ANNUAL%REPORT2014/2015% · ANNUAL%REPORT2014/2015%...

ANNUAL REPORT 2014-‐2015

Message from the President

“We serve the graduate students of the University of Waterloo with dedication and commitment to enhance the quality of their academic and social experience.”

-‐GSA mission statement A few highlights of this year include:

Your GSA continues to grow from its humble roots to a multi-‐million dollar corporation. The GSA is in a stable position, but the task for the future is to ensure that the GSA continues to meet its corporate obligations, continues to provide relevant services to, and meets the needs of graduate students.

Maryam Shahtaheri, GSA President -‐ 2014-‐2015

Internal Engagement: § A new GSA governance model, § An overhaul of the GSA-‐bylaws, § Update GSA policies and

procedures, § Corporate audit.

University Engagement:

§ Graduate student funding, § University policies review, § Course evaluation project, § Fall break consultations, § Professionalism certificate for

graduate students, § University nominating and

hiring committees.

GSA Student Services: § Graduate student orientation § Mini town hall meetings, § GRT Bus Pass contract renewal, § Health & Dental Plan, § Social events & social media.

External Engagement

§ Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, (CASA)-‐federal representation,

§ Ontario Graduate Students’ Alliance, (OGSA)-‐provincial representation,

§ GU15 – a conference of national graduate student leaders from top research universities,

§ City of Waterloo Town & Gown Committee – municipal level engagement.

“Social progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex.” -‐ Karl Marx

As the first elected female president of the Graduate Student

Association, it is my pleasure to present to you a report on the initiatives and projects of my Executive team, the Directors, Councillors, Volunteers, General Manager of the GSA, and General Manager of the Graduate House, whose common goal is to honour our commitment to graduate students at the University of Waterloo.


A Year in Review This report provides an overview of the major initiatives taken on by the GSA for the 2014-‐2015 academic term. Successes and ongoing efforts associated with these initiatives are highlighted in this report. With a heartfelt Thank You, the GSA acknowledges the selfless efforts of the Directors, Councillors, Volunteers and Staff of the GSA.

GSA Board of Directors

Maryam Shahtaheri, President, Chair Maya D’Alessio, Director Connor Hart, Director Michael Makahnouk, Director Mike Piazza, Director Coleen Even, VP Communications & Events Ghazal Memartoluie, VP External Sonia Rahman, VP Internal Robert D.E. Henderson, VP Student Affairs Taya McGillivary, Director (graduated in January 2015) GSA Members of Council APPLIED HEALTH SCIENCES: Jessy Parokaran Varghese, Kimberley Lopez, Isabelle Messa, Sonja Senthanar, Maggie Miller. ARTS: Del John Houle, Allison Mascella, Phil Miletic, Virginia Shay, Laura Coakley, Julien Defraeye, Joseph Buscemi, Janelle Salhanha, Nathan Haydon, Jamie Sewell, Celia Huang. ENGINEERING: Tim Leshuk, Matthew Perrone, Ahmed Abdel Aziz, Artur Sokol, Jumana Shahzadeh, Ahmad Basalah, Vikkie Chen, Christina Chan, Josh Raveendran. ENVIRONMENT: Chris Burke, James Sebele MATHEMATICS: Puneet Sharma, Naijing Kang, Sandy Beidu, Alex Pokluda, John Doucette, Ty Ghaswala, Jinchao Lin, Nathalie Moon. SCIENCE: Brianne McCallum, Iain Wallace, Matthew Edwards, Kristen Leal, David Pomaranski, Gah-‐Jone, Nawaz Ahmed, Samantha Shortall, Steven Cheung. AT-‐LARGE COUNCILLORS: Bod Panton, Dan McRoberts, Krista Mathias, Hossam Amer, Muyiwa Ogunlaja.


Internal Engagement GSA Policy and Bylaw Review

The Policy and By-‐law Review Committee addressed several issues with the GSA corporate documents, specifically to be prepared for the impending enactment of the Ontario Not-‐for-‐profit Corporations Act, 2010. The by-‐laws and standing rules were replaced with a new set of bylaws approved by members at a general meeting. For a full listing of the updated bylaws refer to the GSA website. Policies and procedures are being reviewed, developed, and updated. Once approved, the policies will be listed on the GSA website.

As part of this process, a new governance structure was approved by the membership at a General Meeting. The new governance structure consists of 8 Directors which are elected by members and serve a 2 year staggered term; ensuring corporate continuity amongst at least half the board members. Officer positions are appointed by the board and ratified by members. The GSA officer positions include: President, Vice-‐President, Student Affairs Officer; External Affairs Officer – CASA, External Affairs Officer – OGSA, Chief Returning Officer and Alumni Directors. For the upcoming 2015-‐2016 term, the GSA General Manager will serve as the Corporate Secretary and Treasurer.

GSA Corporate Audit The GSA Board approved the annual operating budget for the fiscal year September 1, 2014 to

August 31, 2015. The auditor, Meyer Norris Penny, was approved at the 2014 Annual General Meeting (AGM). Highlights of the financial statements are presented at the AGM.

The audited financial statements support the positive position of the GSA. The Board does recognize that even with a positive position in recent years the GSA must apply due diligence to maintain a healthy corporation, and insure that healthy reserves are maintained to support special projects, staffing, and liabilities. The Graduate House Fee was increased to $17.50 / term beginning May 1, 2015. A proposal to increase the GSA Fee to $20.50/ term beginning September 1, 2105, is brought before the membership for approval at the 2015 AGM.

The GSA audited financial statements can be viewed at the GSA office, currently located at COM 130.

GSA Student Services Graduate Student Orientation/GSA Welcome Reception

The campus-‐wide graduate orientation was planned, developed and executed in collaboration with the GSA, Graduate Studies Office (GSO), and the Student Success Office (SSO). The 2014 campus-‐wide graduate orientation was a huge success, reaching out to almost 700 incoming graduate students. Moving forward, as part of the governance restructure, the GSA Vice President

ANNUAL REPORT 2014-‐2015 will be the point of contact for the graduate student orientation. The GSA will continue to be heavily involved with the planning and execution of graduate student orientation.

The GSA hosted a welcome reception for all graduate students and their families as part of the graduate orientation events. The welcome reception provides graduate students with an opportunity to mingle with other graduate students, staff and faculty. This past year’s welcome reception was a huge success with over 400 incoming graduate students in attendance enjoyed a free home-‐cooked meal, local live music, activities for children and families, and several lucky graduate students won prizes and gifts.

The GSA wishes to thank and acknowledge the volunteers that helped make the graduate

student orientation and welcome reception events the success that they were! Faculty Mini-‐Town Halls

The GSA hosted mini town halls with each of the 6 Faculties to obtain feedback on guidelines and practices regarding graduate student employment at the University to help in the further development of Policy 30. Key findings from the mini town halls include:

§ Inconsistencies in support provided to graduate students who are paid as sessional instructors and rates of pay are not reflective of the workload.

§ Lack of clear TA contracts with inconsistencies found across departments.

§ Discrepancies between departments regarding increased work load.

§ Concerns around adequate office space and conditions surrounding desk allocations.

§ Across some departments, the President’s Scholarship, or part thereof, is being offered to students as TA work rather than a $5,000 top up.

§ Inconsistent rates of pay for marking work reports.

§ Inconsistencies around proctoring assignments and penalties imposed on students when

unable to proctor (even if a suitable delegate has been found) GRT Buss Pass Contract Renewal

The GRT working group, consisting of GSA-‐UW, FEDS, WLUSU, and WLU-‐GSA, renewed the GRT Bus Pass contract for 5 years. The working group negotiated a 4.99% annual increase for the next five years, with the base fee of $81.15 starting September 1, 2015. This fixed rate for the next five years will see the overlap of the implementation of the LRT transit, and perhaps the implementation of a smartcard reader to streamline ridership data.

ANNUAL REPORT 2014-‐2015 Health and Dental Plan

The GSA/FEDS Health plan continues to be in stable position. The “out of country” charges did affect the plan as claims in this area are reflective of the uWaterloo’s commitment to expand the student experience to a global one. The Health insurance fee is remained unchanged at $51.25/term and is a joint plan with the FEDS.

The GSA Dental Plan is also in a very stable position, with the claims experience directly affecting the premium. The GSA continued to subsidize the dental plan for graduate students, however this is not a sustainable position. The Dental insurance of $63.00/term for this year was at the subsidized rate. The new rate has not been determined at the time of this report. The rate is usually confirmed in the spring term. Graduate students will be charged the full premium in the coming year. It is anticipated that the rate will be approximately $71.00.

Social Events The GSA hosted various events both on and off campus, which help foster a sense of

community among graduate students and each year the GSA hosts events that focus on graduate students with families. Below is a list of the many successful events that took place:

§ Pecha Kucha nights

§ Movie nights

§ Halloween Party

§ Halloween Haunt – Wonderland trip

§ “Get that Killer Job” – talk on professionalization

§ Trivia Nights

§ Open Mic Nights

§ Free Food Thursdays at the Graduate House

§ Live music with local entertainers

§ Wine 101

Social Media The GSA has a strong social media presence on both Twitter and Facebook. To connect with the GSA please find us at Twitter: @GSA_UWaterloo and Facebook. As well, the first Monday of each month the GSA sends out eNews highlighting events for the upcoming month; stay tuned each month for updates!


University Engagement Graduate Student Funding The minimum guaranteed funding for doctoral students will increase by 3% beginning May 1, 2015 to $21,865 / year. Discussions are currently underway regarding increases to TA/RA hourly rates; a more detailed report of the funding increase will be presented at the AGM. Review of University Policies

The GSA is actively engaged in the review process of University policies through the provision of recommendations that will meet the needs of graduate students. A prime example is the draft improvements being recommended towards Policy 30 to address issues such as selection of TAs, grading turnaround times and proper disciplinary procedures. The GSA is active in the Policy 33 – Ethical Behaviour review, which affects the whole UWaterloo community.

Course Evaluation Project In partnership with members of the UWaterloo community, the GSA is working to ensure that teaching performed by graduate students is evaluated fairly. The course evaluation project will extend to tutorials and labs which are often not included in the evaluation process. Fall Break Initiative The GSA is representing graduate student needs in consultations with UWaterloo regarding the possible fall break. It is likely that the proposals to the fall break will result in policy changes. Further information will be provided to members as more details unfold.


External Engagement Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA)

The GSA continues to be active in CASA and as a member of CASA’s Grad Council advocates for the needs of UWaterloo graduate students on a national platform. A few of the key topics undertaken by CASA include:

evaluating gaps in graduate student financial aid; parental leaves; graduate student representation on the Tri-‐Council Board; commercialization of research; and employment opportunities. The GSA will continue to work in collaboration with CASA to lobby for graduate student initiatives. Ontario Graduate Student Alliance (OGSA) As a founding member of OGSA, the GSA continues to be actively engaged in lobbying efforts at the Provincial level. The GSA proudly acknowledges that the President of OGSA , Michael Makahnouk, is a member of the GSA -‐UW. OGSA has had quite the successful year with the release of its first policy paper “Refundable Technology Tax Credit.” OGSA was also invited to present for the Minister of Finance, Charles Sousa as part of the 2015 Pre-‐Budget consultations. Currently, the GSA is working in collaboration with OGSA to develop a policy paper on Mental Wellness. For more details on OGSA initiatives refer to the OGSA website. GUI5 The GU15 is comprised of graduate student association student leaders from 16 of the top research-‐intensive universities across Canada. The GSA works in collaboration with other members of the GU15 to share information and best practices relevant to graduate students, issues supporting research, and about their operations. Town and Gown Committee of the City of Waterloo

The GSA continues to be an active member of the Town and Gown committee bringing a graduate student perspective to these municipal discussions. As a member of the Student Housing Ad Hoc Working Group, the GSA supported the development of an off-‐campus housing survey and provided analytical support of findings. A final report was presented to the Town and Gown committee.

ANNUAL REPORT 2014-‐2015 Meeting with Premier Wynne

Our Commitment

MISSION

We serve the graduate students of the University of Waterloo with dedication and commitment

to enhance the quality of their academic and social experience.

VISION

We are leaders facilitating the growth and development of graduate studies at the University of Waterloo.

We are the sole representatives of graduate students on all campuses of the University of Waterloo.

VALUES

Advocacy w Accountability w Inclusivity w Professionalism wTransparency

Looking forward to another productive year!

The GSA was invited to attend a meeting with Premier Wynne to discuss issues surrounding graduate studies and employment prospects post-‐graduation. Specifically, Premier Wynne was interested in discussions around graduate student teaching, particularly non-‐tenure stream faculty positions such as sessional instructors/lecturers.

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