Council Meeting Agenda Monday, March 30th, 2020

5:30pm – 7:30pm Microsoft Teams (online)

15.1 Call to Order

15.2 Acceptance of the Agenda

15.3 Acceptance of the Minutes: 2020-03-16

15.4 Old Business

15.4.1 Executive Director’s Report

15.4.2 Executive Updates

- Caroline G.

- Executive team

- Steven P.

- Steven P.

- Rose S.

15.4.2.1 VP External Updates

15.4.3 UPass Discussion

15.4.4 Calling an April 20 SGM to amend Bylaws

15.5 Open Forum

15.6 Reminders

15.6.1 Next Council Meeting: 2020-04-20 at 17:30 in Microsoft Teams

15.7 Meeting Adjournment

Please refer to attached materials.

Council Meeting Minutes: 2020-03-30

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Council Meeting

Monday, March 30th, 2020

Minutes

Executives:

Danny Cameron – Chair, Aerospace Technology Campus

Miranda Campbell – VP Student Experience

Justin Cervantes – President

Brin Farrell – Chair, Schools of Transportation, Construction & the Environment

Raynen Jamieson – Chair, School of Energy

L.T. Le – Chair, School of Health Sciences

Adam Nguyen – VP Equity & Sustainability

Steven Palfrey – VP External

Louis-Philippe Rivest Giguere – Chair, School of Computing & Academic Studies

Rose Salm – VP Finance & Administration

Hunter Sones – Chair, School of Business

Dawson Verboven – Chair, Downtown Campus

Satellite

Councillors:

Ashley Obeck – Marine Campus

Myka Gowler – Annacis Island Campus

Staff: Caroline Gagnon – Executive Director

Crystal Man – Administrative Coordinator

Stewart McGillivray – Government Relations Strategist

Councillors: Muhammad Abdullah

Yasmeen Ali

Mina Arab Khedri

Kayla Arbez

Ophelia Bar-Lev-Wise

Lloyd Carleton

Adriana de Oliveira Lima

Parm Dhaliwal

Craig Goodison

Sean Green

Ruby Hsu

Delaney Hunt

Cailo Kapronczai

Takeshi Keber

Brianne Lee

Baldeep Litt

Matthew Miller

Gary Moon

Macus Ong

Emma Raine

Felix Ruttan

Grant Smith

Andrea So

Anika Tabaschum

Weylin Waters

Kay Yeh

Kai Zhang

Regrets: Jordan Robinson

Monique Tan

Kaitlyn Thompson

Hunter Van Dyke

Council Meeting Minutes: 2020-03-30

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15.1 Meeting Called to Order

The Chairperson, Justin, calls the meeting to order at 17:41 (41 voting members,

including Chair).

15.2 Acceptance of the Agenda

Motion:

Be it resolved that the agenda be accepted as amended.

Moved by: Justin Cervantes Seconded by: Raynen Jamieson

31/0/9 Carried

15.3 Acceptance of the Minutes: 2020-03-16

Motion:

Be it resolved that the Council minutes from 2020-03-16 be accepted as distributed.

Moved by: Justin Cervantes Seconded by: Brin Farrell

Unanimous Carried

15.4 Old Business

15.4.1 Executive Director’s Report

• Childcare has closed as of Monday, March 23rd, but may be asked to reopen to

accommodate the children of essential service workers.

• Student Services are still being offered online by a reduced number of staff.

• Things are changing quickly but should settle down by next week. Student

Association leadership will continue work on strategic plan and budgets.

• BCIT advised today that in-person instruction will not resume until May 31st at the

earliest.

Discussion:

• Are childcare staff prepared to return at a moment’s notice?

o Childcare staff are now on Leaves of Absence without pay and understand that

they can be recalled to work at any time.

15.4.2 Executive Updates

• See attached.

• Brin: The new building focus group scheduled for last week was cancelled. Darla is

working on finding a way to run focus groups online.

Council Meeting Minutes: 2020-03-30

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• Justin: Rose and the Bylaws Committee have created a template document for

Executive transitions, which has been shared with the Executive team. More in-depth

detail about the experiences of each executive during the year will be included.

15.4.2.1 VP External Updates

• As submitted.

• Students have submitted over 70 questions to the Info Hub so far.

• Councillor training will be revised according to feedback from Council.

Discussion:

• Are there many students asking similar questions?

o Yes, there is a section in the Info Hub that provides answers to commonly asked

questions. BCIT is monitoring the questions submitted as well.

15.4.3 UPass Discussion

• Students are asking about the future of the UPass and Translink is consulting student

associations and post-secondary institutions.

• Should the UPass program be continued as-is or suspended? Should students be

reimbursed, and if so, how? There are many options on the table.

• The lobbying team would like to understand the priorities of Council and try to fit that

into what is possible, since we have limited influence.

Discussion:

• Have other post-secondary institutions decided the types of changes they prefer?

o Other schools are still in the discussion phase, but there are concrete ideas like

reimbursement and suspension of the program.

• Would it be in violation of our contract for reimbursement?

o Reimbursement is a possible option for April that is being discussed.

• Consider the value of the UPass as a resource for people working in essential services

and students who rely on this as a way to get resources

o This is a valid point that is under consideration.

o Buses are still running and not charging fares.

• Is there a possibility of an opt-in/out approach?

o Individual applications for refunds may be too resource-intensive for

BCIT/Translink.

o One idea could be having a window of time for students to opt-out if they do

not wish to pay for the UPass for April.

• How could opting out affect future negotiations with Translink?

Council Meeting Minutes: 2020-03-30

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o There are no plans to change our long-term contract with Translink. We are

working collaboratively with Translink to try to find the best interim measures

and policies to support students.

• Will classes return to in-person instruction after May 31st?

o There is no definite answer available, but as of today, June 1st appears to be the

first day that students are back on campus.

Motion:

Be it resolved that the BCITSA support the President and the VP External to negotiate for

an April refund while ensuring the long term viability of the UPass contract.

Moved by: Steven Palfrey Seconded by: Hunter Sones

30/1/9 Carried

15.4.4 Calling an April 20 SGM to amend Bylaws

• As submitted.

• Proposed changes were briefly explained.

Motion:

Be it resolved that, pursuant to section 11 of the Bylaws, the President call a Special

General Meeting, to take place at 5:30pm on Monday April 20th, prior to the next

Council meeting.

Be it further resolved that the following items shall constitute the agenda for the Special

General Meeting, being chiefly those amendments to Bylaws adopted unanimously by

the Bylaw Committee on March 25th:

1. Adoption of Agenda

2. Consideration of Bylaw Amendments:

1. Standardizing and harmonizing the structure of Committees of councillors, and

other Association committees;

2. Reforming the appointment mechanism for the Satellite Councillors, the Indigenous

Councillor, the International Councillor, and the Residences Councillor;

3. Adding one duty to the portfolio of Vice President, Equity & Sustainability;

4. Modernizing the terminology and practices to accord with modern practices,

regarding AGM, budgets, and the audited financial statements;

5. Resolving contradictions between sections of Bylaws, such as enhancing the

independence of the Clubs Committee and of the independent committees overseeing

elections;

6. Reconciling instances where provisions or phrasing are out of sync with law or each

other

7. Routine housekeeping amendments of a technical nature; and

Council Meeting Minutes: 2020-03-30

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8. Optional: should Council wish, draft amendments to rename Satellite Councillor

positions.

Moved by: Rose Salm Seconded by: Felix Ruttan

32/0/8 Carried

15.5 Open Forum

• Is there anything that the Student Association can do to help support students who

have lost jobs lined up for the summer after graduation?

o The SA has limited power over things outside of our campus, but the federal

government may have support available. Students can try asking their potential

employer for a letter explaining the situation to apply for the Canada

Emergency Response Benefit.

• There was a technical issue with voting in myBCIT where candidate names were

mixed up in the elections for the Schools of TCE & Energy. As it was not possible for

in-progress races to be amended, the two elections were restarted. Only votes for the

Chairs for these schools were affected; votes casted for all other positions were not

affected. All students in both schools were informed that these elections were

restarted and any votes for these Chairs had to be recast.

• In-class instruction is suspended until at least May 31st, but students are still allowed

on campus. What are the services that are still operating in BCIT, such as print

services and library?

o All student services on campus are closed.

• Student Association Executives and staff are commended for their excellent work

during these challenging times.

15.6 Reminders

15.6.1 Special General Meeting, followed by next Council Meeting: 2020-04-

20 at 17:30 in Microsoft Teams

15.7 Meeting Adjournment

It was moved by Raynen Jamieson and seconded by Steven Palfrey that the meeting be

adjourned.

Unanimous Carried

The meeting was adjourned at 18:57.

Objective Updates - Mar 30Name Position # Objective Objective Update Next Steps

Justin Cervantes President

1 Begin transitioning and making notes for the new President

We reached 28 candidates for one of the highest participation rates for the SA election. Our task has now become to complete out individual transition documents plus a letter to the elect which is due by April 30, 2020 for all members of the board.

WIth the template complete, I will be finishing the document after finals on April 15.

2 Create benchmarks and KPIs for understanding how we successfully we engage with students

Completed. Caroline will be providing the KPI strategy to the executive board in the upcoming weeks, however this may be delayed due to COVID-19.

N/A - may not be on track to be presented to this board due to COVID-19 emergency work

3

Rose Salm VP Finance & Administration

1 Increase financial literacy of the Executive Board by conducting a basic info session in advance of the Annual General Meeting Objective Completed.

2 Create transition document for incoming/outgoing Executives Document has undergone review. Executives provided feedback and we have added some areas to the document based on their specifications. Ensure completion of documents for all Executives by April 30th.

3 Review bylaws surrounding Councilor and Committee selection processes Objective Completed.

Miranda Campbell VP Student Experience

1Create a platform such as an interactive website for clubs to communicate with each other as well as the SA to do joint club events and share resources/events

No update.

2Clubs Policy is up for review, as well as implementing new Clubs Event Funding Guidelines, Clubs Committee guidelines, and other club related process guidelines that have been requested for clarity.

Club sanctioning and clubs committee guidelines have been shared with the committee.

Waiting on a response to finalize and publicize on clubs SA page for students to see.

Adam Nguyen VP Equity & Sustainability

1 Improving climate change dialogue at BCITSA N/A

2Create a Sustainability and Equity Committee, and from there, working with a team to begin an initiative (an emphasis with future perpetuity)

N/A

3 To influence a change in at least in one BCIT policy (particularly concerning sustainability / equity) Will be participating in a student wellness steering committee next week .

Steven Palfrey VP External

1 Facilitate the UPass Referendum + Investigate UPass ContractWorking on BCITSA Info Hub finding additonal external information that supports students2 Lobby to Government on a Municipal, Provincial, and Federal

level with at least two trips to Victoria3 Identify rezoning opportunities near BCIT Burnaby Campus

Hunter Sones Chair, School of Business

1 Develop a contingency plan for event that there is a sudden material decrease in student fee revenues. no update Plan Postponed for 2-weeks

Create transition document for succeding Chair of Business

I've worked with Raynen Jamieson to prepare a Chair-specific transition document. To date, we have completed the following sections:- Objective Setting;- Set-Rep Meetings (before, during, and after);- Key Contacts; and- Personal anecdotes

Within two weeks, I aim to have completed the chair document and begin working on the acoompanying letter to my successor.

Raynen Jamieson Chair, School of Energy

1 Develop a new framework for effective Set Rep meetings to be handed down to future chairs N/A N/A

Objective Updates - Mar 30Name Position # Objective Objective Update Next Steps

Raynen Jamieson Chair, School of Energy 2

Increase communication between students and faculty about capstone funding, increase capstone funding, and move EXPO to SW1

N/A N/A

3 *Reserved for objective(s) created by Set Rep meetings* Working on a general chair transiiton doc with Hunter Complete the document, send to all chairs

Louis-Philippe Rivest Giguere

Chair, School of Computing &

Academic Studies

1 Create a network to empower female tech students No major update.Will be adding a section to my transition document to help guide successor in completing/following up on this objective next year, if this appeals to the successor.

2 Continue and improve existing SoCAS engagement and wellness events, specifically the Sun Run and the LAN Party Completing transition document for LAN Party. Objective will be complete!

3 Facilitate student insight into industry though career-oriented connections

I have been shifting my network to a remote-work friendly environment. This includes creating a discord channel with set reps where I share relevant events and resources. This channel aims to streamline communication with students, but also ensure students continute to develop their networks. For instance, Career Services has created a helpful reference guide for software companies that are still hiring during the pandemic.

Plan on meeting with Associate Dean to discuss opportunities for students despite the COVID-19 issues. Also chatting with a contact that supposedly audited our computing programs to determine the skill level of our graduates in comparison to what the industry demands.

L.T. Le Chair, School of Health Science

1

Working with BCITSA objective 5: "Expand Student Mental Health Literacy," I would like to champion the creation of a peer to peer program supporting mental health and resiliency along with working with a harm reduction model to increase health literacy

I had a phone conversation with Micheal from Health services. We discussed the importance of haivng counsellors for students and how important it was for students to have face to face time with a counsellor vs online. I will have another meeting with him in the upcoming months.

Another meeting with him after I speak to the deans at the deans meeting (this is postponed until further notice due to covid-19)

3 Advocate for the creation of a BCIT Student Refugee Program I am speaking with Lisa Collins on Friday, March 27th. WIll update in next objective update about the phone conversation.

Brin FarrellChair, Schools of Transportation, Construction &

Environment

1 Develop a strategy to enhance support and services for Applied & Natural Science students N/A N/A

2Develop a comprehensive program for the new Student Centre that refines space allocation and incorperates student and staff stakeholders in the planning process

The Building focus group for council (March 19) was cancelled due to COVID-19 and Darla and I will not be able to distribute student surveys throughout campus as intended. The Student Spaces Committee is now reviewing an online student survey on the new buildings before it is distributed to students.

Work to support Darla in retrieving student feedback remotely.

Dawson Verboven Chair, Downtown Campus

1 Help support the students in the ISEP program at DTC by making sure they have resources to succeed Working with Philip to have clear dialogue between ISEP during this time Keep up to date with Philip

2 Generate more clubs that are DTC oriented. Create a culture of clubs that transition between program years New DTC was was sanctioned last meeting! n/a

3Push for exam scheduling at DTC to be on par with the Burnaby campus. Exam schedules should be seamless between campuses.

n/a n/a

Danny Cameron Chair, Aerospace Campus

1 Coordinate more events at ATC, as well as an increase in awareness of other BCIT events available to students. N/a

2 Advocate for better food availability and quality on campus. N/aHave been communicating with associate Dean regarding whether students at ATC would prefer to resume classes asap or adhere to guidelines

Student Leader ReportsName Position Report Optional - Other Notes

Objective Updates - Mar 30Name Position # Objective Objective Update Next Steps

Ashley Obeck BMC Satellite Councillor

Myka Gowler AIC Satellite Councillor

Committee ReportsCommittee Report by Report Optional - Other Notes

Finance Rose Salm

Student Spaces Brin Farrell Had a video conference meeting on March 25th. All campus renovations are on hold until employees return to campus. The new building's programming schedule may change due to campus closure, however Darla is still working on it and we are still on track to hire an architect in the summer.

Dicussed our intention to pass along any objectives/projects that are delayed due to COVID-19 to the 2020-2021 committee.

Bylaw Rose Salm Bylaw Committee met digitally on March 25th.Advocacy & Policy Steven Palfrey meeting cancelled - decisions being made via microsoft teams chat

Clubs Miranda Campbell meeting cancelled - decisions being made via microsoft teams chat

Board of Governors Justin CervantesThe next board meeting will be in May, in which I will be bringing the president elect as part of transition training. The past BOG meeting, had a lot of conversations around COVID-19; at this time, the senior leadership team has been in a scramble to react, and as such it was too premature to ask for a status update beyond reactionary measures. Evaluation of the president, Kathy Kinloch, has been pushed back to Fall due to the COVID situation. A small insight is that based on the numbers, the SA will likely see a downtick in SA fees for the Fall term.

Education Council Miranda Campbell next meeting in mayAlumni Board Steven Palfrey No meeting this week Sustainability Adam Nguyen N/A

Council Meeting Agenda Monday, March 30th, 2020

5:30pm – 7:30pm

Item 15.4.2.1: VP External Updates

External Update

Monday March 30th, 2020

PREPARED FOR: BCITSA Council

PREPARED BY: Steven Palfrey

ISSUE: General information update

BACKGROUND: Progress update, feel free to ask questions on any of the following.

BCITSA Info Hub

Here is the website that allows students to submit their questions as referenced in the last session.

https://www.bcitsa.ca/infohub/ Please share it widely with your peers and make sure as many students as possible have a chance to ask a question!

Results of Google Form (Thank You!)

Council Meeting Agenda Monday, March 30th, 2020

5:30pm – 7:30pm

Stats speak for themselves there needs to be comprehensive financial training.

This is a mixed bag. It might be a good idea to do a social or simulation to make sure council is comfortable evaluating the executive items.

Really need to streamline this so that everybody has a clear guide to follow when it comes to submitting items.

Thank you to everyone who made a submission! Crystal will be using this feedback over the summer training review.

Council Meeting Agenda Monday, March 30th, 2020

5:30pm – 7:30pm

Item 15.4.3 Calling an April 20 SGM to amend Bylaws

As described at the previous Council meeting, there are several proposals to update the Bylaws. The Committee met on Wednesday March 25th to adopt the types of changes it wished to recommend, and the drafting is ongoing. The background material and files in progress can be found at this source: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tzueh6IiSSqeMRKGyPN9tnfeXn4bUWQ7

Accordingly, the following motion is proposed:

Moved by Rose, seconded by Andrea

“Be it resolved that, pursuant to section 11 of the Bylaws, the President call a Special General Meeting, to take place at 5:30pm on Monday April 20th, prior to the next Council meeting.

Be it further resolved that the following items shall constitute the agenda for the Special General Meeting, being chiefly those amendments to Bylaws adopted unanimously by the Bylaw Committee on March 25th:

1. Adoption of Agenda 2. Consideration of Bylaw Amendments:

1. Standardizing and harmonizing the structure of Committees of councillors, and other Association committees;

2. Reforming the appointment mechanism for the Satellite Councillors, the Indigenous Councillor, the International Councillor, and the Residences Councillor;

3. Adding one duty to the portfolio of Vice President, Equity & Sustainability; 4. Modernizing the terminology and practices to accord with modern practices, regarding AGM,

budgets, and the audited financial statements; 5. Resolving contradictions between sections of Bylaws, such as enhancing the independence of

the Clubs Committee and of the independent committees overseeing elections; 6. Reconciling instances where provisions or phrasing are out of sync with law or each other 7. Routine housekeeping amendments of a technical nature; and 8. Optional: should Council wish, draft amendments to rename Satellite Councillor positions."