AMS Council: August 19, 2009

It’s so nice out today. Can’t we all just go sit on the Knoll and have council there?

Highlights:

• A visit from Pierre Ouillet and Brian Sullivan
• Tom Dvorak’s EPIC Sunglasses tan

Bonjour Pierre Ouillet

Pierre Ouillet (UBC’s VP Finance, Resources and Operations) is here with Brian Sullivan to talk about structural deficits in the UBC budget. These must be the hot new thing in institutional finance this year, since we also got a presentation from Tom Dvorak about it last month.

This presentation plus question period went for almost two hours. I’m going to not summarize anything and say that the discussion was frank and interesting and you had to be there. For further coverage see the live blog on the Arts Caucus blog. Or just look at the hash tag #amscouncil. There may also a summary from KatDov, her council summaries can be found here.

Some memorable moments:

(*)B.Sul (to Matt Naylor): “You were involved in Senate at the time?”
Naylor: “I ran for Senate.”

(*)Tom Dvorak walks in late. Immediately in the AMS council chat room:
[19:58] alox: SUNGLASSES TAN
[19:58] alox: EPICEPIC
[19:58] alox: EPICCCCCC
I can’t tell you what happened next as I was doubled over in laughter for a good minute, since Tom’s sunglasses tan is EPIC!

Blake’s Broadcast
Please encourage all reps to show up to council; looking at ways to improve communications in society for consistent branding; spent a lot of time doing media interviews; hoping to attend as many firstweek events as possible; hoping to create lots of connections with as many groups on campus as possible; need to provide more support to grad and undergrad societies

Johannes’s Jargon
First Year Seminar Program: Anna Kindler said this will now be included in strategic plan, hopefully get program by next year; working with greeks about potential lawsuit/arbitration deal with university regarding code of conduct in lease agreement; Proposal came to PPPAC about building expanded tennis centre; Faculty of Medicine has proposed a new palliative care training facility on campus which would be beside Vanier; met with VP academic caucus

Crystal’s Chat
All SUB all the time: Jensen will consolidate all the possible ways to integrate SUB into classes; SUB booth at imagine day; fencing around U-Blvd will have a poster to promote SUB project; working on mission statement and project goals; continue negotiations with university; SAC is organizing clubs days, looking about involving constituencies; working on deans’ debates; working with Tim on application to be exempt from SUB fee and U-Pass fee; looking to install baby change table in gender neutral washroom; some more renovations coming soon

Tom’s Tirade
Interviewing HR director candidates; finished up review of catering; meeting with UBC on the books with their catering practices; looking at how to handle demand for Whistler lodge lottery

Tim’s talk
Tim is on vacation riding the train.

Pavani’s prose
Pavani is not present.

Education Cuts Motion
You have probably heard by now about the BC Government cutting $16M of education funding, which came unexpectedly and with no announcement. A motion came to formally oppose the cuts and do some lobbying.

Tom asked about the terminology about the clause that “AMS Council authorize an awareness campaign in regards to the cuts” without any budget about the proposed campaign. Eventually it was amended to make it clear that supporting an awareness progrm was not equivalent to allocating funds to it.

Next meeting Sep 2. Now time for pitchers of Hatchet at Mahony’s.