Sexual Violence Policy

Erin Sobat

Apply to Sit on a McGill Committee: April 6th Council Report

Have you ever wanted to see how McGill works behind the scenes? Are you passionate about campus issues like student services, academic programs, or equity? Do you have a great idea to improve student life? Then apply to sit as a student representative on a university committee! This is your opportunity to get involved on campus and work with the McGill administration and SSMU. Apply by Monday, April 17th at 5:00pm.

This week also marks the final Report of the VP University Affairs to the Legislative Council. However, the current executive term runs until May 31st, so stay tuned for a year-end report! In the meantime, check out some recent UA portfolio highlights:

  • Student working group released open letter regarding issues with campus mental health services
  • McGill’s Provost is holding drop-in hour at Gert’s this Thursday, April 6th from 4-5pm
  • Student senators are submitting April Senate questions on campus Islamophobia & student diversity
  • Library Improvement Fund Committee made final allocations & is reporting to Council
  • Nominations for AVEQ executive elections are open now until Friday, April 7th
  • Open forum on Tuesday, April 11th regarding improved reporting for complaints of sexual violence
  • We are preparing to train the incoming executive team in May!

Winter goals completed to-date (italics = since last report):

  • Launched 2017-18 university committee recruitment
  • Equity Policy revisions approved
  • Made final Library Improvement Fund allocations
  • Sent monthly UA listservs
  • Submitted charter case on academic accommodations
  • Launched sexual violence policy committees & campus study
  • Formed working group on academic accommodation policies
  • Prepared May executive training schedule
  • Released first generation students research report
  • Create Indigenous course content advocacy plan
  • Developed long-term student staffing plan
  • Organized Student Senator Info Session
  • Hosted Add-Drop “Know Your Student Rights” campaign
  • Released foster care students research report
  • Launched University Affairs staff hiring
  • Policy against Unpaid Internships approved
  • Indigenous Solidarity Policy revisions approved
  • Internal Regulations for Board of Directors approved
Erin Sobat

Do my Job! Exec Info Session, Shadowing Program, & January 26th Council Report

Think you could be the next VP University Affairs? This is your chance! Executive nominations open on Monday, January 30th, and we’re hosting a SSMU Executive Info Session for you to learn more about the role. In addition, you can now sign up for our “A Day in the Life” shadowing program in order to spend a day (or an afternoon) with any Executive and see what their job really entails. Finally, as always, you can check out my bi-weekly Report to the Legislative Council for the latest updates on UA projects & responsibilities.

Recent UA highlights:

  • Asked Senate question regarding Board of Governors reform at the January 18th meeting
  • Met with Deputy Provost & university committees to advocate for faculty mental health literacy training
  • Meeting with VP Student Life & Student Services to discuss issues with transition to stepped care & student consultation going forward
  • Working with McGill Communities Council (MCC) to address concerns with Board of Governors & advocate for recommendations from SSMU research report
  • Met with Social Equity & Diversity Education (SEDE) Office, Campus Life & Engagement (CL&E), Scholarships & Student Aid Office (SSAO), & Enrolment Services regarding student diversity in enrolment
  • Attended AVEQ Members’ Assembly in Chicoutimi & provided student feedback on government consultations for university sexual violence legislation

 

Winter goals completed to-date (italics = since last report):

  • Organized Student Senator Info Session
  • Hosted Add-Drop “Know Your Student Rights” campaign
  • Completed research report on first generation students at McGill
Erin Sobat

Winter is Here: Term Goals & January 12th Council Report

Happy New Year and welcome to the Winter term! I hope that you enjoyed your holiday break and are feeling refreshed. This week, we’re running our semesterly “Know Your Rights” campaign to inform students of their academic rights at McGill. You can check out our website and Facebook event to learn more.

In addition, if you’re interested in learning more about the role of a student senator and/or SSMU Executive, we’ll be hosting info sessions on both topics later this month! The Student Senator Info Session will be on Monday, January 23rd from 5:30-6:30pm and will feature a presentation on university governance, the senator role, and perspectives from your 2016-2017 senators.

Start-of-year highlights:

  • Submitted Senate question regarding McGill governance best practices;
  • Launched Winter Add-Drop “Know Your Rights” campaign;
  • Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) holding a Ratification General Assembly for their new collective agreement on January 9th;
  • Providing feedback on terms of reference for Sexual Violence Policy advisory committee (implementation plan) & campus study panel (review of existing policies e.g. Code of Conduct);
  • Preparing research report on support for students coming from foster care;
  • Library Improvement Fund made first round of allocations in early December;
  • Met with staff from Office of Innovation in December regarding adopting a humanitarian licensing framework for health innovations (as per our Global Access to Medicines Policy);
  • Met with project manager for Promenade Urbaine construction to discuss accessibility issues;
  • Hired Harmful Military Technology Researcher to begin work this term.

Check out our January 12th Council report to learn more about plans for the Winter term.

 

Erin Sobat

Final Fall Update: December 1st Council Report

How is it almost December already? Procrastinate from your exam studying by reading our December 1st Council Report to learn where planned projects have landed this term!

Stay tuned for a January progress report along with revised goals for the Winter 2017 term.

Recent UA highlights:

  • The McGill Policy against Sexual Violence was unanimously approved by McGill Senate on November 23rd (now awaiting final approval by the Board of Governors on December 1st);
  • We are recruiting volunteers for the January Know Your Rights campaign; sign up by December 9th!
  • Student Services has implemented a new category of “urgent appointments” for Counselling and Mental Health Services, beginning December 1st;
  • We submitted a question regarding Faculty internship programs to the December Senate meeting;
  • The Association of McGill University Support Employees (AMUSE) has reached a tentative agreement with the administration; more details will be announced in the coming weeks;
  • The VP UA is currently working with Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) & the Associate Vice-Principal (Innovation) to implement a global access licensing framework for health innovations;
  • We are recruiting for a new Harmful Military Technology Researcher; apply by December 8th!

Fall goals completed to-date (italics = since last report):

Erin Sobat

Late Semester Slowdown: November 14th Council Report

It’s that time of term: days are getting shorter, policies still aren’t writing themselves, and it’s hard to find energy to keep pushing projects forward. But the work continues, and you can check out the details in my November 17th Council Report. Also, don’t forget to vote for the SSMU Fall Referenda and General Assembly Ratification, ballots for which can be found at www.ssmu.simplyvoting.com!

Recent UA highlights:

  • The final draft of the McGill Policy Against Sexual Violence, including many of our recommended changes, will be presented for approval at the November 23rd Senate meeting
  • We met with Student Services & the Dean of Students to voice our concerns with new medical note policies (documentation will only be provided to students already followed by a clinician or who qualify for restrictive “safety appointments”)
  • The VP University Affairs participated in a 3-day cyclical review of Enrolment Services (Service Point, Exams Office, Registrar, Admissions, & more), during which they provided detailed input based on student consultation
  • Senators submitted Senate questions regarding campus accessibility during construction & university regulation of unpaid internships
  • We continue to update the Student Rights website & develop Faculty association partnerships in preparation for the January “Know Your Rights” campaign (volunteer recruitment launching soon)
  • Mid-term performance evaluations are in-progress for portfolio student staff

Fall goals completed to-date (italics = since last report):

Link Rene Iwo

Senate Caucus Biweekly Report for Oct 24-Nov 7, 2016

report

It’s already November, and the SSMU Senators’ fourth biweekly report is here! You can also find our previous biweekly reports here.

A few highlights:

  • Welcoming the recently-elected VP University Affairs of MacDonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS), Jade Corriveau, to SSMU Senate Caucus. Here’s to a stronger connection between Mac and the Downtown Campuses in important student issues! Her reports are included in the PDF.
  • Angela Campbell (Associate Provost, Policies, Procedures, and Equity) and Christopher Manfredi (Provost) came in to Caucus for a Q&A about the Policy Against Sexual Violence. We asked questions loosely based on the consultation report recently published by SSMU and PGSS. The Provost also claimed that the Office of Sexual Violence Response, Support, and Education will most likely start operating by the Winter term, if the policy were to pass in Senate this November as planned.
  • We discussed the Non-Smoking Policy at McGill, and responses from different parties on campus.

Minutes of each Senate Caucus meeting is available upon request via email.

If you’re interested in attending a Senate Caucus meeting to learn more about what the Senators do, feel free to email me (the UA Secretary) to get more information. Senate Caucus meetings are held every Monday at 6:30 PM in the SSMU Office.