November Council Recap
Council discussed changes to Foot Patrol’s services, security patrols on residence, and the approval of two USC policy papers.
On November 24th, Council met in person for the first time this school year to discuss six motions, making this their sixth meeting together as a council.
The meeting began with presentations from the Vice-Provost Academic Programs, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), and USC’s Senior Manager of People and Development, who notably spoke about the launch of EDI training modules for USC staff, committees, and volunteers. Following presentations, USC executives shared updates from November’s Executive Report, which was approved by Council.
Towards an Enhanced and Accessible Foot Patrol
Social Science Councillor, Ethan Chen, brought forward a motion for the USC to advocate for changes to a non-USC-operated service, Foot Patrol. Arguing that a strong walk home service is crucial for campus safety, the motion proposed the USC advocate for:
- Extended evening and weekend hours
- Virtual walk home options
- Clearly established boundaries on the Foot Patrol website
- Transparent and timely publishing of Foot Patrol finances and student usage
- Single-gender teams and safety measures for single-gender teams
Council unanimously voted to pass the motion.
Security Patrols in Residence
Science Councillor, Zohaib Adnan, proposed that the USC consult with students in residence, sophs, and Dons about the new security patrols in residence and advocate for improving student experience and safety. However, following a discussion among council members, the motion was tabled to go to the University Affairs Standing Committee for further discussion.
Racialized and Religious Students Policy Paper
The Vice President University Affairs, Ziyana Kotadia, announced the completion of the USC’s first-ever Racialized and Religious Students policy paper, which was created to guide advocacy for racialized and religious students. The paper includes key terms and recommendations for building a campus culture of equity and diversity, equity-based data collection, student supports, academia, and access and awareness of resources. The motion to approve the policy paper carried and the paper will be released next semester.
Environmental Sustainability Policy Paper
Council voted to pass the USC’s first-ever Environmental Sustainability policy paper to guide current and future advocacy. Written by USC President Zamir Fakirani and the USC’s Vice President External Affairs, Eunice Oladejo, with the support of various councillors, staff, and student groups on campus. The paper provides recommendations to improve sustainability efforts at Western University. The focus areas for these recommendations are: energy use and sourcing, campus ecosystems, transportation, waste management, resource procurement and usage, institutional policies, programs, and practices, and education and research. Similar to the Racialized and Religious Students policy paper, the final version of the Environmental Sustainability policy paper will be released next semester.
Students interested in attending future USC meetings can now attend online or in-person in the UCC’s McKellar Room. For more information about upcoming council meetings, your council representatives, or meeting documents, go to westernusc.ca/council.
For full coverage of the Council meeting, check out the USC’s YouTube channel.
