After very long considerations to the outcome of the currently proposed AFSA Referendum, the AFSA Board of Directors have decided to amend the currently proposed items. Students may view the final proposed AFSA constitution. The Board of Directors have decided this to allow for an opportunity for increased messaging and feedback from students, and investigation on a variety of topics, including:
- adding non-SAF members as associate (or "class B") members of AFSA
- becoming a (commerce) society under the Federation of Students
- instituting an involuntary member levy to SAF students, and potentially a levy of similar or lesser cost to potential non-SAF members
- ratifying all AFEF constitution amendments, which would include a reduced AFEF payment per term
We want to be fair to students to voice their concerns in this process. These may be changes that will implement best practices from other business schools and their business councils and societies, but AFSA has been rushed in its communication of the potential changes to our students. We want to ensure full student awareness and engagement in regard to these very complex changes being proposed. We apologize for our speed in proposing these complex changes. The former executive members of the undergraduate student government at the University of Waterloo had not been able to give AFSA the fore warning until May that a levy system would be possible while not being a FEDs society. Thus, these changes were attempted to be included in the referendum, but these past few weeks have shown that more time is needed for students to digest these changes.
We are working with the SAF to finalize plans to implement these changes by Winter 2015. AFSA, will work with the SAF and other internal bodies at the University to gather more information in the many areas affected by the proposed changes and will finally propose a finalized structure to students in mid-Fall of 2014.
We as AFSA need to ensure that all the i's are dotted and that all the t's are crossed in a very complex process. A lot of changes are trying to be made. We hope that by voting now on a few of the changes respective to our own organization, we can continue to improve our service to you, our students, during the extra term we take to finalize a potential levy and commerce society system.
To those running, best of luck to those in the elections. And to those on the sidelines, please be sure to vote at vote.feds.ca!
The final referendum questions will be as follows:
1) Are you in favour of AFSA exploring talks to reduce the AFEF donation per term?
YES
NO
ABSTAIN
2) Are you in favour of AFSA exploring talks to implement an involuntary levy of equal or similar value to the possible reduction in the AFEF donation?
YES
NO
ABSTAIN
3) Are you in favour of the following changes to the structure of the Executive offices: link to proposed AFSA constitution
- renaming the executive office of VP External to VP Corporate Relations for the purposes of corporate sponsorship, partnerships, and other corporate initiatives
- re-creating the VP External office for the purposes of managing AFSA subsidiaries, affiliate relationships, and building a nation-wide conference program
- eliminating VP Finance as the automatic acting President in the situation that the President is incapable of performing his/her duties
- allowing the President's vote to count twice on any Exec matter which results in a tie, and
- increasing super majority votes from seven (7) to eight (8) executive members and increasing quorum from five (5) to (6) executive members
YES
NO
ABSTAIN
4) Are you in favour of the following changes to the structure of the Board of Directors: link to proposed AFSA constitution
- adding one (1) additional elected Board of Director seat
- adding alumni board eligibility for an alumnus who has graduated within a three year period, who may not serve as Chair of the Board
- allowing a director to serve as the Chair of the Board of Directors for more than one year
- allowing the Board of Directors to appoint a Vice President as "Executive Vice President", to perform the duties of the President in the situation that the President is incapable of performing his/her duties
- allowing the Chair's vote to count twice on any Board matter which results in a tie, and
- increasing super majority votes from five (5) to six (6) directors
YES
NO
ABSTAIN
5) In regard to AFSA potentially becoming the commerce society at the University of Waterloo, are you in favour of AFSA exploring talks to admit "Associate" - non-SAF - business student members into the organization?
YES
NO
ABSTAIN
6) In regard to AFSA potentially becoming the commerce society at the University of Waterloo, are you in favour of AFSA exploring talks to move away from its affiliation with the Arts Student Union (ASU) and potentially becoming a society under the Federation of Students (FEDS)
YES
NO
ABSTAIN