CSA meeting covers local and campus issues
The Central Student Association (CSA) met on Feb. 8 and heard presentations from three guests during the meeting.
One of the first orders of business for the evening was discussion around the absence of director Andrew Contant.
Communications and corporate affairs commissioner Zoey Ross stated that Contant had not been at a CSA meeting since his ratification in November. OAC director Spencer McGregor argued that, before Contant’s de-ratification, he should receive notice about the upcoming decision, which led to the decision being postponed until Contant was notified.
The executives then provided their reports, beginning with academic and university affairs commissioner Meghan Wing.
Wing discussed the upcoming CSA general election, a topic that would be mentioned throughout the evening, and reminded everyone that the nomination period closed on Feb. 10.
Ross then thanked everyone for their help with the 2017 annual general meeting (AGM), though he did say that the numerous directors who were absent from the AGM was “concerning.”
Finance and operations commissioner Ryan Shoot and external affairs commissioner Emily Vance have been working on a letter addressed to the Ontario government pertaining to mental health on campus, making “proactive—opposed to reactive—programming.”Rojas discussed the free rental inspection open to Guelph students and Shoot updated the board of directors on the CSA hiring committees, which have all now met and are in the process of hiring.
Mayor Cam Guthrie was in attendance at the meeting and spoke to the board about initiatives going on in the greater Guelph community. Mayor Guthrie referenced the letter to the Ontario government regarding mental health, saying that he would put his name behind it, and highlighted the need for mental health initiatives that focus on high school students coming into university.
This can ensure that students are better prepared when they arrive on campus and that they will have the tools and the knowledge of where they can go to find resources when taking care of their mental health.
Mayor Guthrie touched upon the rate in which Guelph is growing, with a population increase of 8.4 per cent in comparison to the national average of 5 per cent, and the challenges and opportunities that come with a city population on the rise. Guelph’s unique “vibe,” its downtown cultural core, and proximity to Toronto were seen by the mayor as some of the primary reasons for the influx of new Guelph residents.
With the floor opened up for questions from the board of directors, Ross asked the mayor about the recent proposal to make Guelph a sanctuary city, to which the mayor responded that he would “like to see the actual wording” of the document before providing his take on the proposal.Mayor Guthrie explained that all proposals that are brought before council must be released to the public 10 days before the next council meeting, and encouraged everyone in attendance to read through proposals during this time.
Mayor Guthrie continued by fielding questions regarding local services like upcoming transit initiatives coming to the city of Guelph. The Guelph Transit service will be reviewed in the coming year and an action plan will then be formulated.
Representatives from both the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 3913 and 1334 who represent the interests of TAs and sessional instructors, and maintenance workers, respectively, made presentations to the board regarding their ongoing contractual negotiations with the University’s administration. Following the presentation, college of arts at-large director Peter Miller proposed a motion where the CSA representatives on the board of governors will ask for support for both iterations of CUPE and to freeze tuition. The question was then divided by Wing, and the motion to support CUPE was passed, while the subject of a tuition freeze was postponed until the next board meeting.
Photo by Rebecca Thompson/The Ontarion.