University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union passes budget
[expand title=”Click to expand”]
On March 8, the University Students’ Council passed the proposed budget for the 2018-19 academic year. This new budget will increase the amount that students will pay for the health and dental plan by five per cent. Health coverage will cost $145.13, and dental coverage will cost $117.55 per student in the 2018-19 academic year.
[/expand]Campus parking rates
[expand title=”Click to expand”]
The cost of on-campus parking passes will increase later in 2018, as the parking advisory committee looks at making changes to the current rates. The prices have yet to be finalized and may be subject to changes, but the parking lots will likely increase by a flat rate of $5 per month for students, staff and faculty.
The price of all on-campus parking meters will also increase from $2 to $3 per hour for daytime hours and $1 to $1.25 per hour for nighttime hours. Additionally, daytime parking limits in front of the Memorial Union Building will increase from two hours to a limit of four hours.
[/expand]Full statement on Indigenous Students’ Union
[expand title=”Click to expand”]
On March 12, Tony Vannelli, U of S provost and vicepresident academic, and Jackie Ottmann, U of S viceprovost of Indigenous engagement, issued a full statement on their stance toward the creation of an Indigenous Students’ Union. The statement was posted on the PAWS feed and emailed to the student body. This response comes shortly after various faculty members issued their own statements of support for the creation of an autonomous governing body.
On March 8, the Indigenous studies department issued a statement of support on Facebook, which was followed by another statement of support on Twitter on March 12 posted by an account called Concerned U of S Settler Faculty Members. A number of instructors from various departments, notably the English and history departments, endorsed the statement of support published on March 12.
“We recognize that building reconciliation will involve settler colonial institutions giving up meaningful power and space accrued through the historic and ongoing displacement of Indigenous peoples from their lands and resources. We expect to share in whatever discomfort that will entail,” the post read.
[/expand]