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October13,2017

DearGSACouncilColleagues,

Asmanyofyouwillremember,myteamandIbeganthedevelopmentofthe2017-2018BoardStrategicWorkPlan(SWP)inMayandwepresentedthefinalizedplantoGSACouncilinJuly.ThecompleteSWPisavailableforyourreviewontheGSAwebsiteathttp://www.gsa.ualberta.ca/SWP.aspx.

BelowisanupdateconcerningtheGSA’sprogressinpursuingthestrategicgoalsoutlinedintheSWP.UpdateswillalsobeprovidedtoGSACouncilinJanuaryand,beforetheendofourtermofoffice,inApril.IwelcomethechancetodiscusstheseupdateswithyouonOctober23andalsoencourageyoutoaskquestionsaboutthestatusoftheSWPgoalsatanytimethroughouttheyear.

Highlightsfromourprogressinclude:

• OneofourmainteamgoalswastoadvocatefortheUniversitytolaunchareviewofthecurrentstateofgraduatestudentfundingoncampus.AftersubmittingaproposaltotheProvostandtheDeanoftheFacultyofGraduateStudiesandResearch(FGSR)concerningthis,Ihavebeencontinuingconversationswithbothpartiesaboutthiskeyissue.Webelievethatsuchareviewwouldconstitutethefirststepininvestigatingthefeasibilityofthecreationofminimumfundingpackagesforgraduatestudents,somethingofgreatimportancebecause,formanygraduatestudents,alackoffundingisabarriertotheiracademicsuccess.

• KeygoalsfromtheVice-PresidentLabour’sportfolioincludednegotiatingforincreasedcompensationforgraduatestudent

assistantsintheCollectiveAgreementandensuringtheGSA’scompliancewithBill7.InJulyandAugust,theGSAhostedtwoBill7TownHallstodiscusschangestolabourlegislationwithattendees.TheGSALabourRelationsCommitteealsometoverthesummertostartdevelopingtheGSA’sinitialOpeningPositionforbargainingwiththeUniversity’sBoardofGovernors(allcurrentgraduatestudentassistantswillbeaskedtovoteontheelementsthatwillbeincludedintheOpeningPositionbeforeitissubmitted).SashaalsohostedaPre-BargainingTownHallonSeptember26,2017andeightgraduatestudentsattended;theGSANegotiatingCommitteewilldiscussthefeedbackandsuggestionsreceivedduringthisTownHallastheydeveloptheGSA’sOpeningPosition.

• TheGSAVPStudentServiceshascontinuedworkingtosupporttheCampusFoodBankinitsmissiontoensurethedelivery

offoodforstudentsinneed,andtheirfamilies.TheCampusFoodBankExecutiveDirectorandBoardChairattendedtheGSABoardinSeptembertoprovideupdatesonusageandtheirauditedfinancialstatements.Ingeneral,theycontinuetoseeanincreaseinusage.TheGSAalsocollecteddonationsfortheCampusFoodBankatourfallengagementeventonOctober12.

• OurSWPoutlinesthatwewill“provideeventsthroughouttheacademicyeartosupportsocialengagementandreduce

stressamongstgraduatestudents.”StartinginSeptember,theDEOscontinuetohostaseriesofCoffeeBreaks.Theseareinformaleventstogetstudentsoutoftheirlabsandofficestointeractwithothergraduatestudentsfromacrosscampus.ThenextCoffeeBreakisonOctober27.Additionally,theGSAhosteditsfallengagementeventonOctober12.Thiswasagreatopportunitytoengagewithgraduatestudentsandtoprovidethemwithabreakfromtheirstudiesinaninformalandfunsetting.

• NursingstudentscompletingtheirpracticumatMichenerParkapproachedtheVice-PresidentExternalandtheVice-

PresidentStudentServicesoverthesummertocommunicatethatresidentscontinuetostrugglewithlengthycommute

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timestocampusthroughpublictransit.TheGSAiscontinuingconversationswiththeseNursingstudentstodevelopasurveytolearnaboutthetransitusageofgraduatestudentslivinginMichenerPark.Movingforward,MasoudandRoylewillbeabletoutilizethedatacollectedinconversationswithUniversityadministrationtoadvocatefortheestablishmentofashuttlebetweenMichenerParkandtheUniversity.

• TheSWPoutlinesthatwewillsupportworkshopsandservicesthatassistgraduatestudentswithacademicprogressand

professionaldevelopmentopportunities.BeginninginSeptember,theGSAstartedsponsoringmini20-minutewritingsessionsofferedbytheStudentSuccessCentretoassistgraduatestudentswiththewritingprocess.Thisnewresourceisopentoallgraduatestudents.Firouz,astheGSAVPAcademic,hasalsobeenworkingwiththeFGSRandgraduatestudentstogatherfeedbackonavailableprograms,includingtheGraduateStudentInternshipProgram(GSIP)andthementorshipprogram.Aspartofthiswork,hehasinvitedprogramcoordinatorsfromtheFGSRtotheOctoberGSACounciltogathermorefeedbackfromstudentsabouttheseprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities.

• WehadincludedinourSWPthatwewoulddiscuss,withtheFGSR,thepossibilityofrevisingFGSRpoliciesconcerning

course-relatedexaminations,includingtheabilitytoretakeexaminationsandamendtranscriptsaccordingly.Afterresearchingexampoliciesatotheruniversities,wedeterminedthatthisapproachislikelynotfeasible,aswehavenotbeenabletofindanotheruniversitythatallowsgraduatestudentstore-takeexams.Firouzwillcontinuetoexamineotherwaystoincreaseflexibilityandimprovecommunicationswithrespecttocourse-relatedexaminationsandassignmentsintheinterestsofpromotingenhancedmentalwellnessandcareeroutcomesforgraduatestudents.FirouzhasalsobeenworkingcloselywiththeFGSRtoimprovecommunicationsregardinginternationalgraduatestudentinvolvementintheGraduateStudentInternshipProgram.

• Ab-GPAC(theprovincialadvocacygroupofwhichweareamember)issuedanopenletterreaffirmingitsstanceon

advocatingfortheinclusionofinternationalstudenttuitionfeesintheprovince’sTuitionFeesRegulation.Theopenlettercanbeviewedhere.WeanticipatethattheGovernmentofAlberta,followingonitsrecentreview,willsoonbeannouncingitsdecisionsregardingpost-secondarytuitionandfunding.

• SashacontinuestoparticipateinmeetingstodiscusstheexpansionofmentalwellnessresourcesattheUofAandtheHomelessStudentCampusProjectTeamtoreviewcurrentservicesthatareavailabletohomelessstudentsandcreatingawarenessaboutthisissueinordertobrainstormpotentialshort-termandmedium-termsolutions.OnSeptember20,SashaalsohostedaGSAboothattheACCESSOpenMindslaunchevent.ACCESSisanationalresearchandevaluationnetworkthatmarksamajorCanadianinnovationinyouthmentalhealthservicedesign,delivery,evaluation,andresearch.

Sincerely,

BabakSoltannia,2017-2018GSAPresident