Under a new AMS student fee policy, AMS corporate services will no longer have to renew their fees.
The policy has been in discussion for several years by AMS executives and student managers.
The idea of allowing corporate services to be exempt from the triennial review came up because these services are considered essential to the entire student body, said Greg McKellar AMS information officer.
Fees for Athletics and Recreation; Health, Counselling, and Disability Services; the AMS Specific Fee, which is basic undergraduate student government hip; AMS Health and Dental Plans; fees for capital projects such as the Queen’s Centre construction and JDUC operations were among the non-reviewable fees that existed before the new policy change occurred.
AMS Vice-President (Operations) John Manning proposed the amendments at AMS assembly Sept. 27.
The review is in place to ensure financial oversight and ability, Manning said, adding that this isn’t necessary for AMS services, which are managed by the Board of Directors.
“Rather than make the services a political issue, it makes them a management issue,” he said.
“It places more responsibility on the AMS Board of Directors to ensure that each service has an adequate financial structure.”
Section 5.2 of the AMS Policy Manual states in order to alter a fee, a group must receive a 2/3 vote in Assembly and only becomes effective after a vote by Society .
Under the new policy, Queen’s Entertainment Agency (QEA), Queen’s Television and the Health and Dental Plan are the only opt-outable non-reviewable fees.
AMS Retail Services Director Alvin Tedjo said the QEA is operating at a break-even point.
“We don’t find the fee necessary anymore,” he said.
Of the two corporate services included in last week’s referendum, Queen’s Television succeeded in garnering votes in of a fee increase, while CFRC did not.
The AMS Policy Manual says any non-reviewable services wishing to increase their funding have to draft a proposal for approval from the Board of Directors. Once it has been permitted by the Board of Directors, the motion can move onto the next stage, McKellar said.
“If approved, the request for a fee increase will have to be discussed and voted upon at either the annual general meeting or through referendum in the year,” Manning said.
“I think it is important for the AMS Board Assembly and the student body as a whole to be very engaged in the process of looking over service fees and making sure they make sense.”
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