ABOUT THE DIRECTOR POSITIONS

Positions are open to currently enrolled graduate students at SFU. These stipended positions are a great opportunity to develop leadership skills and to pursue initiatives and issues that are important to SFU’s graduate student body. Directors sit on the Executive Committee of the GSS, and in the past, have worked on projects such as: U-Pass negotiations, affordable housing advocacy, orientation, improving graduate student supervision, Graduate Provincial Scholarship advocacy, and exploring sponsorship opportunities.

THE POSITIONS AVAILABLE ARE:

        Director of External Relations   >> Terms of Reference

Advocates for graduates students on affordability issues such as tuition and housing with both the university and government. The position maintains relationships with other student societies on and off campus.

        Director of Graduate Services   >> Terms of Reference

Stewards the services provided by the GSS for graduate students such as the health plan and the UPass. The position also advocates for graduate students with regards to services provided by the university.

        Director of Internal Relations   >> Terms of Reference

Maintains communication and relationships with graduate student caucuses and with Council representatives. This position reviews and helps change the GSS governance documents and support AGM planning.

FEATURES OF THESE POSITIONS:

• Open to all current SFU graduate students, including international students
• Stipend is $4600/semester
• Work an average of 50 hours per month
• Sit on the Executive Committee and Council
• Help steward the services and projects of the GSS
• Be an advocate for rights and interests of grad students
• Plan events, socials and build community for students
• Term: May 1, 2020 until April 30, 2021

REFERENDUM QUESTIONS

The following two referendum questions will appear on the ballot during the GSS Elections.

World University Services of Canada at SFU Fee:

Be It Resolved That the general membership of the GSS approve an increase to the semesterly fees to be paid to SFP/SFU WUSC, from $1.00 to $2.00 for full-time students and from $0.50 to $1.00 for part-time students.

At SFU, we sponsor six refugee students every year. The funding for this project comes from the Student’s levy ($2.5 within the undergraduate students fees & $1 within the graduate student fees). This levy has not been changed since 2012. Since then the living and housing cost has been exponentially increasing and the inflation rate has increased almost eight fold over the past decade in BC. An increase is needed to maintain the support required for sponsored refugee students at SFU and to sustain SFU students’ long-term commitment to this unique and life changing youth-to-youth sponsorship program. 

For more information please visit: https://www.sfu.ca/refugeeprograms/students.html

Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group Fee:

Be It Resolved That the general membership of the GSS approve an increase to the student levy for the Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) to $5.50 per semester for full-time students, and $2.75 per semester for part-time students, adjusted annually for inflation according to the Vancouver Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG) is an independent, non-profit student society based at SFU, engaging students in social and environmental justice since 1981, through action, research, education, and community-building. In order to adjust for past losses due to inflation (45%) since the last increase in 1994, and in order to expand a number of areas in SFPIRG’s programming and resources, we are putting forward this referendum question to all SFU students that would increase the SFPIRG member fee. We are also asking SFU students to approve annually adjusting the fee for inflation according to the Vancouver Consumer Price Index (CPI), so that future losses due to inflation are accounted for.

For more information: https://sfpirg.ca/member-fee-referendum/

KEY ELECTION DATES

• Notice of Elections: February 13th 
• Nominations Open: Feb 14th at 9 am
• Nomination Information Session Surrey: Feb 25th at 1:00 pm in the Grad Lounge (Room 354)
• Nomination Information Session Burnaby: Feb 26th at 1:00 pm in the GSS Boardroom (Maggie Benson Building, Room 2212)
• Nomination Information Session Vancouver: Feb 27th at 12:30 pm in Room 7023 at Harbour Centre Campus.
• Nominations Close: Mar 4th at 11:59 pm
• Candidate Profile Submission Deadline: Mar 6th at 1 pm
• Mandatory Candidate Q&A Session: Mar 6th at 1 pm
• Open Campaigning: Mar 9th at 9 am
• Meet the Candidates (Public Event): Mar 10th from 6:15 pm (& presenting at GSS Council)
• Meet the Candidates (Public Event): Mar 19th from 5 pm 
• Close Campaigning: Apr 3rd at 11:59 pm
• Open Online Polling: Apr 6th at 9 am
• Close Online Polling: Apr 9th at 11:59 pm
• Announcement of Results: Apr 15th at noon.

BY-LAWS AND REGULATION