due to logistics of COVID policies.

Residence issues have been brought forward. Assistant Dean of Residence position has had a lot of turnover, making the problem worse. Restructuring is happening, to make two positions (one for student support and one for programming/functional organization). Don positions will be structured differently, a different group will do patrol work.

COVID policies: required 3-ply masks and boosters now available. Permanent pass/fail option for courses will be implemented. Working on further built-in supports for students to not be academically left behind when they get sick.

International student tuition committee is hoping to have lower international student fees than Dalhousie. Hoping to hire someone to help international students specifically.

Aideen: Offers to create a survey to get an idea of student’s comfort level being on campus.

Nick: Most classes are not returning to in-person yet because the decision has been shifted to individual faculties.

Daniel: FYP will be returning in-person, though tutorials are online or in-person.

Nick: Lectures are probably going to be posted as well.

Sara: That has not been well-communicated.

Nick: I will ask.

Julian: The option to stay online should stay open to students.

Nick: No decision can make everyone happy, but they should keep both options available for students.

Victoria: Profs don’t necessarily know how to facilitate a hybrid model and don’t have support to do so.

Daniel: Looking forward to residence changes, as it sounds like a positive impact will be made.

Kaitlyn’s report (SLVP): Executive meetings, office hours, meeting with residence staff on January 17th with Danial, advertising CKDU survey.

Victoria’s report (FVP): Budget Advisory Committee meetings, specifically regarding residence for next year; lots in discussion but no decisions made as of yet.

Daniel: Suggests video tours of all types of rooms to give incoming students a better idea of their accommodations.

Victoria: That conversation is being had, many people have brought up similar concerns.

Aideen’s report (EVP): Meeting with Julian about the Residence Representative role. Meeting with Non-Academic Accessibility working group. Nominations for the Executive Committee and Board of Governors open January 28th.

Sam’s report (CVP): TWAK last week, will go out again tomorrow. Preparing to advertise TWAK in-person upon return to campus.

10:55: Reports finished.

10:56: Discussion of ratification of the King’s Wellness Society.

11:00: BIRT the King’s Wellness Society be ratified

Put forward by Kaitlyn.

Seconded.

PASSES.

11:01: Motion to adjourn

Put forward by Nick.

Seconded by Victoria.

Meeting ends. Thanks everyone!

Good morning everyone! Welcome to the first council meeting of 2022/the winter term. Council is on Zoom today.

10:06: Meeting called to order. Land acknowledgements by Emma Oliver and Aideen.

10:09: Agenda adopted. Meeting minutes from last council on December 5th approved.

10:10: Oral reports of the councillors.

Daniel: Helping to seek information and support from professors regarding online FYP, creation of a report about on-campus happenings during the break.

Question from Aideen: Can Daniel and Kaitlyn set up a meeting to discuss action items from Daniel’s report?

Daniel: Agrees.

Julian: Nothing to report. Plans to meet with the new assistant Dean of residence soon.

Emy: Nothing to report. Plans to be more vocal about availability to provide support for Arts students in future.

Sara: Nothing to report.

Victor: Pool stuff should be refurbished by the time King’s returns in-person.

10:16: Reports of the executive (full reports on Facebook).

Nick’s report (President): Acted as the contact person for urgent matters over the break. Involved in the hiring process of the new Assistant Dean, and the evolution of the role to include two positions in the future. Hot chocolate social for campus workers happened right before the break. Committee work.

Kaitlyn’s report (SLVP): Virtual office hours. Meetings with OH&S concerning evolving COVID-19 regulations. Planning to put together a team to participate in a fundraiser for the Halifax Humanities Society coming up at the end of January.

Victoria’s repost (FVP): Budget advisory committee meeting – discussions about tuition and fees for next year, particularly regarding the international student differential.

Nick: Notes some ideas and anticipated decisions from the other budget committee.

Victoria: Has mentioned student concerns about unequal fees for different rooms. Asks Julian to speak more on these concerns to residence staff if he has anything to add.

Aideen’s report (EVP): Nominations for Executive Committee and Board of Governors open soon. Otherwise, nothing to report.

Daniel: Is this for KSU council?

Aideen: Yes. Executive roles and BOG reps are elected second semester, while most council reps are elected first semester.

Sam’s report (CVP): Some Instagram stories were posted over the break, TWAK will go out tomorrow. Creations and posting of graphics about COVID information. Upcoming workshops hosted by SVPRO Jordan Roberts.

10:31: Nick explains that councillor training will happen in the next couple of weeks.

10:32: Increasing supports in residence may cause a 1-2% increase in residence fees.

Aideen, Victoria and Julian speak to concerns about this possibility and the current situation with online learning.

10:38: Concerns about online learning continue to be discussed.

Victoria: Asks students taking King’s courses to provide feedback regarding online learning.

10:42: Nick says that Dalhousie Faculty Association is advocating for courses to be online all winter term. King’s decision could differ from Dal’s.

10:44: Daniel speaks about the current FYP and residence situation.

Victoria: What will happen for people who choose not to return to residence and cannot come back for their stuff?

Aideen: Suggests that the union could help.

10:48: Continuation of discussions about factors related to the current situation with evolving COVID regulations.

10:59: Nick motions to adjourn. Seconded by Aideen.

11:00: Meeting adjourned.

Hey everyone! Welcome to the last council meeting of the fall semester.

10:10: Meeting called to order. Land acknowledgement of Mi’kma’ki.

10:11: Agenda adopted

10:12: Motion to approve minutes from the last meeting

Amendments made to correct spelling errors and note that the scribe for last meeting was different than listed.

10:14 Minutes adopted with amendments.

10:14: Oral reports of councillors.

Victor: Updates to Wardy pool table, getting started with upcoming events.

Daniel: Busy last couple of weeks, last FYP Sunday of the semester. Will be staying on campus over break, thinking about FYP t-shirts. Office hours.

Elli: Set up office hours, making students aware of accommodations available.

Sara: Office hours, learned how to live blog, finance committee.

10:19: Concludes the councillor reports.

10:20: Reports of the executive (full reports available on Facebook).

Nick’s report (President): General presidential duties, lots of work on upcoming accessibility measures, tuition committee. Campus workers social on Wednesday. Conversations about residence issues have been had and measures are being taken. Council will reconvene again in January!

Aideen: When will student consultation about finance/tuition take place?

Nick: February.

Kaitlyn’s SLVP report: Office hours, regular meetings. Meeting with Occupational Health and Safety Committee about Dal’s COVID procedures next semester. Final decision likely to come tomorrow.

Victoria’s Financial VP report: General finance upkeep, finance committee. Attended Wardy care space. Contacted societies about Snow Week, attended budget advisory committee.

Aideen’s External VP report: Attended Wardy care space, continuing use of active listener buttons. Meeting with Isa about gaps in mental health care. Meeting with Trans Students Support Coordinator Hiring Committee, reopening nominations for position, hiring deferred to January. Non-academic Accessibility Advisory Committee, suggestion to use Mi’kmaq on signage. Investment Committee.

Daniel: Suggests exploration of the possibility of virtual peer support office hours. Suggestion to perhaps also use French on signage.

Sam’s Communications VP report: Remind people to send things for TWAK! Meeting with Vice President and Dean of Students to discuss student support and FYP/Dal Faculty of Arts and Science accessibility and long-term support for students in response to recent events. Attended Wardy care space. Upcoming events: Memorial tomorrow, Home for the Holidays Workshop on Thursday.

Daniel: Has seen support in place for students in FYP.

10:37: Concludes the reports of the executive committee.

10:37: BIRT the Council establish a committee to contact a worker’s union for the purpose of unionizing the residing Dons of the University of King’s College.

Moved by Luke Baumgart.

Seconded by Daniel.

Luke motivates the motion with information about the issues concerning the Dons’ current situation.

Nick and Aideen motivate concerning the KSU’s place in this issue, changes taking place otherwise and current Dons’ feedback.

Nick moves to table the motion until the second meeting of the New Year.

Seconded by Victor.

Motion to table passes.

Daniel: Will report on residence conditions over winter break.

10:58:

5.2 BIRT Mason Carter be temporarily appointed to the Occupational Health and Safety committee, until such time as nominations can be opened and an election take place at the subsequent council.

Moved by Nick Harris.

Seconded by Victoria.

Motivated by Nick.

11:00: Vote on motion, motion passes.

11:01: Next motion introduced by Nick due to Chair conflict of interest.

5.3 BIRT Emma Oliver be paid $850 for their role as Chair.

Moved by Victoria Gibbs.

Seconded by Aideen.

Motivated by Victoria and Nick.

11:02: Vote on motion, motion passes.

11:03:

5.4 BIRT Raessa Alibhai be paid $400 for their role as scribe.

Moved by Victoria Gibbs.

Seconded by Nick.

Motivated by Victoria.

11:04: Vote on motion, motion passes.

11:04:

BIRT the King’s Literary Society receive $75.69 in non-contingent funding to cover costs of food and drinks for their event in the lodge, “Frivols”.

Recommended by Finance Committee, moved by Victoria Gibbs.

Seconded by Sam.

Motivated by Victoria.

11:06: Vote on motion, motion passes.

11:07:

BIRT the King’s Foraging Society receive $24.00 in contingent funding to pay an experienced foraging and nature walk expert for their nature walk event.

Recommended by Finance Committee, moved by Victoria Gibbs.

Seconded by Daniel.

Motivated by Victoria.

11:09: Vote on motion, motion passes.

11:09: New Business

11:09:

Victoria Gibbs brings forward a motion to pay the King’s Food Security Initiative $50.00 to stock their food box over exam season.

Seconded by Nick.

11:12: Vote on motion, motion passes.

11:12: Nick highlights upcoming resource-sharing event on campus put together by Raessa.

11:13:

BIRT that the union make inquiries into residence council’s operation.

Moved by Luke Baumgart.

Seconded by Aideen.

Daniel explains that residence council is student-run and there has been a lack of initiative and ability from students to make residence council happen.

Victoria proposes to hold a general meeting of residence council in January to get student feedback and involvement.

11:19: Luke retracts the motion.

11:19: Daniel asks about FYP t-shirts; Nick says they will return to this in the new year.

11:20: Meeting adjourned.

5:02: Meeting Called to Order

Land Acknowledgement

5:03: Adoption of the Agenda

No amendments to be made

Agenda is Adopted

5:04: Adoption of the Minutes from the last meeting

Levi has proposed amendments. Minor spelling problem with the spelling of Katie Merwin’s

Amendment Adopted

5:08: Motion to add additional content warnings to last meetings minutes for sensitive content

And motions to correct some grammatical errors.

5:12: All amendments adopted by unanimous consent

5:13: Minutes adopted by unanimous consent

5:14: Reports of Councillors

Nathan does not have much to report

Victoria has started exec training, met with Nick, and the Virtual Escape Room Event should be going forward Thursday

Aideen and Ry have discussed changeover, and Aideen has attended meetings in regards to changeover, Ry and Aideen have upcoming meetings regarding the changeover

Kaitlyn is also doing work in regards to the changeover, will be shadowing some meetings with Mason. Has also been in touch with first-year students in regards to issues with FYP lectures after reading week

Ridge attended the zoom residence panel with Kailen, and they got together with other residence students for a debrief afterwards

Stephen attended NASH83, a virtual conference for student journalists. And is working to get more feedback from his google form

Emma does not have much to report, but she has been preparing for DSS Elections. Current residence students who will be day students next year are welcome to run!

Kailen is reviewing reports she was given from the residence panel.

5:26: Reports of the Executive

Information about reports should be available within the minutes from this meeting when they are approved on March 14th!

5:49: Reports of the staff. Rebecca and JM are presenting reports.

6:06: JM’s Report

6:23: Moving on to Action Items

6:33: Motion 6.1 has passed

6:38: Motion 6.2 has passed

6:39: New Business

6:39: Motion to Adjourn

6:39: Motion passed. See you March 14th!

5:01: Meeting called to order

Land Acknowledgement

5:02: Adoption of the Agenda

Hope motions to have herself move action items 5.1 and 5.2

Motion passed by unanimous consent

Agenda adopted by unanimous consent

5:04: Adoption of minutes from the last meeting

Some minor spelling amendments brought forward by Nathan

Motion passed by unanimous consent

David notes one other grammar mistake

Passed by unanimous consent

5:07:

Ry brings forward another spelling mistake

Passed by unanimous consent

5:09:

Isabella moves to fix the spelling of David Shuman’s name

Passed by unanimous consent

5:10: Minutes adopted by unanimous consent

Reports of the councillors

Victoria has continued to plan a student Escape Room event with Mason

Attended a meeting about the residence student concerns

Submitted nomination for financial VP

Aideen and Ry have released the response to Bill’s EDI report

Aideen has submitted her nomination to run for External VP

Ry and Aideen attended a meeting with vice presidential candidate Sarah Clift

5:15:

Emma sent an email to touch base with day students.

The day student society is in the planning stages for a pen pal program

Stephen has not much to report, planning a meeting with watch exec

5:17:

Nathan had a meeting with the president of the King’s Academic Society

Reporting higher level of satisfaction with second-semester classes but reporting burnout from last semester

5:19:

Kaitlyn has nominated herself to run for student life VP

Ongoing discussions about accessibility in FYP

Planning a trivia-style night for FYP students sometime in January

5:21: Reports of the executive committee

Levi is reporting a busy last two weeks. Read through and edited the EDI response from the BOG reps. Met with residence rep Kailen. Received a petition from students requesting to see the union’s financial books and records, which was forwarded to Nick. Met with the student on the Sexualized Violence Policy Implementation Committee. Attended residence organizing meetings.

Meeting with Sarah Clift, like Ry and Aideen reported.

Meetings involving the moves moving forward in regards to the winter meal fee issues brought up at last council.

Meeting with SVPRO Jordon Robert’s about the ongoing issues in residence.

CFS national put on a president’s forum that Levu attended.

Upcoming there is a residence organizing meeting on Tuesday. A “what the KSU can do for you” workshop on Wednesday, and KSU speeches upcoming on Thursday.

A residence town hall will be coming up before the reading week break.

5:31: Report of the SLVP

Mason has had a fun and busy two weeks. Also attended the student organizing meetings regarding the residence concerns. Continuing to work with Victoria on the escape room event. Met with Katie and Peter three times surrounding the residence issues, they came up with the plan for the town hall, and the residence fees issues. OH&S meeting.

A note of personal disclosure Mason wants to note is that they have been hired as a Jr.Don, the executive team will be going over Mason’s roles to avoid conflicts of interest.

5:37 Report of the FVP

Meeting with the bookkeeper and the accountant. Chaired the seven-person executive meeting. Nick did two, two-hour sessions going over all the numbers in regards to the petition to see the KSU financial records.

There are conversations going over reorganizing student residence fees. There is a survey that Nick would like to use to collect student testimonials.

Meeting with the dean and vice-president.

Nick’s budget advisory meeting is this coming Tuesday.

5:40: External VP Report

Hope notes she’ll do her best to summarize as a lot of her report is a repetition of other’s reports.

Aside from the many meetings, Hope has begun brainstorming the next round of care packages.

At the CFS national constituency space and went over items discussed at the GM back in November.

There is a Facebook event with the information for the upcoming organizing meeting on Tuesday.

5:45: Report of the communications vice-president

Isabella has continued to put out TWAK. It has been a busy two weeks in terms of social media presence given the work around the residence fees and some other ongoing things.

Isabella did an Instagram Q&A and is keeping up with sharing information from the CFS and DSU.

Isabella also attended the meetings with Peter and Katie and Sarah Clift.

Isabella was also at the CFS National Constituency meeting.

5:50: Actions items.

5.1 Moved by Hope and seconded by Levi

Motion Passed

5:55:

Item 5.2 Moved by Hope Seconded by Aideen

6:02: We’ve moved forward to nominations for the UHP hiring committee. Patsy Ginou, Micheal Green, Emma O. and Kaitlyn MacNeil are the nominees.

Patsy Ginou, Emma Oliver, and Kaitlyn MacNeil have received the most votes to be on the UHP Hiring Committee

6:11: Motion has been passed.

6:11: New Business

No new business

Motion to adjourn by Levi seconded by Victoria

Council adjourned at 6:12