ANNUALREPORT13/14

ANNUAL REPORT 13/14

SAMU 2013/2014 ANNUAL REPORTJULY 1, 2013 – JUNE 30, 2014

MISSION

The Students’ Association of MacEwan University ex ists to enrich the student experience. As the collective student voice and champion for leadership and advocacy, we empower students through our programs and services, creating an engaging environment that maximizes opportunities.

VISION

The Students’ Association of MacEwan University will be a strong advocate, exceptional resource and clear voice for the MacEwan University student. We will have one aim — to create a one of a kind university experience by recognizing the student as our greatest asset and inspiration.

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2013-14 was a fantastic year for your Students’ Association. We are undergoing a strategic planning exercise that, with major student consultation, has helped guide the creation of a new mission and vision. This focus on building our organization through student consultation– alongside a record turnout in our executive elections, and a more engaged student body– is what we know will give us the focus to fulfill our mandate of representing students at MacEwan University. This year we increased our advocacy through the newly formed Student Advocacy and Political Affairs office. As an organization we joined other university students in the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) to ensure the SAMU voice is heard by the Government of Alberta. Additionally, SAMU, alongside students at NAIT and the U of A, ran a successful campaign in the municipal election (Your City, Your Vote) where we hosted mayoral and candidate forums on campus as well as had a polling station on campus for the first time ever. SAMU’s Programs and Services Department has also been working hard to produce some of our best events ever– like Fall Fest

and Speaker Series– and working to ensure our services like Safe Walk and the Campus Food Bank are meeting their goals for a safe, happy and successful campus. We want students to see that their money is not only spent efficiently, but spent on projects that directly affect them. Our 2013-14 audit continues to show great improvements in the tracking of our finances, earning us praise from our auditors for our ability to run a transparent and accountable organization. This was great feedback and we are continuing to develop operational checks and balances to keep us on the right track. SAMU’s Students’ Council has focused on improving the engagement between Councilors and students through Councilor Days— a monthly commitment when Students’ Councilors go out and meet with students across all of MacEwan’s campuses. Feedback from this exercise has already helped shape SAMU’s operations and our goals for the future, and this level of engagement has only just begun. CAMERON McCOYSAMU President

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

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November 2013

» 1,502 students participated via online survey

Students are most interested in:

» Reducing cost of education 67%

» Reducing textbook cost 66%

» More grants and scholarships 41%

SAMU Building amenities

» 52% want a 24-hour study space

» 50% want a used bookstore

61% of MacEwan students utilize the Health and Dental program

54% of Health and Dental program users accessed prescription,

dentistry or eye benefits

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STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS

» South Campus integration

• June 2014

• 1,800 students brought to City Centre Campus

» New Student Advocacy and Political Affairs Office

» Your City, Your Vote initiative

» Launched the SAMU Marketplace

» First Annual Golf Classic event

2013/14 HIGHLIGHTS

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A joint initiative of SAMU and Edmonton Elections

» 1,000+ members of the MacEwan community voted at the MacEwan advance poll in the municipal election

» Over 100 students attended a mayoral candidate forum hosted by SAMU SAMU helped advocate for 100+ individual students with academic or non-academic concerns with the University. Along with the provincial lobby group, CAUS, SAMU met with 68 MLAs to discuss issues facing students.Provincial priorities with CAUS:

» Opposing the growing non-instructional fees

» Increasing the amount of available grants and scholarships

» Keeping tuition capped to inflation

» Creating more opportunities for student employment

$50 million in previously cut post-secondary education funding was restored, including $2.6 million at MacEwan University. SAMU more than doubled its commitment and investment in student advocacy

From $31,754 in 2012/2013 to $88,666 in 2013/2014

ADVOCACY

SAMU’s first Student Advocacy and Political Affairs office was introduced at City Centre Campus. In 2013/14 MacEwan University’s tuition was frozen, and it remains the lowest university tuition in Alberta

» October 2013

» Voter turnout: 11.5%

» 9 candidates, 5 appointments by November 2013, second round of

appointments in May 2014

GOVERNANCE

FALL 2013 STUDENTS’ COUNCIL ELECTIONS

» March 2014

» Voter turnout: 19.26%

» 12 candidates

President Cameron McCoy

Vice President Academic Rebecca Taylor

Vice President Operations & Finance Ray Khan

Vice President Student Life Lauren Mickel

Chair of Students’ Council John Vandenbeld

2014 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTION

YOUR CITY, YOUR VOTE

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VOLUNTEERS

HOURSVOLUNTEERS

92

34

27

14

2035.25

799

792.5

238.25

City Centre Campus

Alberta College Campus

MacEwan South Campus

Centre for the Arts and Communications

New Recruits

» Between July 2013 and February 2014, 341 people signed-up to be SAMU volunteers

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PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

» Assisted 20 families

» $4,860 raised and disbursed

» $300-$600 given to each family

City Centre Campus

» 20 breakfasts held

» Budget: $800 per breakfast

Alberta College Campus

» 13 breakfasts held

» $2,431 spent on food

• 100-150 students fed at each breakfast

• The most popular food items: granola bars, fruit snacks and muffins

» Number of clubs at yearend: 92

» Winter 2013: First Club Days at the satellite campuses

» $52,600 - Grants given to clubs

» 247 events organized by SAMU Clubs

» SAMU Clubs Department administered over 13 MacEwan University Student Led

Initiative Grants Highlights:

» First ever Anti-Prejudice Forum with Sanctuary

» The establishment of InQueeries, Mental Health Initiative and Feminists at MacEwan

» Feminists at MacEwan hosted the first STD Clinic. Over 300 students participated.

» Accounting Club prepared over 400 FREE tax returns for its Tax Clinic

Centre for the Arts and Communications

» 7 breakfasts held

MacEwan South Campus

» 6 breakfasts held

» $50,033 distributed to a total of 79 students

BREAKFAST CLUB

CLUBS

ELOANS – EMERGENCY LOANS

ADOPT-A-FAMILY

1716

City Centre Campus

» 22 volunteers

» Approx. 22 lbs. per hamper

» Approx. $50 each, plus a $20 Safeway gift card

» Most donated items: Kraft Dinner and tomato soup

» Most interesting item donated: a jar of homegrown vegetables

» Most used months: September, October and March

» 38% have children

» 310 hampers total, a 51% increase from 2012/2013

» 3.09 tons of food distributed

» 4 exhibits

» 40+ student artists represented

GRAY GALLERY

FOOD BANK

» 240,000 words written

the griff

» 8,180 students enrolled

» Claims made: 6,972

» Most claimed: Prescription Drugs

HEALTH AND DENTAL

» 15 volunteers

» 237 volunteer hours

» 6 social events

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PLACEMENT PROGRAM (ISPP)

» Student Refugee Program Airport Welcomes

» Student Refugee Awareness Week

Highlights:

PEER TUTORING AT ALBERTA COLLEGE CAMPUS

» 21 volunteers

» 482 volunteer hours

» Walk radius of 5 blocks

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City Centre Campus

» 39 volunteers

» 43 students used the service

MacEwan South Campus

» 13 volunteers

Centre for the Arts and Communications

» 5 volunteers

PEER SUPPORT

» Most popular item for sale: movie tickets

» 90 replacement U-Pass stickers sold

SAM CENTRE & U-PASS

SAFE WALK

» 16 volunteer tutors

» 29 students used the service

» 6 subjects tutored: Math, English, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, ESL

» Most requested subject: Math

» Launched August 21, 2013

» 1,000 textbooks posted

SAMU MARKETPLACE

SOCIAL AWARENESS

» March 2014

» Sustainability and environmental awareness

event. Farmers Market and workshops.

» Worm composting station was very popular

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BOWL-O-RAMA 2013

» November 22

» 16 teams

» Raised $1,770 for Adopt-A-Family

BRAS ACROSS THE BRIDGE 2013

» 600+ bras collected across 3 campuses (City

Centre Campus, MacEwan South Campus,

Centre for the Arts and Communications) and

donated to the cause

COMMON GROUND

» Most interesting activities: Laughter Yoga

and Embrace your Inner Kid with bubble

wrap on floor, colouring sheets and Twister

LIFESTYLE & WELLBEING

PET THERAPY

» Chimo Animal Therapy came to City Centre

4 times

STRESSLESS

EVENTS

» Sept. 5 & 6, 2013

» Over 1,800 attendees

» Headliner: Said the Whale

» 16 exhibitors

» 3 food trucks

Dan Gheesling

» 158 tickets sold

The Buried Life (part of Global Awareness Week)

» 407 tickets sold

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At Centre for the Arts and Communications

» February 2014

» Advocating for a crosswalk on 156 Street

» Over 800 signatures collected

HERE COMES THE SUN

GOLF CLASSIC

» June 20-21, 2014

» Camp Warwa

» 21 students had their first ever camping

experience

SPEAKER SERIES

FALL FEST AT CITY CENTRE CAMPUS

CROSSWALK PETITION CAMPING TRIP WITH ALBERTA COLLEGE CAMPUS

» March 26, 2014

» Final Party for MacEwan South Campus

» June 10, 2014

» Raised $16,300 for SAMU Scholarships and

Bursaries

» 22 teams registered

» 12 sponsors