Council in session
Photo by Robert Strachan. The student body of Mount Royal will be represented by these 18 dedicated individuals. There are four executives, four commissioners and 10 student council members.
After just two weeks in their new roles, the SAMRU Students’ Council have eagerly put the wheels in motion to shape the future policies, bylaws and direction of the Students’ Association.
On Oct. 5, council members joined committees to review the SAMRU bylaws and review the election policies. They have also consolidated a general group called the council engagement committee to assess issues that affect the student body.
“I think it is really exciting this year,” said Robert Jones, VP external for the SA. “We have a very strong council and we have talked about a lot of different things that we want to look at preliminarily. Of course, this is still being ironed out.”
The students’ council members are the direct representatives of the members of the SAMRU, including all credit students at MRU. Every credit student pays over $100 in fees directly to the SA every semester. The students’ council is made up of 14 members, 10 of which represent all of the students of Mount Royal and four commissioners who assist the executive council members.
Ten positions on the students’ council were up for election in May, but only two of those were contested. Tegan Smyth ultimately won the position of business and entrepreneurial studies representative after running against Jeremy Voon and Jeff Agnew was elected as the arts faculty representative under the moniker of Dr. Gonzo.
Agnew, a former SA President, resigned from his position as arts faculty representative leaving the executive council to fill 13 students’ council positions in early September. Interviews were held on Sept. 22, 23 and 24 and by Sept. 28 the new council members were attending their first meeting.
“It is about making a lasting impact here at the Students’ Association,” Jones said. “You sit for a year there so it is a constant turn over and it is about how can you leave a legacy, a value added legacy, that will enable the Students’ Association to become greater and greater. So it is what can you do now that is going to be great and lasting 20 years from now.”
The four executives and 14 council members attended a professional development retreat at Rafter Six Ranch in Exshaw, Alta. from Oct. 2 to Oct. 4.
Each member of students’ council will receive an $800 honoraria for both the fall and winter semesters, at which point a new election will be held to determine the following year’s council members.
