The Martlet

Bottled-water ban begins

A University of Victoria Students’ Society (UVSS) motion to begin phasing out the sale of bottled water in the SUB was passed at the board’s Sept. 26 meeting.

The proposal’s success is due in large part to an overwhelming show of support from students, who voted 85 per cent in favour of phasing out bottled water during a referendum in March.

The UVSS hopes to halt the sale of bottled water in the Health Food Bar and Bean There food outlets and enter into discussions with both Ryan Vending and Coca-Cola about replacing their stock with reusable plastic bottles by Dec. 5.

Though the changes are certain to come at a cost, UVSS Director of Finance and Operations Dylan Sherlock believes that the decision is not one of fiscal policy, but of the board’s obligation to voters.

The motion also requires that UVSS Chairperson Tara Paterson write a letter to UVic’s VP Student Affairs requesting that the university develop a position on the sale of bottled water by April 2012.

WUSC seeks funding increase

A motion put forward by Director-at-Large David Foster on behalf of representatives of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) to raise student levies in order to expand its Student Refugee program was carried at the UVSS board meeting and has been scheduled for referendum on Nov. 2, 3 and 4.

The question reads: “Do you support an increase of $1.00 per full time student per semester and $0.50 per part time student per semester to support the Student Refugee Program run by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) UVic Local Committee?”

The organization, which currently sponsors the first-year education and accommodation of three refugee students “fleeing war or persecution in developing countries,” hopes the additional revenue will allow them to sponsor a fourth student.

Faculty reps draw debate

In a presentation to the UVSS board, Engineering student Michael Atkinson expressed concerns about the lack of consultation with his faculty over the Policy Development committee’s proposed motion to adopt faculty representation.

Due to an academic structure that includes mandatory co-ops, engineers are prevented from regularly attending and participating in board policy-making sessions, says Atkinson.

He recommends an option that would see two Engineering representatives elected instead of one, so that they could alternate based on availability.

After a lengthy debate, the votes totaled 12 in favour and 7 against which didn’t meet the requisite two-thirds vote. The proposal will not be debated against Director-at-Large David Foster’s motion (see story on page 3) at the upcoming AGM.

Foster called the motion “disingenuous and undemocratic,” and saw it as an attempt to supersede his own version — perceived to be “poorly thought out” by Director of Finance and Operations Dylan Sherlock.

Director of Student Affairs Jenn Bowie, who voted in favour of sending the proposal to AGM, believed that both options should appear on the agenda in order to give students the opportunity to compare the two.

However, Director-at-Large Allison Rhodes, along with several other board members, expressed their concerns about the presentation of two similar motions on the same subject being unnecessarily confusing to voters.

The UVSS AGM is scheduled for Oct 13 at 3 p.m. in Cinecenta.