New entry in SFUO based reality series showcases students wielding pitchforks and torches at GA.
general assembly
March 14 General Assembly sees quorum met for the first time.
On Jan. 26, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) held their third Board of Administration (BOA) meeting of the month, where Faculty of Social Sciences representative Tony Bui raised some “serious concerns” about the upcoming general election.
The Jan. 15 meeting came only four days after a special meeting of the BOA, where a report by comptroller general Tanner Tallon raised issues about executives’ expenses and hours in the office.
If a motion with legal bearing can be shared in a BOA meeting, there is no legal reason it can’t be shared outside of it, since these kinds of gatherings are open to the public.
“This might not be enough, the SFUO should seriously consider handing out free puppies and lattes to get students involved at GAs.”—Emily Smith, third-year economics student.
It becomes more and more important that a greater number of students be given an effective voice—that means being able to vote on policy—and not just a passive role every year.
Since the SFUO decided to refuse to work with the GA Outreach Committee and publicly scolded students for taking matters in their own hands, I can not in good conscience continue to serve the SFUO on this committee.
It is often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. That is unfortunately where we lie now, stuck in the stagnation of our status quo.
The Nov. 12 General Assembly (GA) of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) did not reach quorum for the fifth time in a row, leading to concerns over a lack of promotion, as well as student apathy.
Having the SFUO rely on committees staffed only by BOA members is a bad idea, since they work so closely with each other and can face internal pressures that can influence their decisions.
At Sunday’s vote, there were a lot of BOA members who approached me and said that they felt like a gun was put to their heads. This is unacceptable.
Directors are charged with a duty to make reasoned decisions, not blindly follow their ideological viewpoints.
Student executives are gearing up for this year’s fall-term General Assembly (GA), which is set to take place on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Marion Auditorium.
A number of students present at the meeting had concerns over two motions proposed at the meeting, the first of which was to abolish section 3.13.4 in the SFUO constitution.
The Nov. 6 meeting of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO)’s Board of Administration (BOA) will see motions to reduce the power of the General Assembly (GA), according to an advance copy of the motions made available to BOA members before each meeting, which was obtained by the Fulcrum.
Instead of complaining about students and evading responsibility, perhaps they should focus that energy on actually doing a better job of promoting the SFUO and its democratic structures.
On Oct. 14, Marcus Mattinson, a fourth-year public administration student at the U of O, started a Facebook campaign asking students to sign his petition to remove the levy for Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG)
The fear that the GA won’t meet quorum shouldn’t discourage you from bringing motions forward—they can pass either way.
If change is to take place on campus, the SFUO cannot do it alone—it has to be in collaboration between federated bodies, clubs, and all facets of our campus, including students at large.
These new positions include fireworks coordinator, private Uber driver, Pokémon GO tour guide, and many more.
The meeting’s chair was constantly keeping an eye on the time, as the Board of Administration (BOA) had 17 motions to deal with at the March 23 meeting.
The motion cited concerns that details about the position are “inaccessible to students, being absent from the SFUO constitution,” and that the holder of the position is not required to be a student.
Despite the dismissal of these promising motions, it seems that this fourth installment of the GAs has inspired students to put forth their ideas to keep our campus at its best.
The GA did finish the night with 141 in attendance, roughly three times the number of students in attendance at the previous GA, where no motions were filed. As quorum was not reached, the meeting featured an update from the executive, a presentation on the budget, and a 20-minute question period.
