Council caps number of clubs, presents executive goals in June AMS meeting

AMS Council convened in the Michael Kingsmill Forum on June 11, hearing annual executive goals and placing a limit on the number of AMS chartered clubs.

Executive Goals

Elected executives presented their annual performance goals and action items, with many commitments mirroring the organization's strategic plan and campaign promises made by individuals, including those to sustainability and equity.

“If we only take without giving back, we risk depleting those very communities that sustain us,” said President Riley Huntley of his goals to improve campus-group relationships and streamline annual executive transitions.

VP AUA Zarifa Narwar listed commitments to need-based aid for internal students, expanding career training programs like Work Learns and a continued push for a review of LR 7 — UBCs policy governing Disability Accommodation Policy.

“We’re doing a lot of really great work with the [Centre for Accessibility], including asking for the passing from the [Vice President, Student’s] office of continued and, in fact, more funding towards that unit,” said Narwar of advocacy efforts to increase resources available to the Centre for Accessibility.

VP Admin Dylan Evans listed action items like creating a net-zero waste nest and streamlining space-bookings as supporting sustainability priorities and improving AMS Nest functionality.

Consultations with tenants regarding rights and UBC Skytrain lobbying were cited by Solomon Yi-Kieran as some of the VP external’s goals, while VP Finance Gagan Parmar emphasized operational efficiency.

“We're working to provide different options [for] different interests and different needs, and making [a] clear path forward for incoming students to really get to campus,” said Interim VP Student Life Kevin regarding orientation planning.

Goals like enhancing campus identity and reviewing student-support were factors prompting the portfolio’s position-creating referendum in March.

2025/26 will be the first term to entirely feature the position.

Club intake suspension

Council moved to cap the number of AMS clubs to 350 and suspend future applications, down from the current 445.

“350 clubs appears to be a sustainable number where we can provide support, there's enough space [and] there's enough funding,” said Evans, listing space constraints as prompting the limit based on the number of clubs from years prior.

Parmar cited a 2022 referendum which decreased the Clubs Benefit Fund fee leading council to draw on reserve funds to finance club subsidies, undermining financial stability and support to clubs.

“We should provide $500 in seed funding to ensure [new clubs are] set up for success,” started Parmar.

“We're not able to do that anymore. We provide them with $250.”

The number of registered clubs will be reduced gradually through not renewing those facing deconstitution.

Other motion carried

Yi-Kieran proposed two successful motions: one to recommend non-market housing comprise 40 per cent of units in future University Endowment Land Area D developments and to circulate a petition calling for a SkyTrain to UBC.

“It's an easy way to kind of show strength in numbers and show support for this to the government,” said Yi-Kieran, also speaking on plans to hold a public event to increase the visibility of SkyTrain advocacy.

Council passed Managing Director Jason Lieu’s motion to lease the space formerly occupied by Nourish to Number 5 Hair Salon.

Power was delegated from council to its HR committee to approve job descriptions for Office of VP Student Life staffers, with Huntley saying that “it's not very often we have brand new jobs.”