Queen’s student government shapes campus life—but understanding how it works is another story.
Similar to high school student councils, Queen’s has its student government system with distinct structures, voting processes, and advocac branches—just on a much larger scale. Whether a first-year or a returning student, breaking down the organizational structure and operations of student government at Queen’s helps students access available services and support.
Queen’s has two central student governments that serve the student body: the Alma Mater Society (AMS) for undergraduates and the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS). Additionally, Queen’s has an elected Rector, who serves as a bridge between students and the University’s senior administration.
Undergraduate student governance
Structured diagram of AMS organization. GRAPHIC BY: SARAH ADAMS AND NATALIE VIEBROCK
The AMS, an apolitical student government for undergraduates at Queen’s, and works to represent students, speak up for their needs, and offer services—as mandated by the AMS constitution. The AMS is governed by two main branches: Assembly and the Board of Directors.
Assembly is composed of eight faculty societies, such as the faculty of Arts and Science, the Smith School of Engineering, along with more than 40 elected student representatives in total. The Assembly’s job is to talk about and vote on student issues, like student fees, what the AMS should advocate for on behalf of students, and changes to make the AMS run more efficiently, such as restructuring commissions and changing policy.
Twice a year, there’s also a General Assembly where all undergraduate students get to vote on decisions, from club referendums to changes in policy. As of July, the AMS hasn’t yet announced the dates for upcoming Assembly meetings and all summer sessions have been closed to all non-voting members.
While the Assembly debates policy and advocacy positions, the Board of Directors operates in the background, making decisions on strategy, finances, and staff management.
According to the Board’s webpage, the group is responsible for long-term planning, budget oversight, and ensuring financial sustainability. It also oversees all employment-related policies for AMS staff, including pay and workplace conditions.
The Board is made up of 12 voting members: six student directors, three community directors, and the AMS executive team. The AMS General Manager, Lyndon Smith, also sits on the Board in an ex-officio role.
Each year, the AMS Assembly elects members to the Board of Directors, who then internally elect a Chair and Vice-Chair. The Chair also sits on AMS Assembly in a non-voting, ex-officio role, helping bridge communication between the Board and the student government’s broader decision-making body.
While the Board focuses on long-term planning and internal operations, the AMS Judicial System handles conflict resolution and accountability within the student body.
The AMS Judicial System is made up of two parts: the Judicial Affairs Office, which investigates complaints, and the Judicial Committee (JCOMM), which makes decisions. Together, they handle internal disputes within the AMS, including misconduct by student clubs, breaches of policy, and conflicts between students involved in student government.
Rooted in principles of restorative justice, procedural fairness, and peer-led, non adversarial decision-making, the system aims to resolve issues through dialogue rather than punishment, according to their webpage. The Judicial System is guided by the AMS Judicial Policy and Appointments Policy. Students can access the system to file or respond to complaints involving other students, AMS services, or clubs.
Alongside these governance and accountability structures, the AMS Executive team provides full-time leadership to oversee the day-to-day operations and student advocacy.
The AMS Executive, elected each winter, is made up of three full-time student leaders who assume office on May 1—with students now running in a de-slated election, meaning students run independently rather than in a slated group of three for President, Vice-President (Operations), and Vice-President (University Affairs).
READ MORE: AMS executive candidates ratified at Assembly in first official de-slated election
The President acts as the chief spokesperson and oversees all AMS functions. The Vice-President (Operations) manages corporate services and budgeting, while the Vice-President (University Affairs) handles commissions and student advocacy portfolios.
This year’s executive team includes Jana Amer as president, Elena Nurzynski as vice-president (operations), and Alyssa Perisa as vice-president (university affairs).
READ MORE: Team JEA voted next AMS executive
Under the main jurisdiction of Amer are the AMS Offices, which provide administrative, operational, and governance support across the AMS and the student body. Each office is led by a staff member or coordinator and often works behind the scenes to facilitate AMS services and programming.
The Marketing and Communications offices promote AMS services and events, with Marketing handling branding and outreach, and Communications managing PR, updates, and official statements. Internal governance is overseen by the Internal Affairs Office, which handles elections, policy, and disciplinary matters.
Human Resources manages hiring and training, while the IT Office maintains AMS’s digital infrastructure. Orientation planning is led by the Orientation Roundtable (ORT) Office, which coordinates with student leaders to welcome incoming students. Lastly, the Student Life Centre (SLC) office oversees the SLC, managing bookable spaces, event infrastructure, and resources across campus to support AMS services, clubs, student groups, and campus initiatives.
READ MORE: New ORT Director named following resignation
The broader scope of AMS services falls under the oversight of VP (Operations) Nurzynski, who manages a range of student-run programs and initiatives. AMS services are largely student-run, offering undergraduates paid positions managing everything from coffee shops to safety programs and governance bodies.
AMS services include Walkhome, the Peer Support Centre, the Tricolour Outlet, the AMS Foodbank, Common Ground Coffee House (COGRO), the Media Centre, Queen’s StuCons, the Housing Resource Centre, the Academic Affairs Centre, and well of course, The Queen’s Journal—who maintains editorial autonomy independent from the AMS.
READ MORE: Introducing the 2025-26 AMS service head managers
Students have access to AMS services funded by student activity fees, also known as Ancillary Fees, which consist of both mandatory and optional fees included in undergraduate tuition each year. Services go beyond the nine operational organizations and also include student benefit programs. In the 2024-25 academic year, the mandatory AMS fees undergraduate students are $841.55, with an additional $350.42 for the optional Health & Dental plan and other optional fees, according to an AMS Ancillary Fee Opt-In Form.
Among the services funded by student fees is the BUS-It program, which gives undergraduate students unlimited access to Kingston Transit with their student card during the academic year. Another is the AMS Health and Dental Plan, which provides extended coverage for prescriptions, dental care, and other health services not covered by OHIP or UHIP.
While most fees are automatically charged, students can opt out of certain optional services during the opt-out period at the start of each term—putting the choice in students’ hands.
As VP Operations manages student services and fee-related programs, VP (University Affairs) oversee the network of Commissioners responsible for various areas of student life and governance.
AMS Commissioners, hired annually and reporting to Perisa, oversee specific areas of student life and governance through programming, advocacy, and policy work. Commissioners manage teams of staff or volunteers, oversee budgets for their commissions, and contribute reports and policy proposals to the AMS Assembly. Their work is intended to support students by aid services, manage operations, and advocating on campus-wide issues.
There are five main AMS Commissioners: Campus Affairs Commissioner who oversees campus student experience, event sanctioning, and safety collaborations, External Affairs Commissioner who manages relationships with government and advocacy groups to represent student interests publicly, the Clubs Commissioner is responsible for handles club ratification, funding, space, and policy compliance, the Social Issues Commissioners (Internal and External) divide equity work: Internal focuses on AMS accessibility and anti-oppression, External on outreach and advocacy for marginalized groups, and the Environmental Sustainability Commissioner leads AMS sustainability efforts, policies, and climate initiatives.
Together, these offices, commissions, and programs form the framework through which the AMS aims to supports student life, governance, and services across campus.
Graduate and professional student governance
Structured diagram detailing SGPS organization. GRAPHIC BY: SARAH ADAMS AND NATALIE VIEBROCK
While undergraduate students fall under the AMS, Queen’s graduate and professional students are represented by their own governing body: the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS). Operating independently of the AMS, the SGPS advocates for student rights, administers services, and supports graduate students.
The SGPS is supported by graduate and professional activity fees, similar to the AMS, ranging from Mandatory Student Activity Fees, Optional Fees, Faculty/Department Specific Fees, and the SGPS Health and Dental plan fees. According to the SGPS’s webpage, “SGPS ancillary fees (otherwise known as student activity fees) are established at a referendum [and] the SGPS Health and Dental Plan fees are automatically assessed only in September and January.”
Run by a five-member executive team, the SGPS is composed of a President, Vice-President (Community), Vice-President (Graduate), Vice-President (Professional), and Vice-President (Finance), elected annually by SGPS members.
The President acts as spokesperson and liaison with university administration, handling academic advocacy and strategic planning. The VP (Graduate) supports research-based graduate students, overseeing confidential academic advising, whereas the VP (Professional) advocates for students in professional programs, focusing on licensing, practicums, and career readiness. On the other side, the VP (Community) leads inclusion and well-being initiatives, organizing social and equity-focused events, and the VP (Finance) manages the SGPS budget and financial aid programs, including health subsidies and emergency bursaries.
While the SGPS executive handles broad organizational governance, much of the society’s identity-based advocacy and programming is led by a small team of Commissioners. These roles—appointed rather than elected—are designed to ensure that the diverse experiences of graduate and professional students are represented in SGPS operations, services, and policy discussions.
Each Commissioner portfolio exists to addresses the specific needs of the student population that has historically lacked adequate representation in institutional decision-making at Queen’s. These positions are typically salaried and operate independently from the executive, although Commissioners frequently collaborate with vice-presidents and sit on SGPS Council as non-voting members or observers.
The Equity and Diversity Commissioner works to promote inclusion through anti-oppression initiatives, organizing events, and advocating for structural change, while also collaborating with campus equity offices and advising on accessible hiring and training practices. Meanwhile, the International Student Commissioner focuses on the unique challenges faced by international students, partnering with university administration to improve policies and creating opportunities for community-building through cultural events and workshops.
Supporting Indigenous students, the Indigenous Student Liaison advocates for their needs by working closely with relevant offices to increase cultural visibility and integrate Indigenous perspectives into SGPS programming.
Finally, the Social Commissioner plays a key role in fostering a sense of belonging among graduate and professional students by organizing inclusive social events and ensuring equity remains a priority across programming in partnership with other SGPS services.
Complementing these roles, the SGPS Council serves as the legislative body, providing governance and oversight through elected student representatives. Comprised of elected representatives from graduate departments and professional programs, Council meets monthly to approve policies, vote on the annual budget, and hold the executive accountable.
Council sessions are open to all SGPS members, and motions can range from operational reforms to funding allocations for student-led initiatives.
Beyond governance, the SGPS runs services for the needs of mature students. These services include the SGPS Health and Dental Plan, EmpowerMe+, SGPS Student Advisors, Sexual Health and Resource Centre (SHRC), SGPS Financial Assistance, Gender-Affirming Care Financial Assistance, AMS Foodbank, Athletics and Recreation, Queen’s Clubs, Ufile Free Tax Filing, ISIC, and GoodLife.
Together, these roles and bodies aim to represent and support the graduate and professional student experience at Queen’s.
The role of the Rector
Queen’s is one of the only Canadian universities that elects a Rector, a position that dates back to 1913. The Rector serves as a representative for all students—undergraduate, graduate, and professional—on both the Board of Trustees and the University Senate.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for “overseeing all operations of the University,” such as financial matters and appointment of Vice-Principles, according to their webpage. Whereas, the University Senate is “responsible for determining all matters of academic character affecting the University as a whole,” as stated on the Senate’s webpage.
While the AMS and SGPS represent specific student populations, the Rector is a unique voice that brings student concerns to the highest levels of university governance. Rectors often focus on campus well-being, equity, and amplifying student voices in conversations with senior administration.
Niki Boytchuk-Hale, was elected the 39th Rector of Queen’s University during the election for Rector held Feb., 6 to 7, 2024 and took office May 1, 2024. elected by students across faculties. The position lasts for three years, and any Queen’s student can run.
Boytchuk-Hale runs the column ‘Rectors Digest’ in The Journal, where she writes updates for the students about topics being discussed at the administrative level.
How student government impacts student life
Whether an undergraduate or a graduate student, student government at Queen’s plays a direct role in shaping campus life. The AMS and SGPS oversee essential services like the student bus pass, health and dental plans, and academic support programming, and the Rector helps advocate for students’ needs at the administrative level.
Students can engage with governance in several ways beyond just voting. Sitting on a commission, running for faculty society positions, or applying to work with AMS or SGPS services are all avenues to participate.
Student government at every level offers structured opportunities for students to participate in decisions that impact their University experience, providing a way for those interested to help shape both their own and their peers’ time at Queen’s.
Corrections
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Assembly elects the Board of Directors. AMS board chairs aren’t elected by AMS Assembly but elected internally.
A previous version also misstated the mandatory AMS fees as $841.55 with an additional fee of $103.97. In fact, the additional fee was $350.42.
The story previously misreported the make up of Assembly and the number of voting members on the Board of Directors. This story has since been updated with the correct make up of Assembly and the voting members on the Board.
Incorrect information appeared in the July 28th issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
Tags
AMS, AMS / SGPS, First Year in Focus, Queen's Student Government, Rector, SGPS
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