“This year marks the rst-ever awarding of the SAC Excellence in Teaching Award, established to recognize the value of teaching and to allow students and members of the community to determine what qualities they most value. It was an honour to present the inaugural award honour to present the inaugural award to...”

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November 26, 2010

It is with great pleasure that I am able to welcome you to the Fall 2010 edition of the Mount Allison Students’ Union Quarterly. This newsletter is designed to oer a venue for the Executive Committee to provide updates regarding the Student Union’s governing body, the Students’ Administrative Council, of which all students are members.As winter rolls in and my worn Sperry’s fail me on the slopes of Mount A, I realize that the comforts of summer have passed and along with them, I realize that the comforts of summer have passed and along with them, the assurance that deadlines exist only in the distant future. That future is now upon us, and I urge you to take advantage to the possibilities it brings. Like a student, the SAC and its leadership have grown and matured. Since the beginning of our term, the SAC has concentrated our eorts on building the capacity of our Union.

As a cohesive unit we strive to enable students to participate in the educational, cultural, and social activities they chose. By providing services, a medium through which to provide a collective voice, substantive student representation, and administrative capacity, we believe students will be able to advance their education in the most fullling and positive environment possible.Because of this ethos, the 2010-11 SAC has the determination to advance challenging but valuable initiatives with remarkable success.This year marks the rst-ever awarding of the SAC Excellence in Teaching Award, established to recognize the value of teaching and to allow students and members of the community to determine what qualities they most value. It was an honour to present the inaugural award to a professor for whom I hold a great deal of respect. Congratulations to Dr. Michael Fox.

The SAC is a contributing member of two valuable advocacy organizations designed to fulll the goal of making post-secondary education better. As President of the New Brunswick Student Alliance (NBSA), I coordinated the organization’s lobbying eorts during the 2010 general election. Our priorities included establishing a multi-year funding organization’s lobbying eorts during the 2010 general election. Our priorities included establishing a multi-year funding agreement with universities to ensure stable tuition prices, eliminating interest on student loans, and expanding the Timely Completion Benet. As a result of our eorts, we have established positive working relationships with the newly appointed Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, Martine Coulombe, and will continue to work with the department.

In this issue of the Union Quarterly you will nd updates from the SAC’s Executive on some of their accomplishments this semester.

Federally, the SAC has been an active participant in our rst year as a Federally, the SAC has been an active participant in our rst year as a member of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). Vice-President, External A airs, Mark Kroeker, will address the successes of CASA’s latest conference in Ottawa.

In accordance with our goal of enabling students to thrive, Vice-President,Finance & Operations, Ryan Sargent, will elaborate on the new Residence Grant, valued at $1,500.

The SAC is designed to provide a venue for collective voice and The SAC is designed to provide a venue for collective voice and substantive representation. Vice-President, Academic A airs, Nathan Walker, championed an initiative which will ensure honorary degree recipients are the most deserving and reective of our values.The services provided by the SAC are constantly expanding. In order to gauge the eectiveness of existing services and the potential usage of new services, data collection and analysis is paramount. Vice-President, Campus Life, Pat Joyce, has gathered compelling evidence regarding the implementation of a student health and dental plan.

I am proud to be updating the Union about the SAC’s successes but these would not be possible without the passionate contributions of a dedicated Council, seless bureaucracy, and truly devoted sta. In addition, I boast because of a sense of accomplishment but we have just begun to realize the potential of our eorts.There is much more to come from your SAC.There is much more to come from your SAC.

Most sincerely,Samuel J. Gregg-WallacePresident and CEO, Students’ Administrative Council

Following the controversy surrounding the awarding of an honorary degree to Heather Reisman at May’s Convocation ceremony, the SAC recognized the need for a close reevaluation of the role honorary degrees play at our university and the procedure by which they are awarded. In this particular instance, Ms. Reisman, CEO of Indigo Books and Music, was honored with a degree in recognition of her corporate success. At issue with some of the university’s faculty and students were her ties to the Heseg Foundation, which provides nancial support for Israel’s “lone soldiers” – members of the Israeli Defense Forces who have no family ties to the country but wish to settle there.

While the SAC did not take a stance on the awarding of Ms. Reisman’s degree, the need for a discussion of the current While the SAC did not take a stance on the awarding of Ms. Reisman’s degree, the need for a discussion of the current honorary degrees policy was apparent. Subsequently, the SAC Executive Committee, Academic A airs Committee, and the Students’ Administrative Council as a whole have undertaken a review of the principles and procedures surrounding these degrees and made a series of recommendations to Dr. Robert Campbell, University President and Chair of Senate.

After careful consideration, we felt that the current criteria and rationale for the awarding of honorary degrees are appropriate, provided they are followed. These criteria are best summarized by assertion that “when granting an honorary degree, we are projecting our values and vision to our granting an honorary degree, we are projecting our values and vision to our community.” However, the current procedures seemed to lack transparency and do not facilitate informed, engaged decision making by members of senate, and therefore need to be addressed. To this end, the SAC President, Vice-President Academic, and Student Senators submitted a number of proposed procedural changes to the members of Senate, including a request that information on proposed honorary degree recipients be distributed to Senators with enough time to conduct research and contemplate the Senators with enough time to conduct research and contemplate the university values each candidate reects. Additionally, we requested a list of candidates previously approved by senate but on whom a degree had not yet been conferred, to ensure that the candidate continued to embody the university’s ideals.

At the recent November 18th Senate meeting, Dr. Campbell announced that these proposed changes, in addition to others put forward in our letter, would be implemented in the upcoming deliberation of honorary degree would be implemented in the upcoming deliberation of honorary degree candidates in December. We are gratied to be working towards an improved process and look forward to further engagement with the university community in the near future. For more information about honorary degrees or the SAC’s letter to Senate, please contact Nathan Walker, Vice-President Academic at sacacademic@mta.ca.

During the 2010 SAC budget process, the SAC approved $1,500 for initiatives occurring within Mount Allison University residences. The SAC Residence Grant Fund provides a source of funding to promote and create campus unity, spirit, and giving. The fund, which oers mini-grants for on-campus residences, provides residence executives and house sta with the opportunity to host events above and beyond their nancial abilities. The 2010–2011 year will be one of development and learning as the SAC works in collaboration with Student Life and residences to ensure the grant is as eective as possible.

To date, the SAC has awarded $750 to 3 events involving 6 To date, the SAC has awarded $750 to 3 events involving 6 residences.

In collaboration with the Moncton SPCA, Mount Allison’s Animal House attempts to facilitate the adoption of sheltered animals. The Residence Grant provided funding to assist with promoting and raising funds for their animal adoption awareness programs.

ScareFest, an initiative organized by Campbell, Harper and Windsor, provided students with the opportunity to get involved in the Sackville community. Residence members decorated and organized Halloween fun and games for Sackville youth. Following ScareFest, members participated in the SAC ScareFeast – an event that collects canned food items for the Sackville food bank.

Finally, funding was awarded to Bennett and Bigelow to assist with the cost of building an outdoor ice rink. This ice rink, which will be built by house residents, will be open to all community members. The rink will encourage physical activity and an opportunity for friendly competition across campus. activity and an opportunity for friendly competition across campus.

The Residence Grant is another SAC service that directly benets Mount Allison Students. The SAC also awards over $10,000 through the Academic Enrichment Fund and over $10,000 through Club and Society Funding.For more information about SAC funding, please contact Ryan Sargent, Vice-President, Finance & Operations by email at sacnance@mta.ca. Applications for funding are also available by visiting sac.mta.ca.

As Mount Allison is currently the only Atlantic Canadian university without extended health care coverage for students, the Students' Administrative Council conducted independent research in an eort to nd out whether students feel this is an initiative their Union should undertake. With consultation from Dr. Louise Wasylkiw of Mount Allison's Psychology department, a survey was compiled with the goal of determining, denitely and unbiasedly, whether students want the SAC to pursue extended health and unbiasedly, whether students want the SAC to pursue extended health care options. Over the course of three days – October 21st, 22nd and 25th – the SAC set up survey stations in Jennings Dining Hall, the Wallace McCain Student Centre, and the R.P. Bell Library. Over the three days, 656 students responded to the survey, with results presented to Council at its November 3rd meeting. Results proved highly conclusive, with 66.5% of students surveyed responding that "the SAC [should] pursue a mandatory, opt-out style health plan for all students" and [should] pursue a mandatory, opt-out style health plan for all students" and 64.5% responding that "the SAC [should] pursue a mandatory, opt-out style dental plan for all students".

A mandatory, opt-out style plan means that all students would be registered for the plan initially, and would have the option to "opt out" of the plan by entering an existing policy number – for example, if covered under parents' or employers' insurance. By doing this, the SAC has the potential to oer extended baseline health coverage for all students, while not forcing anyone with an existing plan into a new one.

At the aforementioned November 3rd meeting, Council passed a motion which outlines its next steps: "...to begin At the aforementioned November 3rd meeting, Council passed a motion which outlines its next steps: "...to begin research on extended health and dental coverage, providers, plans, and cost, as well as discussing billing and administrative procedures with University administration, with the goal of implementation in September 2011". Ultimately, by actively and properly seeking input from students, the SAC has gained irrefutable data outlining the desire from students to have extended health care options available, and is now able to move forward with the necessary steps to be able to oer these options in the next year.

For more information about the research conducted or anything related to extended health and dental care, please contact For more information about the research conducted or anything related to extended health and dental care, please contact Pat Joyce, SAC Vice-President, Campus Life, at saccampuslife@mta.ca. More information is also available by visiting sac.mta.ca.

All of CASA's recommendations were based upon the idea that education is an investment; spending money today will only benet the economy in the long-term and is a guaranteed return. In total the organization had 112 meetings scheduled. Meetings of note included:

• Hon. Michael Ignatie – Leader of the Liberal Party • Hon. Gilles Duceppe – Leader of the Bloc Quebecois • Hon. Jim Flaherty – Minister of Finance • Hon. James Moore – Minister of Canadian Heritage and O cial Languages • Hon. Peter Mackay – Minister of National Defense • Hon. Steven Fletcher – Minister of State (Democratic Reform) • Hon. Rona Ambrose – Minister of Public Works and Government Services

In total, CASA has 43 recorded commitments from the meetings to write letters to ministers, ask questions in the Senate, or to specically support CASA. CASA Home O ce Sta will also be following up to ensure that the organization hasa continued relationship with those we met.

For more information about CASA , please contact Mark Kroeker, Vice-President External A airs at sacexternal@mta.caFor more information about CASA , please contact Mark Kroeker, Vice-President External A airs at sacexternal@mta.ca

Newsletter designed by Vijayabharath Jeyapalan, Vice-President Communications saccommunications@mta.ca

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From November 13th to the 19th the President and the Vice President, External A airs attended the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) Lobby Conference in Ottawa, Ontario. The purpose of the conference was to lobby Members of Parliament, Senators and civil servants on pertinent issues related to post-secondary education. CASA published a lobby document entitled Doing PSE Better: Smart Solutions that details six issues that are of high importance: issues that are of high importance:

• Improvements to the Canada Student Loans Program • Fixing the Post-Secondary Student Support Program for Aboriginal students • Amending Bill C-32 the Copyright Bill to ensure academic freedom • Creating a grant for in-need Graduate Students • Making it easier for international students to work in Canada • Constructing a dedicated cash transfer to the provinces for post- secondary education.

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Issued November 26, 2010