The Accessibility Committee is responsible for monitoring usage of the Student Society Accessibility Fund; approving accessibility-related capital expenses; recommending changes to policy sections relating to issues of accessibility and the Accessibility Fund; researching, maintaining and approving a pricing list of accessibility services; and hearing appeals of decisions taken by the Student Union Resource Office, the General Office and the Finance and Administrative Services Committee.

Examples:  Approving technological aids

What they do:

• Organize engagement initiatives and seeking results that equitably benefits BIPOC students on campus
• Supporting initiatives by BIPOC groups on campus, and ensuring those groups receive proper consideration and consultation
• Guide SFSS’ advocacy on behalf of BIPOC students and to ensure accountability on SFU’s EDI efforts and reconciliation efforts and that they are committed to action
• Building an anti-racist approach to training and development sessions, and cultural awareness training within the SFSS
• Fostering an anti-racist environment through community building events, cultural events, advocacy, and campaigns

The purpose of this Committee shall be to center historically-excluded students in the community at Simon Fraser University within the framework of the Simon Fraser Student Society. These spaces have been notoriously governed by dominant figures in societies while excluding the most marginalized people, such Black, Indigenous, Persons of Colour; poor or low socio-economic status; immigrants; international students; sex workers, women, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming people and other LGBTQIA2S+ communities; youth and the elderly; and people with disabilities, mental health exceptionalities, and drugaddictions, etc. The SFSS acknowledges that knowledge and experience of marginalized individuals who have lived experience are key in order to properly practice anti-oppression and Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI).

This Committee’s purpose is to work towards dismantling intersecting forms of systemic oppression which includes but is not limited to: classism, ableism, capitalism, colonialism, anti-Blackness, misogyny, gender-based violence, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, fatphobia, the various types of racism, etc.

Learn more about the Committee on the SFSS Council Policies document, page 83.

What they do:

The Events Committee will focus on the proposal and reporting on organizational events. The purpose of this committee is to provide the Board with formal recommendations and reports relating to event:

•  Proposals, including: a budget, timeline, event schedule, engagement opportunities, staffing requirements, and resource requirements
•  Progress
•  Final reports on the event, including: financial actuals, engagement results, participation levels, and a recommendation on whether or not to host similar events in the future

Committee Chair: Jennifer Chou (VP Student Life)

What they do:

The Advocacy Committee will focus on the organizational advocacy priorities. The purpose of this committee is to provide the Board with formal recommendations and reports relating to:

• Advocacy priority proposals
• Plans for the implementation of accepted proposals, including: a budget, resource requirements, staffing requirements, and timelines
• Summary reports on the progress of advocacy initiatives which include: spending actuals, and campaign highlights.

Committee Chair: Eshana Baran (VP External & Community Affairs)

What they do:

• Coordinates the activities of the faculty representatives and at-large directors within their portfolios
• Collaborate on faculty and department-based campaigns and advocacy

Rotating Chair (VP University Relations acts as a support to the Committee)

What they do:

The purpose of this committee is to make and report on the development of recommendations to the Board of Directors aimed on the financial and audit functions of the Society on behalf of the Board. They recommend and report to the Board on:

• The audit of the Society, including: the appointment of the external auditor, annual financial statements, and the auditor’s unobstructed access to information and personnel
• The finances of the Society, including: the annual budgets developed and presented to the Board, review and present semesterly financial statements to the Board, and ensure that regular monitoring reports are completed and presented to the Board.

Committee Chair: Corbett Gildersleve (Abhishek Parmar)

What they do:

• Coordinate activities and engagement events and initiatives, such as community-building events
• Coordinate first year advocacy activities and projects
• Make recommendations to the Board on first year inclusiveness

What they do:

The Governance Committee will focus on the SFSS Board Policies and provide the Board with formal recommendations and reports relating to:

• SFSS Constitution, Bylaws, and Board Policies
• Committee terms of reference
• Governance processes, including the roles and responsibilities of the Board, duties, and responsibilities of directors and officers, conflict of interest procedures, procedures for the removal of directors, Board and committee training, Board and candidate orientation, and Board and Board member performance review
• Legislative changes that impact the activities of the SFSS
• Board calendar, including meeting times, Board retreat, Board evaluation time, monitoring report schedule

Committee Chair: Judit Nagy (VP Internal and Organizational Development)

What they do:

• Guiding the President in their role as the liaison between the Board of Directors and staff, subject to the limits of this policy; and to guide the President, as outlined in the bylaws to ensure compliance with and enforcement of all relevant Collective Agreements, employment contracts and staff relations policies
• To negotiate collective agreements with CUPE 3338
• Oversee all aspects of hiring, managing, and evaluating union-excluded personnel

Committee Chair: Helen Sofia Pahou (President)

What they do:

• Give advice regarding the coordination of the society member services
• Coordinate operations and give assistance and advice to coordinators on member services, clubs and DSU operations
• Make recommendations to policies relating to the member-services of the Society.
• Receive updates on issues that have happened in the delivery of member-services, and for possible improvements to clubs and DSU policies and solicit feedback from students

What they do:

The purpose of this committee is to seek, identify, and recruit qualified members to participate in Board committees. Provide the Board with formal recommendations and reports relating to the appointment of at-large members to Board committees.

Committee Chair: Judit Nagy (VP Internal and Organizational Development)

The purpose of this Committee shall be to

• Ensure students are knowledgeable about business before the SFSS’s Governing Bodies.
• Provide an opportunity/space for the general membership to have a voice.
• Act as a resource for students to learn more about the society.

This committee is primarily charged with overseeing the conduct of Executive Officers. It also has the ability to, where needed, investigate the conduct of Executive Officers and, at the conclusion of an investigation, potentially recommend disciplinary action to Council. Lastly, the committee itself also has the ability to reduce the stipend of Executive Officers, when deemed necessary after an investigation.

The purpose of the committee is to oversee SFSS space. This involves

• Overseeing renovations, maintenance, and small improvement projects
• Researching future space opportunities
• Developing space campaigns
• Oversee the health and use of the Space Expansion Fund and relevant line items of the Build SFU Fund

The Surrey Campus Committee will focus on issues affecting students at the Surrey Campus. The purpose of this committee is to provide the Board with formal recommendations and reports relating to:

• Engagement initiatives and results
• Community building events at the Surrey campus

What they do:

• Connect with the student body about university issues and campaigns
• Inform and educate your peers on issue-based campaigns
• Work with SFU student senators and Board of Governors Representative
• Contribute to engagement at SFU

Committee Chair: Nikki Kirigin (VP University and Academic Affairs)

What they do:

The Vancouver Campus Committee will focus on issues affecting students at the Vancouver Campus. The purpose of this committee is to provide the Board with formal recommendations and reports relating to:

• Engagement initiatives and results
• Community building events at the Vancouver campus