News Brief: KSA plans events for August, fixes meeting files on website
The KSA is planning events for August and the fall semester. (File photo)
The Kwantlen Student Association council met on July 15 through a hybrid format and discussed renovating the Grassroots Cafe, events coming up on campus, and possibly adding legal services through Gallivan, which provides the extended health and dental plan to Kwantlen Polytechnic University students.
Executive Director Ben Newsom, Secretary Jeremy Law, Students with Disabilities Representative Lesli Sangha, Langley Campus Rep Karan Singh, International Student Rep and KSA President Armaan Dhillon, Women’s Rep Manmeet Brar, and Finance Controller Rolando Navarro were in attendance.
Council approved the meeting minutes of June 2. Items included reviewing possible renovations of the Grassroots Cafe, and building a Grassroots at the Langley campus.
The KSA is planning a pizza party on Aug. 16, to be decided if it will be in Birch 266 at Surrey campus or in their Grassroots Cafe.
A social awareness event with the RCMP at the Surrey campus on Sept. 20 has also been planned by Singh, VP external affairs.
According to Sangha’s report on July 15, read by Law, at the Gallivan Conference they inquired about bringing legal support services to students. Sangha also attended the President’s Diversity and Equity Committee (PDEC) meeting on June 9 and engaged in discussions around the mask mandate at KPU.
She joined the Diversity Inclusion Group (DIG) meeting as well, and said the KSA is replacing water refill stations while discussing how to ensure new ones are accessible for everyone with considerations to wheelchair height, sensor activation, a safety mat to prevent slipping, and a shelf near the station.
WeiChun Kua, founder of the Migrant Student Group (MSU) at Simon Fraser University, attended the meeting as a guest speaker to present their campaign of eliminating the international student health fee. After Kua’s presentation, the KSA passed a motion in support of the campaign.
Brar, VP student life, said she is planning for student orientation in the fall by setting up a KSA table with free giveaways to welcome students.
Newsom said they are working with KPU to arrange a date and time for the KSA byelection this fall semester, as well as discussing mitigating technical issues from the last online election where some art students couldn’t vote for their faculty rep and improving communication with candidates about appropriate campaign behaviour.
The KSA also hired Amanda Stern as their records and archivist coordinator. She will take minutes during meetings and ensure approved agendas and minutes are uploaded to their website, which now has up to date files on KSA meetings accessible to the public.
The next executive meeting is scheduled on Aug. 5, and the next council meeting on Aug. 19, both at 11:00 am and in hybrid format.
