Despite offering $4,000 in prizes, the AMS fell short of a quorum for its annual general meeting.
The 2021 AMS Annual General Meeting (AGM) — held Thursday night over Zoom — was the second consecutive AGM to be held over online amid the pandemic, as well as the second to offer a prize draw. Unlike last year, in which a series of bylaw changes were passed, many of the motions scheduled for Thursday’s meeting were unable to be voted upon due to the insufficient attendance.
To pass the proposed motions, at least 597 AMS members — any UBC student who pays AMS fees as part of their tuition — would have had to attend the meeting. A little less than half that number of people showed up, with 290 being the highest number of attendees reported.
Going through the motions
Motions on the agenda that were unable to pass included the AMS taking official positions on various issues and a constitutional update.
The proposed constitutional amendments would have given the AMS an object “to ensure and advocate for the just and equitable treatment of all its members” and expand its object to include student activities at affiliate institutions.
Of the dropped motions, Motion Three stated “the Society’s membership adopts the position that the Society shall advocate for electoral reform or engagement in the best interests of students at the provincial and federal levels.”
Amongst other items on student affordability, Motion Five called for advocacy compelling “the Provincial Government for a tuition freeze or tuition reduction” and advocacy “for a fully funded Board approved UBC student affordability plan.”
Motion Six called for advocacy in favour of provincial student housing legislation.
Going with the flow
The meeting did however feature executive updates, a town hall with the AMS executives and procedural votes on the financials of the society and the President and Managing Director’s Annual Report.
In the town hall — which made up a majority of the meeting Thursday night — questions from students broached on topics including financial support for mature students, better spaces on campus for Muslim students, the AMS’s delay in publishing Council meeting minutes and starting a club on “the harmful effects of pornography.”
Many students also asked the executives about the fees students pay both to the AMS and the university.
AMS President Cole Evans explained that charging fees for the Nest throughout the pandemic was necessary as “it doesn't actually go towards the act of like maintenance or like upkeep of the Nest, it just actually goes to paying off the loan that we have on the Nest.”
Difficulty getting reimbursements through Student Care, the organization the AMS partners with to provide students with healthcare, was another hot topic during the town hall.
In response, AMS VP Finance Mary Gan said “I think I've also heard some thoughts about this from other students as well during this AGM, so it's definitely something that I'll bring up with our representatives as to incur and see if we can do something about it.”
Motion Summary
Motion 1: Approvalof the Agenda. Not voted upon.
Motion 2: Financial Statements and Auditors. Passed with 122 in favour, 7 against and 63 abstaining.
Motion 3: AMS Position on Electoral Reform. Unable to be voted upon without quorum.
Motion 4: Constitutional Amendments. Unable to be voted upon without quorum.
Motion 5: AMS Position on Tuition and Affordability. Unable to be voted upon without quorum.
Motion 6: AMS Position on Provincial Student Housing Legislation. Unable to be voted upon without quorum.
Motion 7: Report from the President and Managing Director. Passed with 148 in favour, 9 against and 48 abstaining.