February 5th General Assembly Results
A Note from the Students’ Society of McGill University Executive Committee
Listed below, you will find the results of the Winter 2009 General Assembly. This GA was the best attended in the recent history of the SSMU, with over 700 students present throughout the proceedings from 4:00pm – 7:30pm. The Executive Committee of the SSMU would like to thank the students who participated and used this forum to express their views and opinions in a collegial and respectful manner. We have heard your voices. We will begin working to implement these new mandates into each of the Executive portfolios, the Shatner Building and our internal and external groups. Please direct questions concerning the motions to our President, Kay Turner, at pres@ssmu.mcgill.ca
To read motions in full please visit www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/ga
Motion Re: Student Services
This motion PASSED. The SSMU is now mandated by the undergraduate student body to ensure that in the event that Ancillary Services attempts to gain oversight or control of student-run services that SSMU intervene to defend autonomous student control of these services and that the SSMU take an active role in fostering the growth of new on-campus student-run initiatives and services in locations across the campus, outside of the Shatner Student Center.
Motion Re: Catered House Party
This motion PASSED. The SSMU is now mandated by the undergraduate student body to lobby the Principal of the University to host a house party open to all McGill undergraduates as a fundraiser for student groups.
Motion Re: SSMU Support for the Association of McGill Undergraduate Student Employees (AMUSE)
This motion was called OUT OF ORDER. A similar motion was presented and passed by the SSMU legislative council in Fall 2008. SSMU therefore has already been mandated to support AMUSE and engaged in various
Motion Re: Military Recruitment
This motion FAILED.
Motion Re: Administrators Identified as Star Wars Characters
This motion FAILED.
Motion Re: Military Research
This motion PASSED. The SSMU is now mandated by the undergraduate student body to oppose any McGill involvement in the development of thermobaric weapons. The upcoming revision of McGill’s Policy on the Conduct of Research may be an ideal opportunity to act on this mandate.
Motion re: No Pants Fridays
This motion PASSED. The SSMU is now mandated by the undergraduate student body to work towards having every 3rd Friday of the month be recognized as a McGill-wide holiday known as “No Pants Friday,” where students may not be persecuted for choosing not to wear pants. As a first step in achieving this mandate, SSMU will lobby McGill security to relax their strict prohibitions against removing pants on campus.
Motion Re: Bottle Water Use On Campus
This motion PASSED. The SSMU is now mandated by the undergraduate student body to stop the sale of bottled water in the Shatner Building; to lobby the McGill administration to eliminate the sale and distribution of bottled water on the McGill campus; to distribute information to all clubs and services, and to the student body on issues pertaining to bottled water and to promote the sustainable alternative of already readily available tap water, and other sustainable methods of water distribution such as water coolers, re-usable glasses, etc
Motion Re: SSMU condemnation of bombings of educational institutions in Gaza
This motion was POSTPONED INDEFINITELY. The General Assembly cannot address or vote on this motion at any future assemblies.
Motion Re: GA Reform
The GA lost qualified quorum (396 students) during the debate surrounding this motion. After loosing quorum the body acted as a consultative session (over 100 students in attendance), until quorum fell below 50 students, where the GA was adjourned. Please note that the SSMU Council met immediately after the GA to approve the questions for the winter referendum period. The debate held on this issue during the consultative forum led Councilors to reconsider the motion on the table (concerning constitutional GA reform) and make significant changes to the referendum question. In particular, the section of this question which would have eliminated the need to have two scheduled GAs a year was removed, leaving GAs bi-annual for at least another year. Thank you to those students who made themselves heard.
