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Undergraduate students share their thoughts on cultivating community during COVID-19
Last year as autumn descended and we neared Reading Week, the world and the McMaster University campus looked very different. First-year students were learning to navigate campus and starting to make friends in their classes and in residence. Upper-year students were trying to put into practice the lessons they learned in first year and were reconnecting after having been apart all summer. Between Welcome Week and homecoming, it was the time of year when feelings of community and belonging were the most obvious. On top of the new university community forming, students would be anticipating going home for Thanksgiving family gatherings or making plans with new and old friends.
As we come around to this time of year again, much has changed. Some changes are obvious such as the shift to online classes, while others are more subtle such as how we create and maintain community. Prior to the pandemic, community meant being in the same physical place, seeing each other frequently and often participating in activities together. Now as a result of the physical distancing protocols, this kind of community is very difficult to achieve, let alone maintain. More than ever, students are facing social isolation and loneliness.
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The pandemic has forced the world to rethink community, but for students who are scattered across the country and around the world, it is particularly difficult. However, students have been creative in finding new ways to connect with each other, create new online communities and support established relationships. Largely this has meant turning to online platforms and social media.
“When I open up my computer now, I'm part of a community but the second I close it, I feel like I'm lost and I'm not part of it, whereas before COVID, it was easier to kind of stay as a part of a community . . . [W]hen you were on your own, you never really felt as isolated,” explained Zahra Panju, a second-year student.
“When I open up my computer now, I'm part of a community but the second I close it, I feel like I'm lost and I'm not part of it."
While friendships now require more effort to sustain than they did in person, many students explained that they are grateful for the increasing use of online platforms and phone calls. It has given them an excuse to reconnect with high school friends and extended family members, who they may not have spoken to in a while or would not be able to see in person anyway.
However, when trying to build new connections, the effortful component of virtual communities can be a hindrance. As a first-year student, the transition to university is always a bit bumpy, but the adjustment to online classes and the lack of an established community has made it incredibly overwhelming and isolating.
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“Even Welcome Week, you hear so much about it and how it's this great week, you make so many friends [and] you connect with people but this year, you couldn't even see each other. We couldn't really talk to each other much with the events . . . I think that the general McMaster community . . . has been difficult, just because I don't think we've been given enough opportunities to connect with one another,” said first-year student Isabelle Cardos.
Often joining clubs on campus is a crucial component to finding community at university. While many current first-year students are interested in doing so, they expressed that they don’t know where to start looking. They are also not sure if now is the right time as they are still adjusting to their classes.
In contrast, many second- and third-year students have found themselves joining more clubs this year in an attempt to create the sense of community that they feel they’re missing. As they don’t necessarily get the opportunity to meet new people through lectures anymore, they see clubs as an opportunity to connect with people outside their program who are also interested in building and community.
Fourth-year students in particular are grateful that they have been able to establish a strong sense of community already. They are now not only looking for ways to maintain that community but also for ways to further establish a community for all students. Many fourth-year students spearhead a number of clubs and initiatives on campus and have been working hard to adapt these to the pandemic. They feel that this year the impact of their efforts is a lot more apparent, and also arguably more important.
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“[W]e're finding a lot of new people tuning in and I’m kind of hopeful about new connections that can be made . . . [T]hese are probably the hardest times that people have had to face in terms of going to university and . . . if an online connection isn't always just the tedious work thing, then that’s important,” said fourth-year student Rhea Murti, who is co-president of the McMaster Yoga club and also involved in organizing the McMaster Indigenous Health Movement.
“[W]e're finding a lot of new people tuning in and I’m kind of hopeful about new connections that can be made."
Overall, students clearly expressed the importance of supporting each other. Many felt that the pandemic has encouraged them to be more open and more vulnerable with their family and friends, even if they are connecting online because they know everyone is going through a difficult time.
“I feel like before the pandemic the need wasn't as urgent to really build community and be empathetic . . . I feel like we were kind of moving away from that before the pandemic. I feel like since this happened it's kind of forced us back into this place, I feel like we naturally have to be in, towards just being nice to each other,” said Blessing Akinniranye, a fourth-year student and assistant director of Diversity Services.
While the McMaster community is still navigating these changes and trying to find new ways to connect and maintain connections, there is still a very strong sense of community as students look for ways to support each other through these trying times.
Proctoring seen as a pro for some, but a con for others
As students and instructors find new ways to adapt to an online educational environment, methods of online assessment are something that also face major changes. The MacPherson Institute, McMaster University’s centre for teaching and learning, has shared many resources and suggestions for instructors to develop a remote teaching plan.
On the MacPherson website, there are also resources for assessment alternatives. A final exam can be a take-home exam and student presentations can be done online using Microsoft Teams or they can be recorded and posted on Avenue to Learn.
For instructors that wish to conduct final exams online through Avenue to Learn, MacPherson suggested different features, including presenting questions one-by-one or putting in time constraints for the exam.
Although not mentioned on the MacPherson website, many course outlines also state that professors have the option of using proctoring softwares for assessments. As noted on the Undergraduate Examinations Policy, instructors have the responsibility to specify the required electronic equipment and software at the beginning of the course.
Students have the responsibility to ensure that they have the necessary equipment and software required and any questions or considerations related to online examinations must be referred to an instructor no later than 10 days prior to an online examination.
For an online proctored exam, students must ensure they have equipment such as a webcam and additional software. Such software may require students to turn on their video camera, present identification, allow instructors to monitor and record the student's computer activities, as well as lock or restrict their web browser during assessments.
It has not been made clear to all students whether proctoring will be used for some of their courses.
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Clean D’Souza, a third-year actuarial and financial mathematics student, is one of the students who is unsure if his course examinations will be remotely proctored or not. D’Souza said that he doesn’t mind if it is proctored and that he believes proctoring has many benefits. He believes proctoring can help to separate those who are actually putting in the work to get their grades and those who decide to cheat.
Another third-year actuarial and financial mathematics student, Rimsha Laeeq, finished her first proctored examination on Oct. 5. Laeeq said that she did not mind having her examination proctored as it encouraged her to have greater focus during the test and to study harder beforehand. However, Laeeq expressed that proctoring was uncomfortable at times, including the fact that she had to show all of her surroundings to the camera and ensure she does not look away from the computer for too long.
Kinesiology professor Trevor King has opted for online open-book assessments through Avenue to Learn.
“I'm hoping to not use [proctoring softwares] because I think that it adds a lot of stress to an already stressful situation for students, so I don't want to add that on,” said King.
“I'm hoping to not use [proctoring softwares] because I think that it adds a lot of stress to an already stressful situation for students, so I don't want to add that on,” said King.
King also added that although professors have to consider whether students are truly understanding the content, an open-book assessment doesn’t necessarily hinder students from learning.
“[M]y thought is that a test is not really applicable to the real world in most situations and if you go out and have a problem to solve, in the real world, you're going to be able to look things up. [The ability to] quickly and effectively look things up is a very important skill that I think that students should have when they come out of university. So I think that an open book test makes way more sense than just having to memorize things.”
Professor Jennifer Ostovich of the department of psychology, neuroscience and behavior, has also taken a different approach to assessments this year.
Ostovich has decided that rather than a traditional approach to grading, she will use specifications grading.
Specifications grading is an approach in which course assessments and assignments are broken down into pass or fail tasks. To achieve a certain grade, students would have to pass certain tasks, and for different grade levels, there will be a different combination of tasks to ensure students reach the appropriate level of understanding.
For example, weekly quizzes are divided into two different types and to achieve a higher grade, students would have to complete a higher ratio of one type of quiz versus another. In addition to weekly quizzes, there are also assignments students can complete and a greater number of completions is required for a higher grade.
Ostovich expressed hope that with this new approach, students can feel that they retained more of the material and stress less about achieving certain grades on their assignments.
When asked about potential student collaboration on assessments, Ostovich expressed that collaboration can be beneficial for student learning.
"Is it a bad thing for students to talk to one another and learn that way? I don’t think it is."
“With any of the online testing options, that’s been the concern: that no matter what we do, students will collaborate. . . We have to set up a system in which it doesn't matter if students are collaborating, because you can't stop it right?. . . Is it a bad thing for students to talk to one another and learn that way? I don’t think it is. But you have to set up your assessment strategy so that that's not a big deal if it happens and that's what I've tried to do.”
Students shouldn’t need accommodations for a course because they should be accessible to begin with
This week, I had a very pleasant meeting with one of my course instructors and it made me wonder: why can’t courses be set up in a way that is accessible to begin with?
Let me backtrack a bit. I’m registered with Student Accessibility Services, which is a service that allows you to request accommodations for your courses. To receive your accommodations, you must register and confirm your accommodations every term. Once you register, an accommodation letter is sent to your instructor and you are expected to communicate with your instructor about your accommodations. This is to ensure any details of your accommodations are taken into consideration and that you and your instructor are on the same page.
This can be a tedious process and if I’m being honest, I often forget to schedule a meeting with my course instructors. Unfortunately, this avenue is the only way to access “formal” accommodations from the university and as a result, many disabled students are left advocating for their needs.
Last week, I set up a meeting with my instructor. I was very nervous to meet her as I have had issues with accommodations in the past. Yet, I felt a glimmer of hope — the course had lecture transcripts, which is not something I’ve seen in any of my other courses in the past three years that I’ve attended McMaster University. With in-person classes, many lectures were not podcasted and if they were, they were rarely captioned and never had a transcript. Online classes have obviously been better with recording lectures, but many of them are still not captioned.
Yet, I felt a glimmer of hope — the course had lecture transcripts, which is not something I’ve seen in any of my other courses in the past three years that I’ve attended McMaster University.
As I mentioned previously, the meeting was great. My instructor was very kind, understanding of my situation and made sure to ask me if she could alter anything about the course to make it better for me. She asked me if I needed a notetaker, but I mentioned that the lecture transcripts were very helpful — maybe even better than having course notes. I brought up my concerns surrounding the quizzes and exam, as one of my accommodations included extra time and I wasn’t sure if that would be accounted for on Avenue to Learn. But she assured me that the quizzes were not timed and that the exam was a take-home exam. She also let me know that if I needed any extensions on assignments to just let her know a few days beforehand and that it would be no problem to grant an extension.
When we started discussing the course as a whole, she mentioned something that gave me an interesting perspective on course accessibility. My instructor told me that she could empathize with my disability as she also took medication for anxiety. She let me know that because of her experience with mental illness, she tried to set up the course in the way that she would have liked to take it as someone with anxiety. This meant providing transcripts, offering untimed quizzes and being lenient with deadlines. Since she set the course up this way, I didn’t really need to use my accommodations because I was already accommodated for.
During this meeting, I felt like I was able to sigh a breath of relief. I hadn’t realized until now how often I had to advocate for accommodations. Sometimes it would be just a meeting, but sometimes I had to contact my SAS coordinator because my instructor refused to accommodate me. For this class, though, my instructor considered students’ disabilities when designing the course. Accommodations were considered not as an afterthought but during the preparation of the course. As a result, I didn’t need to push for my needs to be heard because the course was accessible to begin with.
Accommodations were considered not as an afterthought but during the preparation of the course.
This made me reflect on other courses I’ve taken throughout my undergraduate career. Most courses I’ve taken were not set up in a way that I didn’t really need to use my SAS accommodations; they were more of an afterthought. If you had accommodations, the instructor would find a way to incorporate them into the course. Otherwise, the course would just run as the instructor intended it to be, even if the course is inaccessible.
I’m grateful to have SAS accommodations. If a course isn’t set up in a way that is accessible for me, I can meet with my instructor and figure out an accommodation plan. But not everyone who needs accommodations is able to use SAS. If you don’t have accommodations, it’s up to you to figure out how to make the course accessible, whether that’s through asking your peers for notes or asking your instructor for extensions even though you don’t have an official letter to back up your disability.
Although this is the norm right now, it shouldn’t be. We’re paying to take these courses, so instructors should make sure that we are able to take the course. The responsibility of making courses accessible should not fall on disabled students. Instead, courses should be set up in a way that considers disability. Offering accommodations is a good start, but we should strive to make courses accessible to begin with.
An overview of the last five months with the SRA
In the summer of 2020, the Student Representative Assembly held a total of three meetings, including one emergency meeting in August.
On June 14, the meeting focused on closing nominations for multiple committees, discussing online proctoring and the issue of McMaster University’s connections with Hamilton Police Services.
Members of the assembly stated that there are privacy concerns with online proctoring and discussed the possibility of releasing a public statement requesting the university to follow the guidelines in the supporting documentation when choosing online proctoring software.
The meeting also resolved that the SRA supports the removal of Glenn De Caire, head of McMaster’s security and parking services.
The meeting also resolved that the SRA supports the removal of Glenn De Caire, head of McMaster’s security and parking services. Other resolved issues of the motion involved calls upon the university including: termination of De Caire from his position, phasing out the majority of the special constables program by Sept. 1 and full removal of the special constables program from McMaster by Jan. 1, 2021.
In the July 12 meeting, the assembly discussed clubs ratification for the 2020-2021 year, board of director and caucus year plans, as well as security concerns with using the platform Zoom.
On Aug. 23, the SRA held an emergency meeting to conduct the MSU VP Education by-election. The only nominee, Daniella Mikanovsky, was not elected due to over 50 per cent no confidence votes.
Since the start of the 2020-2021 school year in September, the SRA has now held two meetings. The first meeting on Sept. 13 had several motions including the official resignation of McMaster Students Union VP Education, Fawziyah Isah and the election of Ryan Tse as the new VP Education.
In the same meeting, Hargun Grewal and Alison Hacker were ratified as the chief returning officer and the deputy returning officer, respectively, of the MSU elections department.
In addition, SRA seats on the clubs advisory council and the internal governance committee were filled.
Several MSU committee seats were closed at the next meeting on Sept. 27. This included the teaching awards committee, clubs advisory council, elections committee, internal governance standing committee and services standing committee.
On Sept. 27, the MSU committee seats from the previous meeting were closed, leaving MSU seats for teaching awards still open. The seats will remain open for nomination until the next meeting.
The second meeting of the month also included motions to waive club operating policies. The policies include a requirement that all clubs have to have a membership list of 25 full-time MSU members and a minimum $5 club membership fee.
The policies include a requirement that all clubs have to have a membership list of 25 full-time MSU members and a minimum $5 club membership fee.
News of these membership requirements for clubs led to dissatisfaction from many, as evidenced by social media.
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Many students believe that requiring a membership fee will put smaller clubs at a disadvantage. The membership fee will make it more difficult for clubs to recruit members and thus make it even hard to have a membership list.
The motions were moved by MSU President, Giancarlo Da-Ré and seconded by MSU VP Finance, Jess Anderson. Following voting across the assembly, both motions were passed.
Both Da-Ré and Anderson expressed that due to the circumstances regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, clubs would not have been penalized for not implementing such requirements this year either way. However, because of the concerns and confusion that had arisen, a formal motion to waive the policies should help to clear things up. Although the operating policy has been waived for the 2020-2021 year, the policies are still in place for future years.
Although the operating policy has been waived for the 2020-2021 year, the policies are still in place for future years.
During the meeting, two groups who are a part of the bylaw 5, Incite Magazine and Engineers Without Borders, also gave presentations to speak about various plans for the year and details of their budget. The next SRA meeting will be held on Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. Meetings can be viewed live on the SRA Facebook page.
Hamilton Public Library’s virtual programming is supporting the community and helping them stay connected
Community is a crucial component of well-being. It is also something that many are missing as traditional gatherings such as city-wide events have been cancelled due to the pandemic. Libraries have long since been gathering places for communities but due to the pandemic, many closed for months. While nothing will likely be able to replace this missing connection, libraries have found ways to adapt and forge new kinds of connections.
The Hamilton Public Library has created new avenues for connection while still maintaining the high quality and range associated with their traditional programming. In mid-March, shortly after the first pandemic closures, HPL transitioned its programs to a virtual environment, initially using Microsoft Teams. Since then, they have expanded to YouTube and Hamilton TV channel Cable 14. They have also added a number of new programs in light of the pandemic, such as a learning database, job search events and social events like Poems from Home.
So far, HPL’s virtual programs have been very successful, with many of their livestreamed events continuing to get views weeks after they’re released. Their online platforms, such as Cisco Academy and Mango, have seen dramatic increases in use since the pandemic closures.
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HPL serves not just those who live in Hamilton but those who work and learn in the city as well. They want to ensure that all members of the community, whether or not they are able to come to Hamilton now, still feel connected and supported. Community is very much top of mind for Lisa Radha Weaver, the director of collections and program development at HPL, as well as the rest of the HPL’s program team.
“I really hope that all HPL library members are able to walk away with the thing that they were looking for. So, if they were looking for social interaction with a sit and stretch, or a book club conversation, I hope that they got that engagement, especially if they've been isolated since March. I hope the people who are logging on to our Cisco Academy and are hoping to apply for that dream job are able to have the confidence . . . [to] have a successful interview and for any member who is looking for something and isn't able to necessarily find it on our website. I hope that they're going to call [in] to Ask HPL or email us and let us know that they're looking for this kind of programming,” said Weaver.
“I really hope that all HPL library members are able to walk away with the thing that they were looking for. So, if they were looking for social interaction with a sit and stretch, or a book club conversation, I hope that they got that engagement, especially if they've been isolated since March..." said Weaver.
All their programs can be accessed with an HPL library card. If community members do not have a card as of yet, they are able to register for one through the HPL website. Weaver especially encourages students to get a library card if they do not already have one, as this is a way by which they can connect with the Hamilton community during a time when they may feel particularly isolated. Even if they are not living in Hamilton currently but still attending university virtually, students are eligible for an HPL card.
Many of their programs featuring local musicians and authors can offer students a glimpse into the culture and history of the city they’re studying in. Other programs, such as book clubs, knitting circles and music circles can help students connect with the larger Hamilton community. Additionally, the library’s many online learning platforms can offer students support through various tutoring, language learning, computer coding and other skill programs.
“We really do appreciate being part of the McMaster community and are happy to support, just as McMaster libraries are, all . . . student learners and instructors at McMaster . . . [W]e look forward to engaging with all the students, especially the new students at Mac this year who we haven't been able to meet in person yet . . . We look forward to meeting them online and supporting them throughout this academic year,” said Weaver.
“We really do appreciate being part of the McMaster community and are happy to support, just as McMaster libraries are, all . . . student learners and instructors at McMaster . . ." said Weaver.
HPL has faced some challenges, the chief one being accessibility. Many people rely on libraries for computer and internet access. Currently, some branches are open for restricted hours and computers can be accessed then. However, many of the virtual programs they offer take place after hours and if community members do not have a device and stable internet access at home, they cannot access these events.
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One of the challenges that HPL has been able to surmount is the number of community members who were not online or comfortable navigating the virtual environment before this pandemic. Through the Ask HPL service on their website, they have been able to help many of these people transition online.
“So there are book clubs that have been meeting for decades in person, and transitioning them online for some people has been a challenge, whether it's a device challenge or a software challenge but again, with our amazing Ask HPL service . . . we've been able to help members transition to those services online. We look at every challenge as an opportunity and we're fortunate that we've had the staff capacity and community interest in addressing those challenges and helping people stay engaged with the library,” explained Weaver.
Libraries have always been places for people to gather and feel connected, held and supported. So it is fitting that HPL are among those fostering a digital sense of community during these trying times.
Take Up Space is an eco-conscious clothing business that provides space for women of colour to voice their concerns
While the negative consequences of climate change affect everyone, the brunt of these consequences is borne by poor and racialized peoples. For Hamilton business owner, Rose Senat, the fight for environmental justice is entwined with the fight against racism. These concurrent fights inspired her to launch the sustainable and ethical online clothing store Take Up Space last year.
Take Up Space sells simple dresses, bottoms, t-shirts and sweaters with quotes such as “Plan, Pray, Persevere” and “Black Women Save Lives.” The garments are made to order in Hamilton and created with 100 per cent certified organic cotton. The business also functions as a platform for women of colour to connect and participate in conversations they are often left out of.
Senat was inspired to launch the brand after getting more involved in sustainable spaces. She became increasingly frustrated with environmental racism which describes unjust environmental policies against racialized folks and communities. In university, she began following a minimalist lifestyle and became curious about sustainable fashion. She didn’t like how difficult it was to trace back the source of her clothing and discovered the beauty of making her own clothes. It was important to her that she knew exactly where her clothes were coming from and who was behind the production.
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More importantly, through her interest in sustainable practices, she realized there aren’t enough spaces for people of colour in environmentalism, the justice movement concerning the protection of the environment, despite the fact that they bear a disproportionate share of environmental harm.
A 2017 health report by Statistics Canada found that visible minorities are more likely to be exposed to particulate matter than the white population. Particulate matter can enter the lungs and bloodstream and result in adverse lung and heart conditions. In the 1950s, a toxic waste dump site built in a predominantly Black community in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, led to contaminated water and numerous cases of cancer across generations. Across Canada, Indigenous communities deal with smog-filled air and contaminated water and pipelines being built in their lands.
In mainstream environmental organizations, women of colour are underrepresented and ignored even though they have historically been at the forefront of environmental movements.
“[L]ack of environmental practices affect women of color the most . . . [E]nvironmental racism is such a huge thing and within the space of eco-friendly, especially with clothing and stuff, people are not talking about how environmental racism is a thing . . . And although this is who is being affected, you're not seeing Black women or other women of colour being the ones given the platform to talk about this. When you think about sustainability and eco-friendliness or eco-consciousness, you see white women . . . where it's like when push comes to shove, you guys are not going to be the ones mostly affected by this,” said Senat.
"[L]ack of environmental practices affect women of color the most . . . [E]nvironmental racism is such a huge thing and within the space of eco-friendly, especially with clothing and stuff, people are not talking about how environmental racism is a thing."
Creating Take Up Space is a step toward addressing these issues by providing an outlet where women of colour caC/O Take Up Spacen voice their opinions on environmental inequalities and advocate for their own experiences. Senat was able to turn her vision into a reality with support, help and encouragement from her friends, family and community.
The best-selling item at Take Up Space is the “Black Women Saves Lives” series of t-shirts and sweaters. It is Senat’s message to the world about why Black women’s voices need to be heard.
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“We often give so much of ourselves to our communities, so much ourselves to other people. People always expect us to be there at the forefront of things. When you look throughout history, women have always been the ones — especially within the Black community — [that] have put themselves at the forefront . . . But we're not often given the credit or even given the space or . . . accolades other people get,” explained Senat.
Senat recognizes the difference that Black women’s leadership makes. She notes that the work of the civil rights movements was largely done by Black women and that Black women played a significant role in the suffrage movement. In fact, Black Lives Matter was founded by three Black women, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. Additionally, one of the earliest examples of environmental justice activism in North America was the Salisbury Coloured Women’s Civics League who advocated for improved outdoor toilets and for the health of the Black community.
“We are at the forefront fighting and when Black women fight, everybody wins,” Senat said.
“We are at the forefront fighting and when Black women fight, everybody wins,” Senat said.
Senat is currently preparing a blog and interview series for early next year. The interviews will feature women of colour and showcase how they are taking up space in their particular careers.
Take Up Space is more than just a clothing store. It is a platform for women of colour to share their stories and celebrate who they are.
Clubs will be required to have a minimum $5 fee and 25 general members to be ratified for the 2021-2022 academic year
The McMaster Students Union recently made changes to the MSU Clubs policy which has sparked outspoken anger and frustration. Approved on March 26, 2020, the MSU Clubs policy was modified to include several notable revisions. Among those revisions were a mandatory minimum $5.00 membership fee for every general member, a minimum of 25 general members and the creation of the Clubs Advisory Council.
Current MSU Clubs Administrator Jenna Courage sent an email on Sept. 25 to club presidents in light of a Mac Confessions Facebook post released on Sept. 23 and other uproar from students. In the email Courage wrote, “[Y]ou [club presidents] are all aware that Clubs Department policies underwent major updates and revisions last year, prior to the COVID-19 shutdown and the start of online classes.”
Contrary to what Courage wrote, these policy amendments were passed by the MSU Executive Board after the COVID-19 shutdown and start of online classes. McMaster cancelled all classes and moved to an online learning format on March 13. These policy amendments, including the mandatory minimum $5 fee and the 25 general members, were passed at the Executive Board meeting on March 26.
In a memo to the Student Representative Assembly dated March 8, then-MSU President Josh Marando outlined a staffing change to the Clubs Operating Policy that was to be voted on at the next SRA meeting. Marando wrote, “[The updated operating policy] does not highlight the changes to any aspect of the policy other than the staff as those changes will be coming to the next SRA meeting.” The motion to create three new clubs staff passed unanimously on March 8.
The clubs amendments were not on the agenda for the March 22, April 18 and 19 or April 26 meetings. The March 22 meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The new amendments were also not in the meeting minutes for April 18 and 19 as well as the April 26 date. The April 26 meeting was the last for the 2019-2020 SRA.
In addition, the current 2020-2021 SRA did not ratify the policy amendments. “These policy changes were months in the making, ultimately vetted and approved by the Student Representative Assembly,” Courage wrote in an email sent to club presidents on Sept. 25. However, the assembly as a whole did not approve the amendments. The 2019-2020 Executive Board passed these amendments on behalf of the SRA.
The motion to approve the amendments passed with eight in favour and one abstention. The Executive Board was composed of the 2019-2020 Board of Directors and five SRA members.
Then-MSU President Josh Marando released a statement on the MSU website on April 16, which highlighted some of the clubs amendments. “Additionally, clubs will now charge a single, standardized membership fee," wrote Marando. The policy of 25 minimum members is not included in this statement.
On April 17, then-MSU Clubs Administrator Aditi Sharma sent an email to 2019-2020 Clubs Presidents. This email included a document entitled Clubs Policy Changes FAQ. The email also linked Marando’s press release on the MSU website.
The FAQ document does not include the minimum $5 fee but does include the minimum 25 members. The MSU press release does mention a new mandatory fee but does not specify the minimum value of that fee. Both the FAQ document and Sharma’s email stipulate that there would be no changes to the ratification process for the 2020-2021 school year.
In August, Courage sent the same FAQ document to club presidents. The document stated, “there are no changes for the 2020-2021 academic year. However, in December of 2020, as part of the 2021-2022 application cycle, all clubs (new and renewal) will require a minimum of 25 members to receive recognition. These 25 members exclude the president and executive members. All members must have valid McMaster email addresses and student numbers.”
Courage’s email did not link to Marando’s press release.
According to Christina Brinza and Febby Pandya, co-presidents of the International Women in Science Day Conference, current club presidents weren’t made aware of the $5 fee until clubs training began at the end of September.
Brinza and Pandya wanted the conference to be free this year and to increase accessibility, and they believe that the $5 fee to be part of the club contradicts those goals.
“Forcing our members to pay $5 just to continue to receive information about this event that's still going to be free. It doesn't seem fair to them or to us . . . It really contradicts our intention or our objective of accessibility,” said Brinza.
"It doesn't seem fair to them or to us . . . It really contradicts our intention or our objective of accessibility,” said Brinza.
Pandya explained the concerns of the $5 specifically on their club, which would culminate in the conference in the winter term. She said, “Since we are hosting such a large event later in the semester we kind of have to allocate our sources to be able to support that kind of large event and we can't really have too many miniature events to, you know, pique interest in to keep students wanting to come back.”
Both Pandya and Brinza are worried about the classist undertones of the $5 fee, including for students who may want to try new clubs or who want to join multiple. In the March 26 Executive Board meeting, SRA member Eric Sinnige asked about the membership fee and cited concerns of a financial barrier to students. Then-VP Finance Alexandrea Johnston responded that if a student couldn’t afford the fee, they could work with the Clubs Accounting Clerk.
Both Pandya and Brinza are worried about the classist undertones of the $5 fee, including for students who may want to try new clubs or who want to join multiple.
However, that information was not included in this year’s MSU Clubs training module.
Julia Wickens, current VP administration and former president of jack.org McMaster, also expressed frustration and surprise at the policy changes.
“One of our biggest things as a mental health club is that we want people to feel that they can commit as much as they want to. So we have some people that attend a couple of our events and we have some people that are really, really involved. So I feel like putting a dollar value on that kind of hurts that idea a little bit and then from a student perspective, I think that $5 means a different thing to different people,” said Wickens.
A reason for the $5 minimum fee was that clubs would have more money in their budgets. In response, Wickens believed that there is a better way to reduce the amount of funding that clubs are requesting.
“Make it easier for clubs to have cheaper options for things like food . . . but also for room-booking and stuff like that. In the past, we felt pretty limited about what our options are,” said Wickens.
“Make it easier for clubs to have cheaper options for things like food . . . but also for room-booking and stuff like that. In the past, we felt pretty limited about what our options are,” said Wickens.
On Sept. 27, the SRA formalized the policy exemption to all clubs for the 2020-2021 school year. According to SRA Arts and Science representative Adeola Egbeyemi, clubs will not have to charge the $5 fee or have a minimum of 25 general members for this school year. However, the policy will be in place for the 2021-2022 school year unless further action is taken by the SRA.
The MSU website has every MSU policy and by-law, including the MSU Clubs operating policies. However, as of Sept. 29, the Clubs Operating Policy is not up-to-date. Section 8.1.3 still states that “[a]n MSU Club shall . . . determine its own program membership and membership fee, consistent with the policies of the MSU.” The updated Clubs policies can only be found through the Executive Board documents.
Section 8.1.3 still states that "[a]n MSU Club shall . . . determine its own program membership and membership fee, consistent with the policies of the MSU."
After the cancellation of fall sports, Western Mustangs’ football player, Garrett Holmes, created the CSAA to protect student-athletes.
In early July 2020, U Sports made a controversial decision where they maintained their current eligibility policy of disallowing football athletes older than 25 (born on Sept. 1, 1996 or after) from competing in the 2021-2022 season.
After pressure from athletes and the public, the national association made an exception to their policy, where the 2020-2021 season would not be counted as part of their eligibility, thus allowing athletes to participate after competing five academic years and allowing football athletes older than 25 to compete in games.
Official statement from U SPORTS: pic.twitter.com/k95YqNDxkS
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) July 27, 2020
A key voice that resulted in this reversal is the newly-formed Canadian Student-Athlete Association, founded by Garrett Holmes, a fourth-year social sciences student at Western University and back-up quarterback for the Western Mustangs.
“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.
“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.
On July 20, the CSAA provided a statement to U Sports asking them to revisit their decision regarding eligibility for the 2021-2022 season and onwards. On July 27, U Sports made the reversal, with the CSAA expressing their gratitude to CEO of U Sports Dick White and U Sports as a whole for their willingness to listen and their consequential decision.
“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.
“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.
Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CSAA has various goals that comprise its mandate to provide student-athletes with a voice.
“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes.
“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes.
Holmes also explained that bringing agent representation to student-athletes is an area that the CSAA would like to focus on, providing them with the best student-athlete experience.
“Change is needed. With COVID-19, we are in very strange times. Student-athletes deserve to see the table. It’s their future being altered and to have no input from them is very wrong,” said Holmes.
Despite the governance of the CSAA still being under development, current student-athletes and alumni are encouraged to view the association’s website and reach out to Holmes to discuss the future of the CSAA.
