Without student activity fees from the AMS, faculty society presidents warned Assembly they will have to reduce their operations, including events and services for students.
During AMS Assembly on Dec. 12, student leaders from multiple faculty societies (FacSocs) said they were financially struggling while awaiting the transfer of faculty-specific student activity fees from the AMS. President of the Computing Students’ Association (COMPSA) Akash Singh questioned the executive in his seat at the table in Jeffery Hall.
According to Singh, his team is in the dark about how many students opted into COMPSA-related student fees, which for most of the FacSoc’s revenue. Given that many of COMPSA’s fees are optional, the blackout has left the FacSoc’s budget paralyzed.
“Moving forward, we want how much we raised, since so many of our fees are optional,” Singh said at Assembly.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between COMPSA and the AMS specified that FacSocs would receive the revenue from their student activity fees on Nov. 15, but this has been to no avail. With the AMS footing the bill for orientation, they hold 75 per cent of FacSocs’ student fees to ensure the FacSoc can cover the costs. If the FacSoc can’t pay up, the AMS carries forward the bill to the following year.
For small FacSocs like COMPSA, the arrangement isn’t working. With enrolment limited to approximately 300 students per year, and student opt-outs, contributing their share using student fee revenue is improbable for COMPSA. Realistic information on orientation payment should be in the MOU, Singh said.
Other smaller FacSocs echoed Singh’s message. Health Sciences Society (HSS) President Sarah Pollen told Assembly her team found alternative measures to predict their student fee revenue, including ing Queen’s Registrar.
The AMS is still begging for invoices which total tens of thousands of dollars from some vendors, Vice-President (University Affairs) Victoria Mills told Assembly. She itted the AMS hasn’t made the orientation ing progress they’d hoped for.
AMS Vice-President (Operations) Michelle Hudson told Assembly all FacSocs should have received an email from the AMS Controller Lyn McFarlane detailing their expected revenue from student fees. The money is expected to be deposited in January.
JDUC Revitalization Plan
While AMS President Kate McCuaig said the old JDUC suffered from flooding, had inconsistent heating, lead, asbestos, and black mold, the new JDUC will be a 700 metre-squared increase in common areas and conference rooms, including eleven bookable rooms for students and three AMS bookable spaces which will be available to students after hours. There will be bookable conference rooms with capacity for up to 200 people.
The JDUC is set to open in September 2024. There’s currently no exact timeline for when spaces will become accessible to students. There will be club storage locations freeing up space in the Queen’s Centre as AMS services return to the JDUC.
Rental prices will work on a “sliding scale” and McCuaig promised Assembly they’re working to ensure the pricing will be as equitable as possible for student groups.
“There will be a wing dedicated to student wellness and overall mental health on campus,” McCuaig said at Assembly.
The new JDUC will include a Bento Sushi location, Khao, Common Ground’s sister location The Brew, and the Queen’s Pub. McCuaig shared unlabeled floor plans with Assembly , specifying the space allotments haven’t been finalized.
“We can’t wait to come home,” McCuaig said about the AMS’s return to the JDUC. She told Assembly the project is on track and is set to open for the beginning of the 2024 school year.
Rector Owen Crawford-Lem Resigns
Rector Owen Crawford-Lem announced his resignation to AMS Assembly, effective April 30 and pending the election of a new Rector.
He was glad he threw his hat in the ring but is looking forward to graduating after five years at Queen’s. As the 38th Rector at Queen’s, Crawford-Lem was elected in March 2022 for a three-year term, although traditionally Rectors resign after serving for two years.
At Assembly, Crawford-Lem encouraged all Queen’s students to engage in dialogue, even though students may not always agree. The role of the Rector is undefined, and the only position of its kind in Canada, Crawford-Lem said to AMS Assembly. He found guidance in the Rector’s Office’s motto “be a leader and a servant.”
The resignation begins the Rector race, with the position officially on the winter election ballot for both graduate and undergraduate students.
“Democracy only works if we do,” Crawford-Lem said. “Let’s make sure the third highest position at the University is never underutilized again.”
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