The University is working with the two primary student governments at Queen’s to formalize relationships that have historically relied, in part, on individual agreements and established practices.
On Aug. 17, Queen’s announced that the University, the AMS, and the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) are co-developing a framework intended to clarify their respective roles and responsibilities.
The framework intends to strengthen student safety while improving accountability and transparency between the organizations, the Queen’s Student Governments Working Group said said in a statement to The Journal. The group was established in November 2025
In an interview with The Journal, AMS President Dreyden George said that Queen’s, the AMS, and the SGPS signed a letter of intent in April, committing to work toward formal agreements. The Journal has not obtained a copy of the letter.
Co-chaired by George and the Interim Assistant Dean (Student Affairs) Leah Wales, the working group’s membership also includes executive staff from the student governments. Representatives from Student Affairs, the Smith School of Business, Smith Engineering, and the Office of Risk and Safety Services, are also part of the group.
The SGPS did not respond to The Journal’s request for comment in time for publication.
George said the process is intended to document responsibilities that have sometimes been understood through established practices.
“There [are] some things that we do purely out of what we know as practice or tradition,” he said.
George said there can be a lack of governing documentation outlining responsibilities, commitments, and which organization is responsible for what.
He said this can be important when circumstances fall outside what would be considered a typical year and the organizations need guidance on their respective responsibilities.
George pointed to agreements involving the Student Life Centre, health and dental plan administration, and student government elections as examples of areas where the AMS and the University already work together.
Elections, George said, demonstrate why responsibilities between the organizations sometimes need to be formally established. While Queen’s maintains student enrolment information used to determine voter eligibility, the AMS administers its elections, requiring the two organizations to establish their responsibilities for handling that information.
The working group’s statement said the AMS and SGPS will remain autonomous, self-governing organizations. The group is advisory and doesn’t have the authority to independently approve a final agreement.
Any resulting agreement will require separate review and approval through the governance processes of Queen’s and the respective student governments.
For the AMS, George said formalizing its relationship with Queen’s could provide incoming student leaders with a clearer understanding of the organization’s responsibilities.
“It also means a consistency for students when it comes to what the AMS is committing to and making sure that what they’re claiming their role is, is accurate,” he said.
George said the goal is to create “less gray areas” for students, leaders, and organizations.
The process isn’t expected to change how individual students or AMS clubs interact with the University on a day-to-day basis. George said processes like club ratification aren’t changing, pointing to the AMS’s continued autonomy over areas of student life governed by its constitution.
The University expects the working group to remain active well into 2027, though no specific timeline has been set for when it will be completed.
Tags
AMS, Queen's Working Relationship, SGPS
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