The following questions have been put to ballot by the SFSS Forum, a representative body consisting of members from every Faculty and Departmental Student Union as well as the recognized constituency groups of the SFSS (Residence Hall Association, Out on Campus and the Women’s Centre being active members).
These questions are placed concurrently on the online ballot with the SFSS Election period, set for 17-19 March 2009.
Active Undergraduate students who wish to register a “yes” or “no” side have until Thursday Noon, 26 February 2009. For more information on registering a campaign please contact the Independent Electoral Commission: elections@sfss.ca or through their website, http://elections.sfss.ca
Question 1: Increase in CJSF Fee
Whereas CJSF Radio is a student-supported radio service providing free training to student and community volunteers in broadcasting and journalism and has not had an increase in fee levy in over 12 years, and
Whereas CJSF would like to improve its service and accessibility to students by establishing a satellite studio in conjunction with the W2 project adjacent to the new downtown SFU Contemporary Arts campus, and
Whereas CJSF requires national advocacy support for issues such as CRTC regulation and copyright via a strong student radio movement and the National Campus/Community Radio Association
Do you agree to an increase of 75 cents per full-time students (38 cents per part-time student) on the current $3.00 ($1.50 per part-time students) allocated to the campus radio station; with 25 cents of this increase (13 cents per part-time students) going to the National Campus and Community Radio Association?
Question 2: Society Affiliations
Whereas last March 66% of SFU students who voted chose to leave the Canadian Federation of Students; and
Whereas membership in said organisation was a toxic and problematic arrangement; and
Whereas the Canadian Federation of Students is an ineffective organisation;
Do you agree to the following, in order for the Simon Fraser Student Society to avoid entering into a binding contract with an extra-univerisity student association/federation or society for at least the next five years, that,
1) No SFSS Board of Directors or meeting of Forum can vote to reinstate or acquire membership in an extra-university student association or other similar body
2) That the Simon Fraser Student Society will remain independent of any extra-university association or similar body for at least the next five years
By Law Change 1: Updating External Relations Officer Position Description
Whereas SFU undergraduates are no longer members of the Canadian Federation of Students and therefore, there is no need for us to have a liaison to this body:
Do you agree to amend By-Law 4. (1.) (c.) to read “Act as a liaison between the Society, and other student unions,” and thus remove reference to the Canadian Federation of Students?
By Law Change 2: Prevention of Outside Interference in Elections
Whereas it’s annoying enough having to deal with SFU undergraduates pushing their wares on you without non-SFU undergraduates engaging in the same annoying tactics; and
Whereas it’s against current election policy to allow outside campaigners to interfere in SFSS elections; therefore,
Do you agree to the addition of By-Law 14 (15) (b.) which reads; “Only Members of the Simon Fraser Student Society may campaign for or on behalf of candidates or referenda during any election period,”?
By-Law Change 3: Democratic Reform to SFSS Forum
Whereas SFSS Forum is an advisory body to the Board of Directors and therefore it makes no sense that directors have a vote on said body; therefore
Do you agree to the following By-Law amendments in order to give forum an independent voice?
Delete By-Law 7 (2) (a.) and rearrange all following clauses of By-Law 7 accordingly, this currently reads “Forum shall consist of: a. The members of the Board.”
Add By-Law 7 (5) to read, “Notwithstanding By-Law 7 (2) members of the Board of Directors shall be honorary members of Forum as referenced in By-Law 1.”
By-Law Change 4: Accountability in External Provincial and National Student Organisations
Whereas membership in external provincial and national student organisations in the past has been subject to dubious standards of accountability; and
Whereas external provincial and national organisations have limited the constitutional charter rights of undergraduate students to freedom of association; therefore,
Do you agree to the creation of By-Law 22 and amendments to By-Law 17 as written in “Appendix A” setting standards of accountability for membership in external national and provincial student organisations?
Appendix A: Accountability in External Provincial and National Student Organisations
[Creation of] By-Law 22: Accountability in External Provincial and National Student Organisations
1. The Society may become a member of a provincial or national student organisation that requires the Society or its members to pay a membership fee to that organisation, but only if the Society and the organisation enter into a binding, written agreement, which will remain in effect as long as the Society is a member of the organisation. The agreement must guarantee the following:
a. The Society’s membership in the organisation does not preclude the Society’s membership in other organisations.
b. The organisation will make its by-laws, policies and minutes available online to all members of the Society within three (3) months of their approval.
c. The organisation will, within two (2) months of receipt of a written request from any member of the Society, provide to them a copy of any document in care or control of the organisation not lawfully required to be kept private.
d. The organisation recognizes that the Society reserves the right to terminate its membership in the organisation according to the Society’s by-laws and policy and according to any of the following procedures:
i) by resolution of the Board if the Society joined the organisation by resolution of the Board;
ii) by resolution of a General Meeting if the Society joined the organisation by resolution of the Board or by resolution of a General Meeting; or
iii) by referendum in any case conducted in accordance with By-Law 17.
2. If the Society terminates its membership in an organisation as described in By-Law 22(1) by any means other than referendum, and if the Society normally collects a membership fee from its members on behalf of that organisation and remits it to that organisation, then the Society will immediately cease collecting fees.
3. If a resolution is put to referendum to terminate the Society’s membership in an organisation as described in By-Law 22(1), and if the Society normally collects a membership fee from its members on behalf of that organisation and remits it to that organisation, then a resolution to cease collecting the membership fee shall be automatically put to referendum according to By-Law 17 to occur concurrently with the referendum on ceasing membership in the organisation.
By-Law 17 (3) amended to read:
Resolutions may be put to referendum by a simple majority vote of the Board or Forum, except where prohibited by these By-Laws, or upon presentation of a petition to the Board which contains the text of the proposed resolution and the signatures of five percent of the members in good standing of the Society, or according to By-Law 22(1)(d) or By-Law 22(3).
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