CFS to vote on changes to defederation rules, political stances

May 27, 2008 by CUP

This year’s semi-annual tackles a wide range of current and controversial issues
By Carl Meyer
CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief

Members of Canada’s largest student lobby group have the potential this weekend to change the rules that dictate how members can leave, as well as alter the political thrust of their national organization.

The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) will hold their 53nd semi-annual general meeting from Thursday, May 22 to Sunday, May 25, at Carleton University in Ottawa.
Federation members will vote on a series of motions, some of which will recommend amending the CFS defederation bylaws, taking a position counter to many aspects of universities’ non-academic codes of conduct, and lobbying school administrations to ban bottled water at campus events.

The Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson (CESAR), Local 105 of the CFS, submitted five motions, the largest of any member. One such motion takes issue with universities’ regulations over non-academic conduct, which CESAR believes “infantilizes students.”

According to Hildah Otieno, former CESAR Vice-President Student Rights, the motion originated out of concerns the results of a policy review process with the Ryerson University administration might be replicated in other university policies across Canada.

“They were pushing for some very specific restrictions on the policies, especially on the non-academic code of conduct,” Otieno said.

Otieno claims the university was pushing for the extension of the non-academic code of conduct to include penalizations of off-campus behaviour. Due to this push, the code will cover online activities, starting in the fall.

“They would say, ‘you are a representative of Ryerson.’ So they can charge you and penalize you on a non-academic code of conduct,” she said.

Spokespersons for the Ryerson University administration could not be reached for comment.

Otieno stated the motion was also inspired by Chris Avenir, a first-year computer engineering student at Ryerson who created a Facebook study group and incurred charges of academic misconduct as well as a failing grade.

Avenir’s grade was ultimately restored after a review by the engineering faculty appeals committee, but he still suffered a mark of 0 on the assignment in question, worth 10 per cent of his grade.

The University of Ottawa is also drafting a non-academic code of conduct – a process that sparked backlash in the form of a massive “No Code” rally in April.

Another controversial motion requests significant amendments to Federation bylaws that oversee the conditions in which member locals can leave the national organization.
These amendments include the doubling of a membership referendum’s minimum required quorum from five per cent to 10 per cent, the empowerment of the CFS national executive to schedule referendum dates, the establishment of a maximum of five days of voting and 21 days of campaigning, and alterations to the definition of campaign material, among other changes.

The Carleton University Students Association, Local 1 of the CFS and authors of the motions seeking to amend the defederation bylaws, were unavailable for comment.

This past year, the CFS lost two members in defederation referendums – the Simon Fraser Students Society and the Univerity of Victoria Graduate Students’ Society.

The Cape Breton University Students’ Union also held a successful vote de-federate in March. However, the CFS maintains the referendum was not legitimate because union failed to properly follow bylaws.

A fourth union, the Kwantlen Student Association, held a defederation referendum, but the Kwantlen student body ultimately voted to remain Federation members.

Other motions being submitted this weekend will request action on subjects such as voting in government elections, climate change and emissions standards, inter-provincial trade agreements, organic food and fair trade, campus food services, and disability savings.

Members are also being asked to vote on aligning the Federation with several lobby groups, including the Polaris Institute, the Canadian Peace Alliance, the “free the Cuban 5″ movement, and local pro-choice groups.