University of Calgary Students' Union

Last updated
University of Calgary Students' Union
Institution University of Calgary
Location Calgary, Alberta
PresidentErmia Rezaei-Afsah
Affiliations Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Website www.su.ucalgary.ca
MacEwan Student Centre Msc summer.jpg
MacEwan Student Centre

The University of Calgary Students' Union is an organization representing students at the University of Calgary. Every Undergraduate registered at the University of Calgary is a member of the Students' Union. The Students' Union is a multifaceted organization serving as part student government, part lobby group, and part business. Students are elected to serve on the Students' Union for one year following elections held each March.

Contents

Students' Legislative Council

The Students' Union's highest governing body is the Students' Legislative Council and it is where all resolutions, major policies, and positions are voted on. It consists of the five executives and 19 faculty representatives.

SLC also delegates authority to different committees to ensure it maintains transparency and efficient functioning.

Current 2024-2025 Students' Legislative Council

RoleOffice
PresidentErmia Rezaei-Afsah
Vice President AcademicJessie Dinh
Vice President ExternalMateusz Salmassi
Vice President InternalNaomie Bakana
Faculty of Arts Representatives
  • Martin Al-Najar
  • Aitazaz Shah
  • Edom Girma
  • Simcha Atanda
Faculty of Science Representatives
  • Ben Shi
  • Gabriela Dziegielewska
  • Emmanuel Trinidad
Haskayne School of Business

Representatives

  • Uday Singh Sandhu
  • Farhan Chisty
Schulich School of Engineering

Representatives

  • Lujaina Eldelebshany
  • Debojeet Dam
  • Tavish Comrie
Werklund School of Education

Representative

  • Tracy Dinh
Faculty of Kinesiology Representative
  • Elbert Tom
Faculty of Law Representative
  • Safaa Al-Khaz'Aly
Cumming School of Medicine

Representatives

  • Hannah Kim
  • Mirza Beg
Faculty of Nursing Representative
  • Brayden Jones
Faculty of Social Work Representative
  • Lorraine Ndovi
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Representative

  • Danielle Barry
Faculty of the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape
  • Julia Law

Non-Voting Officials

RoleOffice
Board of Governors
  • Siraaj Shah
Senate
  • Elsa Stokes
  • Muntaha Aamir
Speaker of the Legislative Council
  • Amanda Tamakloe
Deputy Speaker
  • Vacant

Faculty Representation

There are currently 21 Faculty Representatives on the Students' Legislative Council which is based on a representation by population model. Every undergraduate faculty is represented by at least one Faculty Representative with a representative gained for every 2000 students in a given faculty. All faculties with less than 2000 students registered have one Faculty Representative. Once a faculty reaches the 2000 student threshold it will have two representatives and when a faculty reaches the 4000 student threshold it will have three representatives etc.

Faculty representation is as follows:

Provincial and Federal Representation

The University of Calgary Students' Union participates in the Canadian Alliance of Students Associations. Previously, they were a member of Council of Alberta University Students on the provincial level. [1]

Operations

As a student-led and staff-run organization supported by student volunteers, the Students' Union has a diverse organizational structure to manage the scope of its businesses, services, programs, and events. Under the direction of elected student leaders, the SU has a team of approximately 50 full-time staff, more than 200 part-time staff, and more than 300 volunteers who deliver a wide range of services to the organization and undergraduate students. The SU operates MacEwan Student Centre and has services including Bound and Copied (the campus copy centre and cheap book store), Stör (a convenience store), the Den and Black Lounge (a full-service restaurant and bar), the Campus Food Bank, “Mac Hall" concert facilities, and MacEwan Conference and Event Centre within the building. The proceeds of these operations are reinvested directly into SU student programs, awards, and events. Additional services include the off-campus housing registry, campus lost and found, travel and conference funding, campus "Safewalk," and various wellness and awareness weeks.

Dispute Over MacHall

The Student Union at the University of Calgary is currently in a dispute with the university itself over the ownership over the MacHall. The Students Union claims that they own 55% of the building, back from an agreement back in 1969, while the university denies this. Though the students union attempted to solve the issue quietly, there had been on-going negotiations around MacHall, on October 21, 2015, the SU sued the University of Calgary over the dispute. In the past, the University wanted to treat the SU as tenants, as opposed to the partial owners of the building, and the University the sole owners but the SU refused because it would lower their revenue and not allow them to decide what the building is used for. [2] In 2018, the dispute was settled, with the SU receiving expanded rights to manage the building perpetually for the life of the building. [3]

See also

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References

  1. "SLC votes to withdraw from the Council of Alberta University Students | The Gauntlet".
  2. "University of Calgary sued by student union over MacEwan Hall ownership | CBC News".
  3. CBC News (2018-02-07). "University of Calgary makes peace with Students' Union on control of Mac Hall" . Retrieved 2022-07-30.