Grad Caucus | Information for Biology graduate students at Simon Fraser University.
Volunteers and Activists Needed!There are a number of volunteer positions available for grad students on committees within the GSS. These are an excellent opportunity to get involved in grad student affairs, meet other students from across the campus, gain some volunteer skills, and to have a say in how your grad student experience is directed.Most of these positions require a small time commitment of 2-3 hours per month. Some are fewer than that. In every one of these positions, you will have an impact on grad student life at SFU.In addition to these committee positions, the GSS is constantly looking for ways to improve grad student life at this university. Do you have an idea for a project that you think will benefit grad students? Are you willing to put in some volunteer hours to make your project a reality? Send me an email at president@sfugradsociety@sfu.ca and tell me all about it.Benefit Plan CommitteeAre you interested in how your health and dental benefits plan is governed? Would you like to be a part of the decision-making process?Meetings: 2 or 3 per semester, 2hrs eachMeeting time: no fixed scheduleContact: Josh Newman, president@sfugradsociety.caChildcare CommitteeDiscusses childcare issues on campus. Currently (and unfortunately) vacant. There is a big need for people to work on this issue.Meetings: as much as you wantMeeting time: no fixed scheduleContact: Josh Newman, president@sfugradsociety.caFinance and Audit CommitteeReviews the spending and revenue-generating practices of the Society and makes recommendations on improvements.Positions: 2 positions availableMeetings: 2 per semester, 2hrs eachMeeting time: no fixed scheduleFunding CommitteeDiscusses ways to improve grad student funding at SFU, including the management of TAships and RA funding. This committee is currently vacant. We need people to be discussing ways to convince the university and the government that they are not adequately supporting their graduate students.Meetings: as much as you wantMeeting time: no fixed scheduleContact: Josh Newman, president@sfugradsociety.caGrants Allocation CommitteeYou know how the GSS gives out grants of up to $750 to student caucuses for academic-related events? You don't know? Well, we do. In fact we have $10,000 budgeted for these student-led events for the 2009-2010 school year. Would you like to sit on the committee that recommends how these grants are distributed?Positions: 2 positions availableMeetings: 2 per semester, 2hrs eachMeeting time: no fixed scheduleContact: Cris Costa, treasurer@sfugradsociety.caGraduate Space CommitteeDiscusses how best to use grad student space on campus, and also makes recommendations about future building and grad space issues.Meetings: 2 meetings per semester, 2 hrs each
Meeting time: no fixed scheduleContact: Josh Newman, president@sfugradsociety.caSocial CommitteeAre you interested in social life at SFU? Do you really like our free hamburger/cheap beer pub nights, but wish we did more? Are you tired of SFU's reputation of zero grad student community? As expected, this committee is currently vacant. Come help us bring some community to SFU.Meetings: as much as you want
Meeting time: no fixed scheduleContact: Josh Newman, president@sfugradsociety.caSustainability CommitteeTired of waste? Want to help reduce your carbon footprint? This committee discusses sustainability and environmental issues as they pertain to grad students and the university.Meetings: no fixed scheduleContact: Duncan Wlodarczak, dwlodarc@sfu.caTask Force on Students with DisabilitiesIt has come to the attention of the GSS that students with disabilities are not adequately supported at SFU, especially grad students who may have teaching and research duties in addition to traditional studies. This task force was set up to identify the university's shortcomings in this area and to propose some recommendations for improvement.Contact: Christi Garneau-Scott, cgarneau@sfu.caAny questions about these committees, or about anything else related to the GSS? Send me an email at president@sfugradsociety@sfu.ca, or come by our offices in the Maggie Benston Centre (MBC 2201-2205) and ask someone in person. You can also call us at 778-782-3899.Questions about the health and dental benefits plan? Please call 1-866-369-8795 or visit www.ihaveaplan.ca.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Do you want to go on strike? Do you want to take a paycut to avoid a strike? Are you willing to give up your benefits just to avoid job action? Do you need to know more about bargaining and the bargaining process before you can answer any of these questions?
The TSSU Contract will expire as of May 1, 2010 and we need YOUR help to bargain what YOU want. On Tuesday, Feb. 2nd the education committee will be holding a bargaining Question and Answer period with the TSSU Bargaining Committee in MBC 2290 from 1:30-2:30 (Refreshments will be served). This is your chance to meet the committee who will represent you and your interests to the university and to have your voice heard.
Most of BC's public sector is bargaining this Spring, and given that the provincial government has already put forward a mandate for no gains this year and our tuition fees go up by at least 2% every year, we need to put our heads together and come up with some creative bargaining strategies.
IMMEDIATELY following the Bargaining Q and A will be the February GM, from 3:00-4:45. FREE FOOD will be served at 2:30 SHARP.
Members' input is VERY important at this meeting: even if you can only come for part of the meeting, please attend!
In solidarity,
TSSU Executive
For the unlikely event that the GSS general membership votes to eliminate the benefit plan in part or in whole the GSS retains a reserve fund for the graduate student health and dental benefit plan. After 4 years, the accumulated money now exceeds what the GSS would be required to pay out if it defaulted on its contractual responsibilities with its insurance providers. Since this money was collected by many students over a long period of time (many of whom have now graduated), the GSS thinks it would not be ethical to dispense this money directly to current students in any way.
Instead, the Benefit Plan Committee recommends that the interest of the accumulated money be used to establish an endowment fund, from which annual bursaries can be given to financially needy graduate students to pay their benefit plan. The bursaries would be disbursed through an application process. At current interest rates, up to 10-12 financially needy graduate students could receive free health and dental benefits courtesy of the GSS.
The GSS has partnered with Studentcare to bring you a better student benefit
plan at a LOWER COST. As of January 2010, SFU graduate students who are
signed on to the plan will enjoy all of the health and dental benefits
already offered, but with much better customer service and easier paperwork
all at a lower price!
Here are some of the improvements:
- Reduced Administrative Costs = Lower Plan Fees, Effective January 2010
The GSS is pleased to announce that these changes in policy and
administration of your Plan will result in cost savings of about $35 per
year.
- Call Centre: 1 866 369 8795 Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM 4:30 PM -
effective immediately!
We are happy to be able to provide telephone service to students every
weekday a significant increase compared to our current service levels.
- Rapid Email Support: service@studentcare.net - effective immediately!
Studentcare answers all e-mails within 48 hours.
- Interactive Website www.ihaveaplan.ca - Coming in January - watch
www.sfsbenefits.com for details.
The Graduate Student Society will continue to be able to answer your
questions and take your claim forms, but we encourage students to contact
the new member services team who are expertly-trained to answer your
questions by telephone or email. These new services will help graduate
students get the detailed answers and speedy assistance they need.
Also:
- New Interactive Website Coming in January
The new website will offer more information, will be easier to navigate, and
provide faster processing of opt outs. Neat features including custom
google-mapping tools to find Network dentists and health professionals that
will greatly improve the accessibility and usefulness of the Graduate
Benefit Plan.
- Streamlined Policy Year and Opt Out / Enrolment Dates: NO MORE COMPLICATED
ANNIVERSARY DATES
The Graduate Benefit Plan is moving to a full-year fee and enrolment system
to better serve the majority of graduate students. This means that in future
years, the enrolment and policy period will always be September 1st August
31st, and the full-year fee will be assessed all at once instead of per
term. Graduate students will be able to change their coverage or add family
at the start of every academic year each September, no matter what your
previous enrolment anniversary date was. Once enrolled, graduate students
will always be covered until August 31st, even if their registration status
changes from term to term.
What does this mean for January 2010?
To transition to this new fee system, all grad students enrolled in the plan
will be assessed a pro-rated fee in January for 2 semesters ending August
31st. This means your payment in January 2010 will be a larger initial
amount, but no payment will be required in May and you will retain coverage
until August 31st regardless of your registration status in May. And
remember the overall annual fee is being reduced by nearly $35.
If you have opted out previously, including this September 2009, your opt
out will be carried forward as usual. However, as a one-time exception, if
you would like to make any changes to your coverage (opt out, cancel your
opt out, or add family) you may do so in January 2010 without penalty or
restriction based on previous enrollment or anniversary dates.
(Proof of comparable coverage is needed to opt out of the health and dental
portions of the Benefit Plan. Information regarding how to submit an opt
out request will be available in December 2009.)
Brought to you by the Graduate Student Society at SFU and Studentcare