C13-03-#xx Minutes Unapproved

Transcription

1 Post-Graduate Students Society of McGill University 3650 McTavish Street, Montreal, Quebec C13-03-#09 AGM Minutes Unapproved March 20, 2013, 6:44 pm Councillors Non councillors: S. Bodeving, R. Roussel, K. Strand, G. King, D. Sanader, C. Stone, K. Hamelin, E. Pedersen,L. Van der Kraak,J. Ma, S. Caldwell, A. Olanrewaju, L. Bourdages, W. Farrell, B. Xu, J. Tremblay, B.- J. Oakes, M. Ronald, K. Houser, Hwa-Young Lee, Y. Feng, G. Lord, K. Pinder, V. Somos, C. L. Conway Fernanda, B. Kasaai, S. Sahakian,J.A. Purat, J. Choi, V. Bhosle, M.Sherman, B. Por, B. Dawe,S. Kaderali, D. Meadows, J. Degeer, B. Keith, A. Best, P. Vanessa Guerra, M. Bashaw, R. Krause, Y. Bresler, A.-S. Pratte, F. Strohschein, G. Boukhaled, B. Rocque, E. Larson, J. Tabaka, E. Yung, M.A. Xhignesse, J. Guthrie, M. M. Chaineau, E. Vincent, L. Harvey, C. O'May, Molly Korab, Noah Billick, J. Mooney, E. Salamon, M. Krause, A. Bouchard, E. Cawley, G. King, V. Bhosle, K. Nugent Wiles/Benjamin Isaac, Thompson-Steckel/Greta Hazel, Talukder/Mohammad Kamruzzaman, Stare/Jerneja, Sorokin/Ilia, Sorochan/Cayley Erin, Sheikhi/Amir, Seto/Lesley, Sesay/Mohamed, Schwartz/Rachel Nicole, Saban/Jeremy Andrew, Robinson/Benjamin, Ricoult/Sébastien Georg, Raeburn/Kaywana Hansella V, Pouzargues/Anne Céline, Plante/Charles Albert, Payne/Brian Andre, Paradis/France-Hélène, Ouellet/Julien, Nugent/Kelly Anne, Nong/Lei, Nickels/Stefanie, Nardelli/Thomas Constantine, Nantes/Julia Christine, Mokhtar/Shaza Osama, Mohammadifard/Nakisa, McHugh-Russell/Liam Sean M. McCallum/Matthew Charles Kent, Marleau/Justin Normand, Malcolm/Marcia Elaine, Mack/Timothy Grant, Lennox/Martin D'Arcy, Kropf/Pascal, Keezer/Mark Robert, Kashi/Arash Incze/Lajos Steffen, Inay/Ali, Huot/Karl, Huang/Zhi, Holme/Justin Alexander, Hearne/Zoe Louise, Grusiecki/Tomasz Krzysztof, Ghosh/Debashish, Ghabrial/Sarah, Garver/Geoffrey. Freder/Jason Adam, Flemming/Andrew Taylor, El Jurdi/Katia Wahib, Duquette/Antoine, Devito/Anthony Michael, Das Gupta/Micaela Shibani, da Silva Martins/Maria, Cuchanski/Pascale Maria, Cohen/Tamara, Champigny/Claire Marie, Chahal/Christine, Carpanzano/Carolina, Carli/Alberto Vittorio, Byrne/Christopher Ryan, Wu/Zhenzhou, Wittek/Stephen, Winegardner/Amanda Katherine, Wilson/Sarah Jane

2 Call to Order 6:44 pm 1. Approval of the Agenda Member Services Officer moved to remove the censure motion. Upon motivation, she said that the censure motion is a very serious motion. The Executives have conducted themselves diligently. F. Urzúa, speaking against the motion, said the motion to censure is just giving a warning to keep on record. Officers are accountable for mandates that come out of the AGM, which is only held once a year. Internal Affairs Officer said there is a Question Period that is appropriate for asking questions to the Officers. Impeachment is the second heaviest thing that can be done to an Officer. G. King said the members are the highest authorities. If members bring it forth, members should be able to hear it and should be the judge if the motion was carried efficiently or done with negligence. The people who are speaking against the motion are people from the Executive. Motion failed. Laura from Family Care moved the report after the approval of the minutes. Motion to reconsider the censure motion passed. Question called. Motion to strike the censure motion passed with simple majority. Agenda approved as amended. 2. Speaker s Report Speaker outlined duties and responsibilities of AGM, as posted online. She said that motions show some ambiguities. 3. Announcements Secretary-General presented the financial statement. He presented Deloitte s opinion, in accordance of the Canadian standards, a clean audit. There was an excess of revenues at the end of the year so he suggested perhaps reduce fees. 4. Approval of the Minutes Minutes approved. 5. Family Care Caucus Report. Laura Risk and Lerona Lewis presented what is done in the report. Report is circulated online.

3 Secretary General recommends Council to move the report to the April meeting and include employee positions. Motion to mandate passed. 6. Business 6.1. Motion R13-03-#001 Motion to select Deloitte as PGSS auditor (Board of Directors) BIRT the General Assembly select Deloitte as auditor for fiscal year The Secretary General, upon motivation on behalf of Board of Directors, selected Deloitte as auditor based on the proposal and the cost. They have made recommendations on how to improve the accounting practices at PGSS. The advantage to having the same auditor is that they understand the system and it is burdensome to switch auditors Motion R13-03-#002 Motion to ratify directors (Board of Directors) WHEREAS PGSS Bylaws state, "Internal, External, and Council Directors are appointed by special resolution of the Appointments Board, subject to ratification by the Board of Directors. A Director so appointed assumes office immediately after ratification by the Board of Directors; however, such appointment must be ratified at the next Annual General Meeting, failing which the Director is removed." BIRT Guillaume Lord be ratified as a Director BIRT Danielle Meadows be ratified as a Director Secretary General, upon motivation, said the Board of Directors seeks approval of the AGM. Both individuals were moved out of the room Motion R13-03-#003 Motion regarding international student differential fee waivers (Meng Fu/Anne-Sophie Pratte) Whereas until 2011 McGill University made available Differential Fee Waivers (DFW) for international students guaranteed for the first three years; Whereas this year McGill no longer guarantees these waivers; Whereas some departments which used to receive DFWs for all international students, this year only received one; BIRT PGSS call on McGill to reinstate DFW based on the needs of departments and graduate students; BIRFT PGSS advocate for minimum financial security for graduate students who have no, or have exhausted, external and departmental funding.

4 M. Fu, upon motivation, said the fee should be removed as it is making financial situations insecure which will influence the funding issue for everyone. She asks that the tuition fee waiver be given back to every international student and asks PGSS to negotiate with McGill to have this for every student, for all years so that graduate students can continue their education. Secretary General spoke with the Dean of Arts and Science yesterday and said this is facultybased. If this motion passes, we will work with Deans to incentivize that faculties cover this cost. If a faculty accepts a PhD student, but sometimes the department won t give to the students, which leads to inability to attract international students in the future. Anam, PhD student, moved to divide the question, clause by clause. First clause passed. Second clause passed Motion R13-03-#004 Motion for gender parity on PGSS Board of Directors (Gretchen King/Cora-Lee Conway) Whereas until 2011 McGill University made available Differential Fee Waivers (DFW) for international students guaranteed for the first three years; Whereas no women currently sit on the current Board of Directors of PGSS; Whereas PGSS members identifying as women make up 53.3%(*) of graduate students; Whereas no mandate striving for gender parity on the Board currently exists; BIRT the AGM recommend to the Board of Directors to change the Corporate Operations Manual to state that the Appointments Board shall actively recruit and recommend no less than fifty percent (50%) women-identified candidates for the Board; BIFRT that the AGM recommend the Board of Directors change the Corporate Operations Manual and bylaws be changed concerning the ratification of the Board members to rule their ratification at the PGSS AGM null and void should this requirement not be satisfied. C.L. Conway said that at the time when this motion was put together, there was no woman. Now there is D. meadows on Board of Directors. Intent without commitment rarely works. From a business standpoint, we see a higher ROI and higher productivity when there is woman. It s a part of good governance and diversity around the table. Internal Affairs Officer said he fully agrees with the notion of diversity in the motion, but spoke against the motion as he questioned the feasibility of this motion. External Affairs Officer, speaking in favour of the motion, called Internal Affairs Officer to amend the motion if he agrees with the notion. Secretary General asked what if the applicant is not comfortable with his/her gender. C.L. Conway said we have Council that is 50% female but a Board that is not. The spirit of the motion is for this body to figure out how to increase parity on the board. To make it feasible, we can bring it to PSAC.

5 G. Lord said it is problematic to bring this to PSAC. We can get consultations going, send it to PSAC and they can make recommendations. D. Meadows, said as the lone female that sits on the Board, she was ratified by the Board before the motion was submitted at the AGM. She moved to commit to PSAC. G. King, speaking against the motion, said the motion is very clear to not change anything to the Board, but only a recommendation to actively recruit more women. It s not just this year s Board, but also last year s. The motion is trying to address a historic problem. B. Rocque, spoke in favour of the motion to commit. PSAC is open for everyone to attend, for members at large to submit their opinions. Liam McHugh-Russell moved to commit. Upon motivation, he said that there seems to be strong support in the room for gender parity BIRT the AGM commit the motion to the PSAC with the request to make recommendations to Council by May 31 st of changes to the Board appointment process to increase diversity including specific reference to gender parity. G. King moved to amend to add the Equity Committee to the clause. Amendment passed. C.L. Conway added to the May meeting of the PGSS Council. Amendment passed. External Affairs Officer spoke against the motion, and said that it is better to be decided by Council as PGSS is the most representative body. He was unsure as to how diverse PSAC is. Motion to Commit passed. BIRT the AGM recommend to the Board of Directors to change the Corporate Operations Manual to state that the Appointments Board shall actively recruit and recommend no less than fifty percent (50%) women-identified candidates for the Board; BIFRT that the AGM recommend the Board of Directors change the Corporate Operations Manual and bylaws be changed concerning the ratification of the Board members to rule their ratification at the PGSS AGM null and void should this requirement not be satisfied. BIRT the AGM commit the motion to the Policy and Structure Advisory Committee, in consultation with the Equity Committee, with the request to make recommendations to Council by the May meeting of changes to the board,officers, and committee appointment process to increase diversity with specific reference to underrepresented groups Motion R13-03-#005 Motion regarding McGill free from tar sands investment (Amanda Winegardner, PGSS Environment Commissioner, PGSS External Affairs Officer) WHEREAS, the overwhelming majority of scientific bodies agree that carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to rising global temperature and climate change across the planet, WHEREAS Canada affirmed, through the 2010 Cancun agreements of the United Nations

6 Framework Convention on Climate Change; that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time [and] that deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions are required according to science, and as documented in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with a view to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions so as to hold the increase in global average temperature below 2 C above preindustrial levels, and that Parties should take urgent action to meet this long-term goal, consistent with science and on the basis of equity. WHEREAS examples of global climate change from 2012 include severe droughts in the United States, flooding in Alberta, and the lowest-ever summer ice cover in the Arctic; WHEREAS scientists predict that if the global average temperature rises by 2 C, the planet could experience increased extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, storms, reduced agricultural output (thus, rising food prices) and increased levels of illness and disease; WHEREAS the Tar Sands represent the fastest growing source of carbon emissions in Canada; WHEREAS a lack of environmental monitoring in the Athabasca region has required the use of paleolimnology to study freshwater systems in tar sands regions and these studies have shown new ecological conditions with the commencement of tar sands activities; WHEREAS McGill University has investments in 38 companies involved in producing fossil fuels and 14 in the tar sands; WHEREAS 35 of the companies in which McGill University owns shares are among the largest companies in the world, and collectively hold Gigatonnes of CO2 beneath the ground; WHEREAS 80% of the world s known carbon reserves must remain underground to keep warming below 2ºC, and none of the companies in which McGill invests have committed to keeping 80% of their reserves unburned; BIRT PGSS lobby McGill University to divest its holdings in companies engaged in fossil fuel production. BIRT PGSS lobby McGill University to divest its holdings in financial institutions that invest in or give loans to companies engaged in tar sands extraction activities. BIFRT PGSS, in collaboration with other student groups, sponsor a university-wide case competition for alternative investment options. BIFRT PGSS mandate the External Affairs Officer to bring a motion to the FEUQ, to initiate a divestment campaign and to lobby the FEUQ s member associations to bring motions to their respective universities to divest their holdings in tar sands companies and the financial institutions that support these companies. BIFRT PGSS mandate the Secretary-General of PGSS present the PGSS stance on these matters at the Board of Governors and the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility. Speaking rights extended to Divest McGill. Amanda Winegardner said McGill invests in 38 companies that cause tar sands. She asks that PGSS lobby the university. The Environment Commissioner said divesting from fossil fuels is a movement across North America. Y. Bresler said the first two clauses are broad statements without a timeline. He questions the feasibility of that and if there were financial institutions available for the second clause. Christin Perry from Divest McGill said 3 years is the timeline.

7 W. Farrell asked a question for Secretary General: even with PGSS best efforts, what is the feasibility that McGill actually listens to us. Secretary General said he could not make a position because he is part of the committee to receive this petition. J. Degeer said a large part of revenues are supporting public institutions, so we benefit from this. L. Harvey questioned clause 3. Perry from Divest McGill answered the case competition is to get students to potentially do this for credit for this discussion. Liam McHugh-Russell questioned second clause as he was unclear to what it meant and its feasibility. J. Degeer asked for the statistics on proportion on carbon emission from tar sands versus carbon emission worldwide and he questioned why we are so concentrated in tar sands. E. Larson said AGM should get alternatives like renewable resources and something in reinvesting. Chris Stone said as a university we have a responsibility in solving these problems. W. Farrell moved to strike the second BIRT. Amendment passed. Bronman Tucker judges the social ethical merit. Lily Swartzmel said this motion is a symbolic motion of 250 campuses doing it together. Liam McHugh-Russell spoke in favour of this motion, saying that this global movement is important on a political and economic level. Norah Hope spoke in favour of motion as it sends a strong message which extends beyond a symbolic level; it is a message of good spirit. Question called. BIRT PGSS lobby McGill University to divest its holdings in companies engaged in fossil fuel production. BIFRT PGSS, in collaboration with other student groups, sponsor a university-wide case competition for alternative investment options. BIFRT PGSS mandate the External Affairs Officer to bring a motion to the FEUQ, to initiate a divestment campaign and to lobby the FEUQ s member associations to bring motions to their respective universities to divest their holdings in tar sands that support these companies.

8 BIFRT PGSS mandate the Secretary-General of PGSS present the PGSS stance on these matters at the Board of Governors and the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility Motion R13-03-#007 No indexation of tuition (External Affairs Officer/Gretchen King) WHEREAS the Quebec government decided at the Summit on Higher Education (February 25-26, 2013) to index tuition; WHEREAS an indexation of 3.0%, for example, would only bring in 127 million over 5 years, and considering that the annual revenue of universities in was 5,480.5 billion, such an indexation over 5 years would amount to only 0.42% of the total budget of Quebec universities;1 WHEREAS student income from employment and from scholarships does not follow an inflation curve (i.e., will not be indexed); WHEREAS new investments into universities must be made following an in-depth evaluation of the needs and objectives of universities;2 WHEREAS tuition must remain stable and not be increased increase to ensure that university education remains accessible;3 WHEREAS the PGSS Council passed a motion on February 13, 2013, linking investments into universities to the specific needs of universities; WHEREAS the PGSS Executive passed a motion on February 25, 2013 to advocate for street demonstrations in the event that the Quebec government decides to index tuition; BIRT the PGSS incorporate the following position into its tuition policy and send it to council for ratification: that PGSS renounce the indexation of tuition as well as commit to accessible education and advocate for a reduction of student debt. BIFRT the PGSS initiate an anti-indexation campaign; BIFRT the PGSS lead a mobilization of McGill groups on the last day of class (Tuesday, April 16, 2013) to demonstrate this opposition to indexation. External Affairs Officer spoke about the Anti-Tuition Hike Campaign. This motion revives the campaign. PGSS Executive took an initial position to support the motion. This is an opportunity to extend this to broader membership. Secretary General asked if it would better to wait for the full research report before we take a position. Phillip from BMESS said that the BIRT clause is short-sighted because it only takes into account indexation. It seems that we only care what the costs are to us. It s not just us who pay for it, but other people. External Affairs Officer said we pay the FEUQ a lot of money. We may not even do this in this school year. G. King spoke of benefits of PGSS to oppose the current hike. This is an opportunity to send a strong message that has already come to PGSS. W. Farrell spoke against the motion. He said indexation is a fair and proper way to fund the education system. The rallying cry was on a 75% increase. This will prevent a sharp increase. No one year is overly burdened by an excess tuition hike.

9 J. Degeer asked if there was a report from the research committee so that we can be more educated. External Affairs Officer said this document is reasonable on all sides of the spectrum. This will not have much of an effect as it is mostly a political move to win support of the TAC party. This will not have effects on university budgets. Secretary General spoke against motion, and said the right thing to do is to wait until research is done and then take a position. C.L. Conway, spoke in favour of motion and that it is difficult to make decisions without research. Quorum was called. AGM lost quorum. Meeting adjourned at 8:54 pm.