With the month of May behind us, it’s time for a recap of the Board meeting that took place on May 16th, and all the progress that has been made so far.  

The Executive Directors have been busy working with WUSA departments to draft the 2024-25 budgets, as well as working on the Annual Operating Plan to bring it back during the June and July meetings for approval. The Sr. Leadership Team also helped plan the Board transition training in early May.  

WUSA’s President, Nick Pfeifle, has been personally involved in a lot of advocacy and initiatives with some of the main ones highlighted below: 

• Sustainability Efforts – Nick participated in a tree planting event, collaborating with UW’s Sustainability Office to demonstrate commitment to environmental sustainability 
• Advocacy and Action – Nick targeted the issue of food insecurity among students by working on solutions to ensure affordable, accessible, and nutritious food options. He also facilitated appointments to various committees to establish student representation.  
• Ongoing Relation Work – Nick met with VPs of several student societies as well as with AP students to discuss ongoing issues and understand how they operate. The President further focused on the UW Ombudsperson due to the development’s slow progress over the course of over 5 years. Other relations include interacting with faculty associations, indigenization and planning, campus wellness, and student senators. 

Next, we’ll take a look at the progress of our VP, Arya Razmjoo’s  work in the past month: 

• Meetings with Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) – Arya had the opportunity to meet with CASA’s executive director and staff, and has been gathering crucial government relations information for WUSA, including plans on federal advocacy. He also began his onboarding with OUSA. 
• Bill 166 – VP Razmjoo had a conversation with Minister Dunlop in early-May, and was caught up to speed on government support for the bill recently passed. There is a particular focus on mental health and student support, with less openness towards financial matters.  
• Introductory Meetings: Many of Arya’s meetings have been introductory at the beginning of the governing year. 

The May Board Meeting also resulted in several discussions and decisions:  

• Board Vacancy – With 1 at-large board seat being vacant, the Board decided not to move forward with filling it as WUSA’s bylaws do not mandate action for less than 1/3 vacant seats.  
• Long Range Plan (2025-2030) – Board discussed the possible involvement of a consultant and the creation of a Long-Range Planning Committee. The Governance team has been tasked with laying out the framework of expectations for consultancy support.  
• Board Work Plan – An early draft of the Board’s annual plan was presented and its final version will be approved in a future meeting.  
• Academic Affairs Advisory Committee (3AC) – The Board tasked the Governance Committee with making 3AC a “standing committee” and to clarify its membership and expectations of the committee.  
• WUSA Internal Committee Appointments – The Board reviewed 40 applications and filled 20 available at-large seats on the WUSA Board 
• Petition Received for a Referendum – The Board discussed the received petition and tasked the Elections & Referendum Committee with clarifying the language of the Referendum and creating a timeline for the same.