Society ratifications kick off first AMS Assembly of the year

AMS Assembly saw the Dan School Undergraduate Society (DSUS) remove its motion to be ratified as an undergraduate society on Sept. 22. 

 

For the first time this year, the new 2022-23 AMS Assembly met in-person in Mitchell Hall to discuss a variety of matters. They planned an upcoming Orientation Week summit, the goal of which is to address concerns surrounding Orientation Week. In total, Assembly passed 28 motions.

 

 

The Dan School Undergraduate Society (DSUS) has been lobbying Assembly for two years to approve it as its own individual faculty society—separate from ASUS. According to the DSUS executive, Assembly must approve their request for ratification, which is then subject to referendum. 

 

According to Noelle Sinkic, DSUS president, the organization has acted as a faculty society over the past few years, and it would be a disservice to students and the Assembly to not be re-ratified. Sinkic said they require the student fee to set them up for further financial success.

 

“As a faculty society, one of only two named schools in the entire University, DSUS deserves to have its students represented to the highest legislative body of [undergraduate]students at Queen’s University,” Sinkic said at Assembly.

 

AMS President Eric Sikich brought to light issues of the membership size of DSUS, who don’t have enough students to qualify for representation in Assembly. DSUS encompasses less than 400 students while, based on the most recent Assembly policy, Assembly provides a society representative for every 500 students. 

 

There was discussion between Sinkic and Sikich regarding the number of students counted under the Dan School.

 

Students taking drama courses as medials don’t count, as they have voting rights through other AMS representatives, Sikich said.

 

Yara Hussein, ASUS president, said ratification of DSUS could set the precedence for 29 other student societies—namely, department student councils—to be ratified as faculty societies. Hussein’s concern was the over-amplification of student voices involved in multiple faculties.

 

“The relationships we have with student councils are [at] the heart of ASUS,” Hussein said. 

 

Sinkic returned to the claim DSUS had already been unofficially ratified for two years and asked for an “exception to the rule,” saying they’ve already operated as a faculty society. 

 

After the discussion branched to involve other ratified society presidents, DSUS removed the motion to be ratified as a faculty society. 

 

Assembly passed a motion to ratify the Health Sciences Society as a new faculty society, subject to referendum.

 

 

Assembly discussed holding a summit to discuss Orientation-related concerns, as 2022 Orientation Week has wrapped up.

 

President of the Nursing Science Society (NSS) Crystal Sau and Computing Students’ Association (COMPSA) President Jagrit Rai both had grievances with Orientation Week operations.

 

Orientation Roundtable (ORT) leaders in the NSS required accommodations to have nursing clinical days moved to give them time to do adequate patient prep after Orientation Week.

 

These accommodations were taken away four days before the start of Orientation, and students were expected to be present despite “suffering in terms of wellbeing,” Sau said.

 

Rai commented on issues with the accessibility of Orientation Week. He raised the motion to move the vote on next years’ ORT budget to the next Assembly. The motion was passed.

 

Callum Robertson, AMS vice-president (university affairs), thanked the society presidents for addressing the issues. He noted the return of in-person Orientation Week was led by many leaders who had never experienced in-person Orientation themselves.

 

“It creates confusion, miscommunications, little things that can add up to big things—that shouldn’t be swept under the rug,” Robertson said. 

 

He suggested society presidents send their grievances his way, to ensure they’re addressed at the summit.

 

 

Sikich addressed the re-opening of the Student Life Center, which is currently running in “full force.”

 

The Rideau building, which provides housing to AMS clubs and services, will open before the end of September. The opening will provide more club spaces for students to book.

 

 

All full-time Queen’s student transit fares will be covered by the AMS’s recently re-instated Bus-it program, according to AMS Vice-President (Operations) Tina Hu. 

 

Students can ride the bus for free on Kingston Transit by showing the driver the back of their student cards, which must be up to date by the end of September. Hu said part-time students can also opt-in to ancillary fees and

receive this service.

 

According to Hu, the University is also reviewing its Sexual Violence policy, because it’s up for its triennial review next year. 

 

 

Chloë Umengan has been hired as the Internal Social Issues Commissioner (SIC) and hiring for a second SIC position—the External SIC—is still underway.

 

Robertson expressed his support for the new SIC.

 

“We’re really excited to have Umengan on the team. I think she brings a lot of great energy to the role.”