Your REC December and January Recap
Hello MRU Students,
Another fall semester has passed, and we’re left with irreplaceable memories and experiences. While you’ve been slaying finals, enjoying the winter break, and getting back into the swing of things for the winter semester, your Representation Executive Council (REC) has been advocating for what matters most to MRU students!
SAMRU’s REC team is comprised of four students, selected by the Student Governing Board (SGB) and elected by students to serve the interests of all SAMRU members (MRU credit students). From issues that impact us on campus all the way to those at the federal government level, REC is the frontline for all things student advocacy.
Vice-President Academic Fiona Chetty (she/her)
Vice-President External Genri Liclican (she/her)
Vice-President Student Affairs Anisa Tilston (she/they)
President Tala Abu Hayyaneh (she/her)
Keep reading to see how your REC team has been advocating for you since December into the new year!
Campus prayer and meditation rooms
At MRU, the only dedicated prayer and meditation room is currently the Meditation Centre by West Gate. While this room is useful for many students, including MRU’s Muslim and Christian populations, the small area can crowd quickly. Additionally, students with classes outside of the main building are required to make a long trek to use the space.
REC President Tala Abu Hayyaneh spoke with the Calgary Journal regarding the state of REC’s advocacy surrounding an additional prayer and meditation space on the east side of campus. She also encouraged students to voice their issues regarding inclusive and accessible spaces to the REC team so they can inform MRU of student space requirements.
You can read and watch the article at this link.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 4, 2024, was the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day that acknowledges and celebrates all who live with disabilities worldwide.
To join in the festivities of the day, REC VP Student Affairs Anisa Tilston released a speech recognizing the community’s achievements, and highlighting the significance of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at MRU.
REC’s on the case for parking
Whether you’re trying to get a spot during peak Wednesday traffic before your exam or a mysterious film crew has set up shop in your parking lot, it can be annoying when you aren’t getting full use of the permit you’ve paid for. However, some discussions with MRU’s parking administration have revealed that your hard-earned dollars don’t have to go to waste.
Anisa took to social media to let students know that if they’ve paid for parking and their lot is full for any reason, they should email parking@mtroyal.ca with their license plate and the number of the new lot they’re pulling into!
Speaking up on student aid
In the summer of 2024, the UCP introduced changes to the requirements to qualify for provincial student aid. As per the report, students who repeated the same academic year more than twice or those who withdrew from a course to drop from full-time to part-time student status could lose access to student aid for 18 months. The announcement was released without a large announcement or major press coverage, leaving many students unaware of the changes before they realized they no longer qualified.
In a piece by The Reflector regarding the new requirements, Tala spoke about the impact that the UCP’s new student loan requirements will have on students and what SAMRU is doing to alleviate the issue. You can read the full interview here.
2025 Budget Submissions of Students’ Union and Graduate Students’ Association
As the provincial government prepared its budget for the 2025 calendar year, REC and other student representatives across the city prepared a number of recommendations to consider.
From reinstating the Summer Temporary Employment Program to expanding Alberta Student Grant eligibility to include undergraduate students, your elected representatives have been actively crunching the numbers to make the best recommendations for students across the province as the budget submissions come to a close.
REC’s Budget Proposals, in collaboration with the University of Calgary Students’ Union and the Graduate Students’ Association of U of C, are now live on our website. You can check out the full joint housing and budget submission here.
Trans-athletes support
In October 2024, the provincial government passed Bill 29, commonly known as the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act. This act would only allow for those declared “biological females” to participate in women’s sports, including university sports.
Spearheaded by REC VP External Genri Liclican, a letter from REC was sent to the Alberta Government urging them to reconsider their recent changes to athletic participation requirements.
Welcoming CASA
On January 16, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), of which SAMRU is a member, made a stop at Wyckham House.
Every year CASA offers to visit each member’s campus to promote the importance of student advocacy and the advocacy they do on behalf of students to the federal government. This summer, SAMRU will be hosting student leaders from across the country for CASA’s Policy and Strategy Conference, where the CASA membership will determine what areas of advocacy they will prioritize for consideration in the next federal budget.
Student Connect
For many students who want to explore the current political landscape, one of the largest hurdles is finding an easy way to make their voices heard. The world of elections, policy and democracy can be intimidating. That’s why REC hosts Student Connect, the ultimate way to get to know local politicians and what they’re doing for you!
The VP External-headed event, which takes place annually in years without a municipal, provincial, or federal election currently called, brings together sitting politicians with MRU students in a casual environment to foster discussion on the issues that matter most to them. A dozen MLAs, City Councillors, and even Mayor Jyoti Gondek appeared to mingle with MRU students and hear from the young voter demographic.
To check out photos from the event, you can head to our Facebook album here.
REC members are employed full-time in their respective roles for a year, which means every day involves advocacy and representation happening behind the scenes — all dedicated to improving your student experience at MRU.
You can visit this link to learn more about your student representatives this year, along with updated position descriptions of each member of REC, position statements, advocacy priorities, and even information on how YOU could become an elected student representative!
To follow along with your REC team as they continue their 2024-25 terms advocating for you, stay glued to our socials @samrurec on X (formerly Twitter) and @samrubuzz on Instagram.
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to email your representatives at representation@samru.ca.
