Board of Governors Notes
Magally Zelaya, staff
The March 18 meeting of the Board of Governors opened with a presentation led by David Barber, a professor and associate dean (research) of the Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources.
Barber provided a look at the Circumpolar Flaw Lead System Study — a $40-million U of M project that is examining the impact of climate change on the Arctic through funding from the federal government.
The project’s more than 200 scientists from all over the world are examining issues such as summer sea ice in the Arctic, which Barber said may vanish as soon as 2013 or as late as 2030.
After the presentation, Rachel Heinrichs, UMSU vice-president (advocacy) made a motion to amend the agenda and move a International College of Manitoba-related item to open session.
The motion was defeated.
Business moved to the finance and administration and human resources committee, at which time increases in the 2008-09 room and board rates for students living in residence were considered. The increases varied from a low of 1.5 per cent to a high of five per cent.
As Heinrichs voiced student concerns over the increase in rates one senator covered his ears. Unaware, Heinrichs continued to present the concerns that had been brought to her attention in the form of letters from two individual students.
The increases were approved.
Also approved, were increases in the fees paid by students in the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Music.
Beginning next fall, and for two years after, the Faculty of Pharmacy will assess a $110 contribution against pharmacy students to support the faculty’s endowment fund. Faculty of Music students will be assessed a one-time $50 contribution in order to support the faculty’s endowment fund.
Students from both faculties previously voted in favour of the contributions in referenda held in mid-February.
A renewed affiliation between the University of Manitoba and the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface was approved by the board, as was the establishment of a diploma in Aboriginal Environmental Stewardship diploma (AES).
Both proposals had been previously approved by Senate but were awaiting approval by the Board of Governors.
Alumni-elected board member Romel Dhalla objected to the language used in the AES proposal, which interchanged the terms “Aboriginal” and “Indian.” Dhalla said that the term Indian should be reserved for those descended from the nation of India.
University president Emöke Szathmáry disagreed and said that she is “not going to deny First Nation people the right” to call themselves Indians.
In the subsequent report from the president, Szathmáry reported decreased university winter-term enrolment.
The open session portion of the meeting ended with Heinrichs providing the UMSU president’s report, in the absence of president Garry Sran.
A motion to move into closed session was carried, and it was publicly announced on March 19 that during the closed session portion of the meeting the Board of Governors approved Project Domino — the conceptual plan to redevelop a number of campus buildings and build a new residence building.
