AMS Assembly ratified its 2026-27 Judicial Council, approved fall club ratification decisions, and debated proposed changes to orientation staff compensation during its Oct. 20 meeting.
The meeting began nearly 30 minutes late, at 5:28 p.m., due to delays setting up individual microphones at each table. The microphones ultimately did not work.
Representatives from Latin American student organizations addressed Assembly in recognition of Latin American Heritage Month.
“Having this national recognition reminds us that our background matters and deserves to be celebrated on a broader scale,” said Marianna Llerena, co-president of the Organization of Latin American Students.
Motion three, the deputy speaker election, was removed from the agenda after candidates failed to complete the required application questions.
Executive updates on services, elections, and campus advocacy
During executive reports, AMS President Dreyden George highlighted the launch of the Student Savings Dashboard, which lists discounts available to students, and preparations for the Nov. 25 and 26 AMS fall election and referenda.
George also outlined plans for the Oct. 29 Haunted Mansion at the JDUC, which will feature a haunted house, escape room, Halloween screenings, and other activities.
Vice-President (Operations) Avery Papoulidis announced Walkhome is developing a Safe Travel Bursary to reimburse transportation expenses when the service isn’t a safe or viable option. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and justify their expenses.
In his written report, Vice-President (University Affairs) Edward Sy said the Registrar’s office is exploring alternative payment systems that could allow international students to pay tuition in instalments, although its current system makes this difficult.
Sy also discussed meetings with Kingston Transit to advocate for improved bus service between Main and West Campus.
READ MORE: Students share their thoughts on Kingston Transit
He highlighted plans for a Community Care Shelf in the Queen’s Centre’s Resource Hub, located in room 506, offering free harm reduction and self-care supplies.
Student Senate Caucus Chair Meredith Peters reported that student and faculty senators are preparing a question for the October Senate meeting about Ontario Student Assistance Program funding and additional university funding.
Club ratifications move forward
Under motion four, Assembly postponed the Sexual Health Resource Centre’s club ratification decision to Nov. 10 to allow more time to meet administrative requirements following its transition from the Society of Graduate and Professional Students.
Under Motion 5: Fall 2026 Club Ratifications, Assembly unanimously approved the Clubs Advisory Committee’s ratification decisions. AMS Commissioner of Clubs Caroline Ding said the AMS received 37 club ratification applications during the fall cycle.
After identifying issues with applications, the office provided all applicants a 47-hour extension to correct errors. Despite the extension, only six of the 37 applicants met the eligibility requirements. Three out of six of those applicants completed interviews in time for the committee’s initial review.
Of the three left, the committee recommended ratifying the Queen’s Turkish Student Association while declining ratification for Queen’s Baker Chain and Queen’s Women’s Health Advocacy.
This made the Turkish Student Association the only club ratified at the meeting.
Assembly approved the recommendations unanimously.
Orientation compensation prompts debate
The Orientation Roundtable Restructure motion concerned changes to the orientation director and assistant director positions.
George explained the proposal was the first of two planned changes to the AMS’s orientation staffing structure.
Under the first proposal, the orientation director’s weekly hours will increase from 15 to 25 between mid-February and April, before rising to 35 from May to September. The assistant director’s hours will increase to 30 per week during peak orientation preparations, compared to the previous 25 hours, before dropping to 10 hours per week following orientation.
During the discussion, Chief Governance Officer (CGO) Alex McArthur questioned the second proposal, which would replace hourly wages for Orientation Roundtable (ORT) team members with $500 honoraria, arguing it falls below Ontario’s minimum wage.
The proposed restructuring, which also includes changes to management positions and other expenses, is projected to save the AMS $23,422 annually.
George clarified the compensation change wasn’t part of this motion and would be brought forward in November.
“The capacity of Assembly isn’t to debate [honoraria],” George said, adding that McArthur, as a non-voting member, should stay within the scope of his role.
McArthur responded that the CGO is a de facto member of Assembly with the same speaking rights as voting members.
Under the AMS Assembly Policy’s roles and responsibilities section, the CGO is explicitly recognized as a de facto member and is responsible for its administrative affairs. The policy also permits any Assembly member to raise points of information concerning motions under debate.
George said McArthur’s speaking rights should relate to his responsibilities.
According to George, the proposed positions would be volunteer roles rather than hourly employment, noting the AMS already has nearly 90 positions compensated through honoraria. He said it would allow the AMS to recruit more volunteers working fewer hours.
McArthur maintained that the compensation would still be below minimum wage even if team members worked fewer hours.
“We’re just going to have to agree to disagree,” George said.
George added that the AMS could reconsider the model through its Personnel Committee.
Assembly unanimously approved the changes to the orientation director and assistant director positions. The proposed honorarium change was not approved as part of that motion.
Assembly ratifies Judicial Council
Under Motion 6: Judicial Committee Ratifications, Assembly unanimously ratified Karina Haverluck, HealthSci ’27, as Judicial Council chair for the 2026-27 academic year.
The Judicial Council is the AMS’s independent, student-run adjudicative body. It interprets AMS governance documents, hears certain non-academic misconduct cases, and reviews appeals involving student governance decisions.
Assembly then unanimously ratified James Wesly as Judicial Council vice-chair under motion seven.
Motion eight approved Sophia Varga, HealthSci ’29, Ehm Kidder, ArtSci ’27, Negar Ghafouriazar, HealthSci ’27, Connor Martel, ArtSci ’29, Katelyn Bond, ArtSci ’29, Saira Cader, ArtSci ’27, and Margaret Billet, ArtSci ’29, as Judicial Council members.
Assembly was adjourned at 6:53 p.m. The next meeting is set to take place Nov. 17.
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