March 11, 2022

The SFSS Council continued to build on its prior work over the month of July by working on its opening plan for the SUB, supporting motions regarding many topics ranging from the SUB opening date and Accessible Course Practices, to supporting the right of students and citizens to protest at home and abroad. Here is a synopsis of some of the happenings in the Month of July 2021.

On July 14 Council Meeting, the following occurred:

• The Student Union Building Opening Date was set for August 23rd, 2021 as a soft opening with plans outlining and with a launch plan developed by a select committee of Councillors
• In-person events support within specific guidelines were discussed and approved
• SFSS Council Increased support for staff training through a budget increase
• Passed a support motion for the Accessible Course Practices letter campaign so that SUs would send letters to their various departments and faculties
• Support of Workers during the lockout at Hilton Hotel

In the following Council meeting of the month, on July 28, there were discussions including:

• Issues policies development on Course Practices, which was passed, outlining our stance on open access to course materials and encouraging usage and wide scale adoption on campus
• Developed a letter based on the previously passed policy in support of the right to protest 
• The Accessible Course Practices working group establishment campaign continued to report to the UAA committee 
• Discussions on ensuring proper training and good governance were fruitful

The month of July was also a month of a lot of solidarity and collaboration. We took part in SFPIRG’s Transformation Justice Summer School Series covering topics such as What’s My Place? Reflections and Next Steps in Movement Building, No More “Wellness Checks”: Building Grassroots Mental Health First Aid Skills, No Cops On Campus: Imagining Police-free Universities & Colleges, and Organizing for a Police-free World  which were instrumental in continuing to build long term solidarity and support, boost inter-campus education, resource and capacity building and action. We also expressed our solidarity with the MUNSU who protested tuition increases of up to 20% and amplified the good work that they are doing as a student union to ensure their member’s voices are heard. In addition, we also supported the Contract Workers at SFU and their campaign to be designated as in-house employees in solidarity. 

Committees such as Accessibility, Governance, University and Academic Affairs, Human Resources Personnel, External and Community Affairs, Oversight Committee on Exec Officers, all continued to work throughout and we thank the Councillors and members on the committees for their labour.