UMSU FORWARD - 2016 Policy Handbook

UMSU FORWARD2016 POLICY HANDBOOK

Welcome!We are UMSU Forward, and we’re excited about this opportunity

to bring great ideas to life and reach out to students.UMSU Forward is committed to a new kind of students’ union

on this campus. As grassroots organizers working on a range of campus projects, we have gained insight from you into what UMSU could be, and what it must be. We’re ready to bring new life into the students’ union.

A students’ union needs to engage with students. It must always be listening to campus voices, identifying needs, building unity, and turning that into creative action. We can’t keep saying that students are apathetic when the union doesn’t engage with them.

A students’ union needs to be building a better campus life, every day. This means moving beyond the campus politics, the division, and the personal agendas. By working together, pooling our resources and our ideas, we can achieve so much. We need student leaders committed to identifying problems big and small - from adding electrical outlets to administrative policy, all students need access to power.Finally, a students’ union needs more than anything else to provide a voice for students. There are issues on this campus that need to be addressed - from budget cuts to student debt levels. We need student leaders who are ready to stand up; who can be counted on to stick by their principles; and who fight for what they believe in – inclusive, diverse, accessible, high-quality education.

This is the kind of students union UMSU Forward is committed to building, and we’ve got a number of great policies to get started. Keep reading to see just a few of the many ways we’re committed to moving UMSU forward.

Our Five PillarsWhat we care about

Everyone on UMSU Forward brings different experiences and priorities to the table. We’ve got some big plans that we want to bring you in on. These plans cover five broad areas:Advocacy

Let’s defend students’ interests at the Legislature and the University, with UMSU Forward’s long record of standing up for students.Climate Action

Let’s turn our union into a symbol of hope while developing student jobs by building a student-run and owned composter on campus.Food Strategy

Let’s implement UMSU’s first food strategy, $5 meal deals, options for residence and international students, and campus farmers markets.Transparency and Democracy

Let’s give students more access to the union through participatory budgeting, revamping social media, and consultation sessions.Student Community

Let’s help students build community and connect to student groups — with regular free breakfasts, student-run competitions, and support for student groups.

AdvocacyIn your corner...

Whether it’s working with students as individuals or lobbying powerful bodies, advocacy is one of the most important services that a student union can provide. UMSU Forward is committed to action-focused, effective, and responsible advocacy. We will carry on the effective and important work on campaigns like mental health and sexual assault prevention done by previous UMSU Executives, with an eye to how they can be made more effective by setting short- and long-term goals. We will also focus on smaller-scale issues that are relevant to students on a day-to-day basis, like more comfortable study space. Finally, UMSU Forward is committed to advocating for the financial well-being of both domestic and international students, and ensuring that students are well represented to both the government and the administration.Campaigns

Current UMSU campaigns address pressing issues facing students such as sexual assault on campus, equity, and mental health awareness. UMSU Forward will ensure that these campaigns are continually developed by constituency groups such as Active Minds, Justice for Women, and the Womyn’s Centre. We will work with these groups to ensure that they maximise their reach and effectiveness.It is also important to ensure that these campaigns provide more than just awareness and that the administration is taking adequate action on student concerns. University regulations such as the sexual assault policy need to be developed in consultation with students and continually reevaluated

Study SpaceFinding study space is always a problem. A lack of clean,

spacious, and relaxing areas to study makes it more difficult to be a student and often forces people off campus. Creating more welcoming and comfortable spaces will make life easier for students and help us start building the community we all want to see on campus.

We will make sure that adequate study spaces are included in all new buildings and make sure that renovations do not remove current student study space. To address the immediate need for study space, we will open classrooms as rotating study halls, starting with already existing classrooms. Rotating study halls will save students the time of trying to find open classrooms during busy study seasons.Infrastructure

One way to stay energized at school is staying hydrated. On Bannatyme campus, there are very few water fountains and none have converted to water bottle friendly. Ensuring that water fountains are accessible is also crucial for eliminating disposable plastic bottle waste on campus. UMSU Forward will advocate more water fountains on Bannatyne campus that are accessible for students and staff and are waterbottle friendly.

Second, students often find themselves in a web of cords due to lack of electrical plugs in study spaces and classrooms on campus. UMSU Forward will advocate the installation of electrical plugs, in key spots around campus to ensure all students have access to power! Regulating International Student Tuition Fees

Domestic students benefit from the security of provincial legislation capping tuition increases at the rate of inflation. International student tuition, however, can be raised without restriction. This means that international students completing a

four-year degree can see their tuition increase in any or every year of their study. International students may also have less opportunity to take advantage of provincial tax credits and advances available to Manitoba residents.

Last year, international students’ tuition increased between 10-18%, forcing international students to raise several thousand dollars extra over a single summer. This insecurity is unacceptable.

UMSU Forward is committed to protecting the interests of international students from this policy of the university administration. We will lobby the provincial government to provide security to international students through tuition regulation.We want to hear from international students. We will hold regular town halls and consultations, and also bring back the International Student Caucus as a body that listens to the voices of international students on campus.

Stop the Cuts The University says it has no option but to cut its budget. UMSU

Forward argues that budget cuts are not the only option. The university administration has shown through the success of its Front and Centre donation campaign, which has already raised $350 million of its $500 million target, that the allocation of funds to different groups is based on a matter of choices and priorities. We will ensure that students are constantly a top priority.

We all pay for our education. We expect to receive the highest-quality education our university can deliver. Budget cuts severely threaten the quality of education available on this campus.

UMSU Forward will begin to address budget cuts with the university administration and the Board of Governors by articulating student concerns around cuts, holding the administration to account over its budgetary choices, and building coalitions with other campus stakeholders.

UMSU Endowment Fund Fee In November 2015, UMSU increased the fee charged to

students for its endowment fund by $32 per term. This fee increase stands to raise $15 million for the union over 10 years. While UMSU Forward supports in principle the initiatives this fee increase pledges to support, the process behind this fee increase was secretive and undemocratic. Any similarly major decisions during our time in office will take place only after heavy and critical consultation with students.Student Debt

Any economist will tell you that smarter workers create a stronger economy and a stronger society. Innovation and growth are far better achieved when taken on as a collective responsibility, rather than an individual one.

It is both unfair and short-sighted to saddle students, who will go on to be the workers and leaders of the future, with stifling student debt. Stopping this push towards a debt-driven model takes strong student leadership that works towards a more equitable and sustainable model for post-secondary education. We will advocate that the provincial government adopt a “Grants, not Loans” model, as recently adopted by the province of Newfoundland. Our focus on low tuition will also help students with rising debt.

Climate ActionIt’s about our future...

UMSU Forward recognizes that environmental stewardship is one of the most important and underrepresented issues facing our world, and also that students, as the stewards of the future, are in a uniquely powerful position to address it. We are committed to activism at all levels, from large-scale advocacy to smaller, focused, student-led enterprises. We will also put an emphasis on developing a robust and effective transportation strategy, with an emphasis on both effectiveness and environmental sustainability.Environmental Advocacy

Students have an important role to play in the protection and well-being of our environment. We will develop more spaces for discussion and idea generation on issues of sustainability, including film screenings, workshops, speakers, and panel discussions. We will also host a forum on environmental leadership with representation from all Manitoba post-secondary institutions, similar to this year’s successful forum on campus consent culture.

UMSU Forward will work closely with other environmental groups on campus and in the broader community, including academics who work on environmental issues and the Office of Sustainability.We will also continue to move forward with the Divest Manitoba campaign, while critically evaluating how it could be made more effective and brought to a wider audience.

Refocus UMSU Green TeamCurrently, UMSU’s Green Team provides a substantial body of

engaged students that care about issues of sustainability. However, it lacks the needed focus and direction.

We plan to help the Green Team refocus in closer consultation with other environmental groups on campus. By working closely with the existing Green team and in consultation with the Office of Sustainability, which has a wide array of projects that need student volunteers, we can move forward on a number of projects with students at forefront. Campus Disposal Strategies and Sustainability

Developing a plan for waste disposal, including recycling and composting, is a simple but effective way for UMSU to reduce its environmental impact. A lack of both bins and clear labelling for recycling regularly forces students to search for recycling bins, or to choose a garbage bin instead. Small fixes like these can make campus recycling much more effective. We will also develop a strategy of reusable mugs and containers on campus in cooperation with UMSU-run businesses.

We also plan to engage students from across the university in a composting strategy, including designing and building a student-owned mass composter. This project will provide a way for students to take control of their university’s environmental strategy, and create student jobs on campus.

Finally, we will push for a union sustainability assessment, and implement recommendations that come about from this report. Transportation Plan

Easy, effective, and sustainable transportation is an issue students deal with every day. UMSU Forward will make transportation easier by using the U-Pass as a way to open dialogue with Winnipeg Transit over improving bus service in key areas.

We will also significantly improve biking infrastructure by developing a bike share program between the Toonie Lot and University Centre, pushing for developed bike infrastructure throughout the Southwood lands, and supporting “Ride to Work” programs and events. We will also improve the visibility of the Bike Dungeon and find spaces for people who ride to school to change and store their bike clothes.

Finally, we will work with Campus parking services to help remove fees on event days for students and faculty members that already have parking passes.

Food StrategyFood! Food! Food!

Everyone on campus eats. But healthy, delicious food is not available when and where we want it. Outside University Centre, in residence, at the Bannatyne and William Norrie campuses, we’re often left stranded when it comes to accessing decent food. Addressing this problem, UMSU Forward will be creating and implementing the first Student Food Strategy at the U of M, one that involves ongoing consultation with students and an emphasis on several action areas.Diverse Food Options

We have a diverse campus community, and UMSU needs to develop a food strategy that reflects and celebrates that diversity. Through our student food strategy we will build access to food options for vegetarians, vegans, those with dietary restrictions, and international students who are missing a taste of home.

In addition, USMU Forward will ensure that this food is healthy, fresh, and more accessible across campus. We’re going to do this by developing $5 meal specials, holding regular farmers’ markets on campus, and building pop-up coffee, sandwich, and snack carts for after-hours access around the campus, especially during exam weeks.More Food Grown By Students for Students

Having food grown by students, for students, goes a long way in building campus food security and future sustainability. UMSU Forward wants to embed students in our campus food system by expanding the campus garden, including a medicine wheel garden, creating farmers’ cooperative and employment programs,

involving summer session classes in campus food projects, and offering food workshops. Residence Food

Students in residence are more dependent on our campus food system than anyone else, yet the food offered in residences fails to meet the needs of students. UMSU Forward will address this by working to increase organization and advocacy over food issues in residence. We will work to develop more flexible meal plans, extend dining hall hours, and better food preparation and storage areas.Community Kitchen

Food is used around the world to build community, but students, including international students and students in residence, often don’t have adequate access to a kitchen. UMSU Forward is excited to address this issue through the development of the U of M’s first community kitchen. This kitchen would be available to all students for student-led and -developed programming like cooking classes, cooking sessions, and an Iron Chef-style cooking competition.

Transparency& Democracy

Make sure you’re heard...While speaking with students, we’ve noticed two opinions

about the union; they’re either tired of how things are being run, or they don’t know what UMSU does for them. The union operates in a cloud of secrecy, and only seems to be a part of students’ lives for two weekends each year. To usher in a new era of transparency and engagement in Student Life, we need to let students know what their union is doing for them, and they need to be able to let the union know what their priorities are. That’s why we will develop a reformed communication strategy with increased social media presence, return to comprehensive written minutes, and prioritize one-on-one communication with students via tabling, general meetings, and well-advertised town halls. We will use these platforms to have meaningful conversations with our members. Most importantly we will investigate the feasibility of a participatory budget, so that our student union’s priorities truly reflect students’ concerns.

Participatory budget

Currently, UMSU budgeting is determined by the discretion of the Executive in consultation with the Finance committee, but students’ priorities are often left unrepresented.

To fix this problem and to provide a model for the university administration, we will launch a feasibility study to examine how best to conduct budget consultations and implement recommendations in students’ interest. Participatory budgeting allows members of an organisation to have a say in the way their money is spent by letting them allocate a portion of the organisation’s budget.More meaningful consultation

Students have very few direct lines of communication to the decision-making bodies of UMSU. If elected, UMSU Forward will have more frequent, more focused consultations, so that students can respond to matters that affect them the most, including meaningful one-on-one interaction, properly advertised consultative events, and surveys that are focused and released in a timely manner. Reformed communications strategy

While it is important for the UMSU executive to know what’s going on with students, it’s equally important for students to know what the union is planning. UMSU Forward will revamp the union’s presence on many different social media platforms. We will use UMSU televisions for more relevant and direct information and improve the navigability of the website. To share events and connect with students, we will also use class talks, postering in student lounges, class talks, and communication through faculty associations and student groups. Return to written minutes

Minutes are a summary of a meeting, essential for the records of an organisation, and to guide future administrations. For most of the past year, UMSU council minutes have been only provided

as audio recordings. We believe that future UMSU council minutes should be written, and made accessible within one week of the meeting. In order to engage as many students as possible in UMSU’s proceedings, we will also make condensed “easy-to-read” summaries available to students. Finally, we will make sure that all the minutes from this last year are transcribed, so as to provide a proper record for future UMSU councils.

BuildingCommunity

We’re in this together...It is vitally important that our union work closely with our

partners on and off campus. Through collaboration, we can develop more programming and bring better services to students. We hope to work closely with students of all faculties to fulfill our goals, and in turn to help students with their goals. We will also develop campaign strategies with our community partners on mental health and consent culture. Finally, we will be working closely with the university on their upcoming projects to ensure that students’ voices are heard.Communication and Collaboration

We see the importance of facilitating and promoting collaboration between student groups, programs, faculties, and administrative bodies. UMSU Forward will provide better communication between UMSU, student groups, and faculty associations, better guidance to facilitate prompt reimbursement, and more funding for events and competitions that showcase student work.

We will also do more to connect students to the broader community, by promoting volunteer events connected to many different academic disciplines, and by developing more experiential learning opportunities on and off campus.Increase Student Programming

UMSU Forward will connect more students to the union through social programming. This means free breakfasts offered outside of orientation weeks, social programming throughout the year, and stress-buster programming throughout exam weeks. We will also continue to support student-led initiatives on campus.Consent Culture and Mental Health

UMSU Forward supports requiring participation in consent culture workshops for student group executives and council members. We also support provincial legislation supporting consent culture on university campuses. We will provide the resources and support necessary to ensure that these courses of action are adopted and maintained.

Additionally, we support the inclusion of resources on mental health, sexual assault and consent in course syllabi. We will continue to build relationships with women’s groups on campus and connect them with other initiatives in the broader community. UMSU Forward will continue supporting services like Red Frogs in offering safe spaces at social events and will expand the reach of these programs by encouraging their collaboration with event organizers.

UMSU Forward stands strongly in support of providing more resources and services to help students with their mental health. Currently, the student counselling center provides services and support to students who are struggling with mental health, but with only four slots daily and only in-person service. We will advocate for more counsellors to fill this gap, and make sure that more types of support are offered to students, such as a 24-hour student crisis line. Furthermore, UMSU Forward will advocate for more extensive and visible stress buster programming, especially during exam period.Showcase Creative Faculties

Students in creative faculties (Music, Fine Arts, Theatre, Architecture, and more) put their time and talents towards projects that should be shared with the entire student population. We will increase the visibility of existing exhibitions, performances, and openings by helping students publicize their events, as well as creating new venues for showcasing work.

We will also return control of the Gallery of Student Art to the Students of Fine Arts Student Association, and reinstate the gallery’s curator position in order to further promote creativity on campus.

UMSU Forward also supports the UMFM fee increase for the promotion of campus community and engagement.Indigenous Credit Requirement

The University of Manitoba administration has been exploring the possibility of instituting an Indigenous Credit requirement for all students receiving a degree from the University of Manitoba. UMSU Forward recognizes the benefits of such a policy and we pledge to be active in consulting with the administration to ensure that students’ concerns and interests are adequately addressed. If the project moves forward, we will be directly involved to guarantee that student needs are at the forefront of the policy.

Get to know us!Niall Harney - President

My name is Niall Harney, and I’m running for president with UMSU Forward. You might recognize as that tall guy with the orange jacket who basically lives at Degrees. I’ve been working and studying on campus for four years now, and I’ll be graduating next year with a degree in Global Political Economy.

The job of our union president is first and foremost to bring a voice to our needs, our goals, and our interests. While that means I’ll always be fighting in your corner, the most important thing I’ll be doing is listening. As leader of the union, I will always be looking to seek out your needs and turn them into action. That means not just having an open door, but constantly meeting with you, finding voices on campus, being open, and being flexible enough make your ideas reality. I’m a student just like you, committed to a better campus for all of us.

We all know that this campus is changing. I’m committed to ensuring students are heard throughout that transformation. United, we can make sure it happens.

I’m deeply excited by the opportunity to serve our union. Both on this campus, and in the wider world, I’ve seen the power the student union can harness to better the lives of its student members. From cleaning microwaves to tackling student debt, I have learnt that there are always solutions, and if you can’t find them, you’re not thinking creatively enough. Through our plans

for improving student life and amplifying your voice, I cannot wait to bring that vision to life on this campus.Ashley Penner - Vice President Advocacy

My name is Ashley Penner, and I am a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Science running for the position of Vice President Advocacy. On campus I’ve been involved with organizing against budget cuts, helping International Students organize against unfair tuition hikes and helping increase democracy through organizing General Assemblies at faculty council levels. I’m also the student representative on the Alternative budget project.

I remember receiving a petition in the first few weeks of my undergrad requesting the removal of interest from provincial student loans. As a direct result of this campaign students save thousands of dollars in their loan repayment.

I’ve seen the power of united voices and how they lead to meaningful change for students. Every single day, I’ll be striving to connect and strengthen the community so that you get the most out of your student union. I am committed to being an articulate voice to make sure student perspectives are clearly communicated to University administration and at all levels of government.

Anatol Rennie - Vice President InternalMy name is Anatol Rennie, and I’m excited to be running for

Vice President Internal with UMSU Forward! I’ve been in the Faculty of Music for the past five years, and am looking forward to my graduation in April.

I currently serve as the Jazz Students’ Representative to the Faculty of Music Students’ Association (FMSA), where my duties include advocacy on behalf of students to Faculty and administration, so that student priorities are properly represented in policy and curriculum. I help the FMSA become a greater part of

the student experience in the Faculty of Music by engaging students directly in consultations and by holding community building events.

I find that Student input is crucial when considering long-term planning and how money is spent; that is why I believe participatory budgeting and frequent, open, and meaningful consultation are essential for the relationship between students and their union. I’m running because I want to help students discover what this union can do for them, and to help shape it into a relevant part of their campus experience.Michaela Bohunicky - Vice President Student Services

My name is Michaela Bohunicky. I’m a fourth year Agriculture student in the Human Nutritional Sciences program, and I’m running for Vice President Student Services. I’m an Ultimate Frisbee player, foodie, and food sovereignty activist.

Through my time at the U of M, my participation in campus programs such as World WISE Ambassadors, International Exchange and International Student Mentorship, my involvement with the Student Action Network, and my coordination of the Campus Food Strategy Group have shown me how diverse and important the student experience is, yet how overwhelming and isolating student life can be.

I’m coming forward as a candidate with a strong mandate to put community back into campus, and to make students feel more connected to, supported by, and proud of the institution in which they invest their money, time and energy.

If elected, I will work to make student services more inclusive, more visible, more sustainable and more collaborative. I want to make it easier for students to connect to other students, take action in what they’re passionate about and ultimately find their place at university.

Hannah James - Vice President ExternalMy name is Hannah James. I’m a student in the Community

Health Sciences and I’m running Vice President External. As a long-time community organizer, I know how important it is for students to feel connected to our communities. I want to connect, people, communities and ideas, providing students with opportunities for personal development and for interacting with the organizations and businesses that are moving our city forward. I believe that the University of Manitoba has the potential to lead the charge when it comes to innovative campus initiatives that enhance the student experience while continuing to provide essential supports and services.I have had the privilege to participate in many important and fulfilling campaigns on campus and in the wider community. As an environmentalist, I helped organize the People’s Climate March in 2015 and also volunteered with the David Suzuki Blue Dot campaign. I also organized events for Leadnow, one of Canada’s largest citizen advocacy organizations. On campus, I participated in the Education for All campaign that helped push the provincial government to remove interest on student loans which has lowered student debt. Most recently, I spearheaded a collaboration between the Justice for Women student group and the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAFmb) where I had previously worked as program coordinator. This partnership resulted in the Ask First, Ask Always workshops that are now used to promote consent and end sexual violence.

Let’s moveUMSU Forward!

How to get involvedThanks for reading through our policy! If you want to get more

involved in the campaign, here’s how.VOTE!

We can’t stress enough the importance of voting. This year especially, every vote counts. Vote March 2nd, 3rd and 4th.Communicate

Connect with us on social media, and let your friends know about us:

Facebook.com/UMSUForward Twitter: @umsu_forward Instagram/Snapchat: @umsuforward

VolunteerWe’ve got a GREAT team of volunteers already, but we can

always use the extra hand! If you want to help out at our table, in our office, or on the floor talking to students, let us know through any of the above methods, or send us an email at [email protected].