The Journal provides free space in our print edition and online for parties on the referendum ballot. All statements are unedited.
This year, the fall referendum will take place on October 21st and 22nd! Check your student email or go to https://queensams.simplyvoting.com/. Have your say on this year’s Triennial Review groups!
Any questions or concerns can be directed to the AMS Chief Electoral Officer, Laura Devenny at ceo@ams.queensu.ca or the Secretary of Internal Affairs, Caroline Hart at secretary@ams.queensu.ca
AMS Accessibility Fund (AQ Fund)
The AMS Accessibility Grant has played an integral role in improving campus accessibility and inclusivity since its establishment in 1988. The grant funds are distributed to initiatives that improve physical, social, academic and/or financial accessibility for students. This fee funds several grants for students, as well as the Accessibility Queen’s (AQ) committee operations and their initiatives. AQ raises awareness about accessibility issues for students with disabilities on campus, and implements both new and continuing initiatives designed to improve physical, academic and social accessibility for Queen’s students across campus. We offer support to student groups looking to run accessible events and help fund student project proposals to improve accessibility. Without this grant, campus accessibility and inclusion would suffer.
ASUS Orientation Fundraising Fee
Arts & Science Orientation Week is the largest Orientation Week at Queen’s University. In 2017, ASUS designated the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) as its charitable organization for Arts & Science Orientation Week. CCS is a national, community-based organization of staff and volunteers whose mission is the eradication of cancer and the enhancement of the quality of life of people living with cancer. In 2018-19 ASUS Orientation raised $106,832.98 for CCS. Fundraising has supported the Queen’s University, Arts & Science Undergraduate Society Orientation Committee’s ‘Resource Room and Wig Lending Library,’ CCS Kingston Research, and the Wheels of Hope Transportation Program, which connects volunteer drivers to those who need drives to their medical appointments. ASUS Orientation is excited to continue supporting CCS for years to come. This fee helps us do so, by making our annual Orientation fundraising events possible, and supporting our fundraising efforts throughout the summer. The fee will remain the same price, support the same annual events, and will continue the highly successful fundraising portion of ASUS Orientation Week.
Ban Righ Mature Student Bursary
The Ban Righ Centre is a diverse and inclusive community located at 32 Bader Lane. The Centre provides mothers and other mature students who identify as women with financial, social, and academic support that they may require when returning to formal education. We offer supports to full time and part-time students in all departments and faculties at Queen’s. We offer services to meet a variety of needs including emergency financial bursaries; free soup at lunch; referrals to other university and community resources; advocacy for policy changes that affect students; writing workshops, mentorship opportunities, and an informal speaker series that fosters a climate of shared intellectual development. In addition to providing one-on-one support, the Centre houses many comfortable study spaces, and the social environment allows students and faculty to network and make lasting connections. 100% of the AMS Student Fee that we collect goes to students as emergency bursaries.
The Campus Observation Room (COR)
You know Queen’s needs COR when over 2,500 students have used our service since we opened our doors in 1990! The Campus Observation Room, fondly referred to as ‘the COR’, is an integral part of the Queen’s University alcohol harm reduction initiatives. A team of ~40 trained student volunteers work alongside professional staff from Kingston Community Health Sciences Hospital in COR – a non-medical alcohol detox facility located on-campus. COR operates overnight on Friday and Saturday night’s in fall term, the month of January, and St. Patrick’s Day. Anyone can use COR: we are open to all Queen’s students, alumni and guests. COR operates a 2nd location and expanded services during busy times (e.g. Homecoming). COR is respected by local emergency services and the Kingston General Hospital Emergency Department. For every intoxicated student who comes to COR instead of the hospital, there is an extra bed available in the ED for a critically ill patient. Intoxicated students are monitored by professional hospital staff and trained student volunteers. COR is completely confidential; we take a non-judgmental approach, offering assistance and support without preaching. We have strict criteria for admittance, and send students who require more care to the ED. COR also highlights the commitment of Queen’s University to a harm reduction approach to alcohol. Volunteers promote COR and have honest conversations with their peers about how to help an intoxicated friend, and how to stay safe if they choose to drink. COR operating expenses are funded through student fees and by the Division of Student Affairs. Student fees allow for the operation of COR: Paying our professional detox staff, volunteer training and promoting COR to students. Please note that COR fees are not being collected in 2020-21 as we are closed during COVID19. We will re-open when public health guidelines permit.
Centre for Teaching and Learning
The Centre for Teaching and Learning is the central academic service unit that promotes and supports quality teaching while building capacity in teaching and educational leadership in direct support of Queen’s students’ learning experiences.
Our mandate is to:
- Inform and consult on institutional priorities for teaching and learning at Queen’s;
- Provide and support evidence-based, strategic, innovative and sustainable course and program enhancement initiatives to Faculties, Departments and individual educators that are pedagogically sound, inclusive, equitable, intellectually challenging and inspiring to a diverse student population
- Support evidence-based integrations of technology that promote equity, increase accessibility and enhance learning;
- Encourage, support and engage in emerging, grassroots investigations of effective and novel approaches to teaching and learning; and
- Ensure that Queen’s learning spaces, virtual as well as brick and mortar, meet the existing and emerging needs of students and instructors.
From providing workshops and support for TAs, graduate students and faculty members on the improvement of teaching, assessment and course design, the Centre is committed to collaborating with all instructors – TAs, Graduate Teaching Fellows, Post-Doctoral Fellows and faculty members – in order to provide undergraduate students with exceptional learning experiences.
The generous support of the assembly enables the Centre to hire three student Educational Development Associates (EDAs) each year. EDAs work alongside the Centre’s staff on a variety of initiatives including soliciting undergraduate student input, conducting individual consultations on teaching, running TA training sessions and planning the annual Teaching Development Day. Through these mentoring relationships, EDAs gain valuable skills and knowledge while having direct positive impact on the undergraduate student learning experience at Queen’s. The AMS fee ensures that the Centre benefits from students’ perspectives on teaching and learning. Without this AMS funding, these mutually beneficial opportunities would no longer be possible.
Dawn House Women’s Centre
In early 2017, Dawn House Women’s Shelter changed its name to Dawn House Services and Housing for Women and in doing so expanded its programs for women who are homeless, vulnerably housed, or living in poverty within the Greater Kingston Area. Dawn House has been supporting marginalized women since 1986. The organization’s vision is for all women to live in safe, affordable, accessible housing. Its mission is to support and empower women to enable them to recover.
Dawn House provides affordable supportive housing and short-term transitional shelter giving priority to women living on the street, in homeless shelters, or in unsafe living conditions. Dawn House provides these women with a place they can call home in an environment that is non-judgemental where they are treated with empathy, dignity and respect. Social isolation can interfere with one’s ability to sustain independent living. By bringing women together, Dawn House strives to build a strong caring community through peer support, social events, common spaces within the building, leadership opportunities and resident engagement in activities such as gardening and a community kitchen. For many women an achievable goal may be moving through intensive case management supports focused on recovery and achieving a successful residency within supportive housing. For others, success may be improving one’s income and moving into the community.
Dawn House provides expanded, individualized, client driven wellness-based on-site supports and programming to women living at Dawn House, and where appropriate extends it services, including counselling and advocacy to women living in the vicinity of its West End location. Dawn House assists women with basic necessities including food, clothing and personal hygiene products. These services strive to enhance each woman’s quality of life while building healthy, inclusive relationships.
Project Red
Project Red is an organization that promotes health and raises funds for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. 1 of every 3 Canadians will pass away from heart disease or stroke. This club aims to positively influence the decisions that students make to better their health now and in the future. Project Red’s main fundraiser is the Annual Charity Fashion Show, which displays the creativity and passion of Queen’s students. This outstanding production consists of talented student designers, dancers, models, photographers, videographers and technical crews. Other fundraisers held throughout the school year include the annual 5km Run, multiple fitness workshops, and more. Project Red prides itself on being one of most engaging clubs on campus. We aim to integrate fitness and the arts in a way that guides students to make better health decisions. Our initiatives are appealing to students of different interests and backgrounds. We strive to not only raise funds for health research, but to also create a healthy and welcoming community on campus.
Queen’s Medical Brigades
Queens Medical Brigades was founded in 2016. QMB is now part of the world’s largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. QMB organizes a yearly volunteer trip that strives to improve the living quality for those living in less developed countries. The yearly brigade will focus on one or more of the following: medical, dental, business, engineering, environmental, human rights, microfinance, public health and water. Last year students had the opportunity to travel to Honduras to complete a Medical and Dental Brigade, working alongside physicians, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists and gynecologists. This year, we will be heading back to Honduras, to complete another Medical and Dental Brigade.
Queen’s SAE Formula Race Team
The Queen’s University Formula SAE Design and Race Team has evolved into a team composed of over 50dedicated students from various academic and personal backgrounds since its inception in 1993. The team designs, manufactures, and tests a unique Formula 1-style race car every year to compete in the international Formula SAE (FSAE) series, where over 500 schools compete in nine official competitions throughout the year. Like motorsport counterparts, team members are responsible for project and financial management, safety, and external relations. The team provides its members a platform to explore the automotive industry, with alumni holding positions at Ford, Honda, Magna, and one as a driver for the Indy Lights racing series. Today, our team is comprised of over 50 undergraduate students in Commerce, Computing, Arts and Science, and many streams of Engineering, including Mechanical, Engineering Physics, Electrical and Computer, and Applied Mathematics. We are committed to being a more inclusive and diverse team to accurately convey that the automotive industry holds a space for everyone–we have a female faculty advisor, our first female Director of Operations, and have completely changed our onboarding process to make our team more accessible to those unfamiliar with the automotive industry. The continuation of the student fee will allow the team to continue with its operations, especially during turbulent times during and after COVID-19.Our recently revamped development timeline and ambitious project shave led to us placing as one of the top 15 teams out of over 150in the world for design at this year’s FSAE competition. Without the fee, the team would be limited in its ability to provide opportunities to innovate and challenge design barriers to diverse groups of students. Funds over the next three years will ensure more complex projects in engine development, composites manufacturing, and vehicle dynamics are viable and meaningful to all students involved.
Queen’s Students for Systems Change (formerly Queen’s Engineers Without Borders)
QSSC aims to drive forward systemic change in areas contributing to global development, poverty alleviation and social justice. QSSC’s goal is to establish an inclusive and open environment for Queen’s students to learn about and act upon global/local issues and social justice. QSSC is made up of 8 portfolios – Environment, Food Systems, Diversity, Fair Trade, Youth Venture, Global Engineering, Reconcili-action, and Sustainable Clothing Initiative – each with their own initiatives and events that they run in relation to their focus. QSSC used to be known as Queen’s Engineers Without Borders, but has gone through a rebranding process due to concerns about Engineers Without Borders Canada regarding transparency and ethics of the organization. In July 2020, our chapter disbanded from the organization and started our club, Queen’s Students for Systems Change. Although this is an extensive change, we look forward to continuing the impactful work our club has always strived to do within the Queen’s, Kingston, and global community.
Queen’s UNICEF
UNICEF Queen’s is a campus chapter of UNICEF at Queen’s University with the mission to help the world’s children in need through education, advocacy, and fundraising. Ourpurpose is to make a difference in children’s lives and enable every student at Queen’s to join us on that mission. We encourage you to come to our many events, campaigns and conferences as the donation revenue we raise by providing you with these great experiences will directly fund UNICEF’s initiatives around the world.
Reelout Arts Project Inc.
Fees generated through the generosity of Queen’s University undergraduate students to the Reelout Arts Project benefits not only the arts but also ensures a more respectful community. These fees are used to enable Reelout to carry out one of Canada’s largest film festivals of its kind- the Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival. This festival held for 10-days in January/February each year showcases close to 100 films from Canada and around the world, all of which focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, queer + persons. These screenings are held on campus and at various other venues in the downtown core and include guest lectures, workshops and other audience engagements with visiting filmmakers. The festival is programmed by, and carried out by over forty volunteers of whom the majority are Queen’s University students. We also hire 3 part-time Queen’s University students through the Queen’s University Fall/Winter work-study program each year to assist in the operations of the festival. Our board of directors includes Queen’s University faculty, staff, and graduate students. This community-building initiative all started as a grassroots movement run out of The Grey House (51 Bader Lane) until 2004 when Reelout incorporated at a not-for-profit and moved to our permanent office which is now a community lending library at 844A Princess St. Our library houses over 2500 movies and books available for loan to anyone who resides in the community. Reelout also conducts community outreach screenings throughout the year including alt-frosh week and Trans Day of Remembrance as well as our Reelout in Schools program wherein we engage with local-area high school students on bullying and homo/transphobia issues. AMS fees are integral to ensuring that these services are offered to the community by helping us with artist fees, library rent, resource materials and outreach expenses.
Sexual Assault Centre Kingston
Sexual Assault Centre Kingston provides support to all survivors of sexualized violence, regardless of gender or identity. This support is offered through the 24hr Crisis and Support line and the newly formed Chat and Text Line, our rapid response program, individual long term counselling, group counselling and accompaniments to hospital, police stations or through the court system. As well as providing direct support the centre also strives to end sexual violence through advocacy and community education.
Sexual Health Resource Centre
The Sexual Health Resource Centre (SHRC) is a confidential, non-judgmental, feminist, pro-choice, queer-positive, non-heterosexist, and sex positive information and referral service for matters related to sex, sexuality and sexual health. We are located in Room 223 of the John Deutsch University Centre and offer a number of services to both the Queen’s and Kingston communities. These include: providing information and referrals to clients, selling at cost safer sex products and sex toys (e.g. 20¢ condoms, $3 pregnancy tests) as well as a sexual health lending library. We also provide educational sexual health workshops (teach-ins) to campus residences and other community groups. Finally, we provide accompaniment services to the Women’s Clinic for clients seeking pregnancy termination services, as well as the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Unit for survivors of sexual assault. We are an active contributor to the community and a great resource for our clients’ sexual health needs.
Trips by Transit- Kingston
Trips by Transit-Kingston aims to provide free, accessible and environmentally conscious trips in Kingston and the surrounding area using both public transit and charter buses. We aim to give both Canadian and international students something free to do on weekends and weeknights. We provide snacks and experienced trip leaders to take students to areas in Kingston they may not have known existed. As well we lead trips to events around Kingston and provide a social environment for students to meet one another. Trips by Transit-Kingston is based out of Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario, is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenousaunee Territory.
Union Gallery
The Union Gallery is the only student-driven public contemporary art gallery in Kingston dedicated to showcasing Queen’s University students’ current artistic and arts-based research practices. The majority of our programs, exhibitions, workshops and publications feature students across disciplines, departments and faculties. The gallery also supports emerging and mid-career artists in order to facilitate mentorships and relationship-building between students and professional artists. Each year, approximately 15 exhibitions and projects are presented, 80% of which are by student artists, exploring technical, conceptual and experimental production across a wide range of media. A space dedicated to innovation, Union Gallery fosters and facilitates pedagogical inquiries, curatorial experiments, cutting-edge artistic practices and training opportunities. The gallery is committed to furthering the role of contemporary art as a platform for critical engagement and creative interpretation by functioning as a responsive resource for experiential learning, professional skills development and research opportunities for Queen’s students. The Union Gallery has been in operation for over 25 years. Our accessible and inclusive gallery has three exhibition spaces, a bookstore and arts resource library, located on the first floor of Stauffer Library. Admission to the gallery and programs are free of charge. We are your student gallery. Many student artists present and curate their first exhibitions here, and many arts professionals have kick-started their careers at Union Gallery. Our staff, Board of Directors and volunteer team are student-majority, to ensure the gallery is directed and governed by student interests. The Union Gallery was established by and for students, and continues to operate through a student-centered, student-driven mission and mandate. The $4.00 student fee, subject to individual opt-out, provides essential funding towards our programming and operations. Please support the Union Gallery in the upcoming referendum by voting YES to our continued funding! For more information, visit uniongallery.queensu.ca or find us on social media. Instagram: @union_gallery / Facebook and Twitter: @TheUnionGallery
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.
