What is a committee?

A committee is a group of people that are an appointed body for a specific service or function. Board committees exist to help assist the Board of Directors at the SFSS do their job. A committee is a Board Committee only if its existence and charge come from the Board, regardless of whether Board members sit on the committee.

There are two types of committees; permanent, standing committees that exist in perpetuity, and ad-hoc committees, that cease to exist as soon as their task is complete. Each Board committee needs to develop a terms of reference and have those terms of reference approved by the Board.

Board committees shall:

  • help the Board do its job
  • prepare policy alternatives for the Board, with relevant analysis of the implications of those alternatives
  • conduct its business with a focus on the organization as a whole
  • be used sparingly, and normally in an ad-hoc capacity.

Want to join a committee? Click here.

What they do:

This 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.

 

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 or 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: Christina Loutsik

 

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: Tawanda Chitapi

What they do:

The Executive Committee will focus on supporting the Board should it be unable to meet in a timely manner. This committee will provide the Board with reports on any Executive Committee meeting that took place since the previous meeting of the Board of Directors outlining items considered and motions passed.

 

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: Jasdeep Gill

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

Committee Chair: Christina Loutsik

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: Jessica Nguyen

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

Committee Chair: Nick Chubb

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

Committee Chair: Fiona Li

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: Shina Kaur