Your REC February Recap

Hello MRU students,

We hope the thrills and chills of the Winter Semester have treated you well! While you were hard at the grind and enjoying a well-deserved reading week, your Representation Executive Council (REC) has been hard at work, advocating for changes and improvements in and around campus that matter most to you, our members! 

REC is comprised of four MRU students just like you who were elected by MRU’s student body and hired by the Student Governing Board (SBG) to represent student issues to MRU and all levels of government. 

From left to right, this year’s REC team is:

  • Vice-President External Prabhjit Grewal (they/them)
  • Vice-President Academic Tala Abu Hayyaneh (she/her)
  • Vice-President Student Affairs Anisa Tilston (she/they)
  • President Joseph Nguyen (he/him)

Keep reading to hear what your team has been up to during the month of February!

Healthy Campus Alberta Regional Gathering

REC VP External Prabhjit attended the Healthy Campus Alberta (HCA) regional gathering held at MRU. At the gathering, Prabhjit emphasized the importance of providing a third space for students struggling with mental health issues, particularly loneliness. Additionally, they highlighted the need for improved dissemination of information about available mental health support both on and off campus.

Class Scheduling

REC President Joseph voiced concerns against the shifting of morning and afternoon classes to night schedules, advocating for student-friendly scheduling.

Pedestrian Safety Advocacy Win

Prabhjit and Joseph raised safety concerns regarding the absence of a safe crosswalk on the route to Currie Barracks, the intersection of Richardson Way SW and Bishop Way SW. This advocacy resulted in MRU’s and the City of Calgary’s support for installing a pedestrian light at the intersection, with plans for installation before the Fall Semester 2024.

Additional Multi-Faith Room

Advocating for inclusivity, REC President Joseph and REC VP Academic Tala pushed for the establishment of an additional multi-faith room in the MRU library. A multi-faith space in the library has the potential to be more accessible for those with mobility issues than the current space. It also prevents students from having to travel across campus in order to access a dedicated faith space.

Housing Advocacy

REC continues to actively engage with local politicians to advocate for student needs. At a housing roundtable hosted by MLA Janis Irwin, REC advocated for funding to increase on-campus residence space, quicker student loan reassessments, and increased accessibility of tenant rights information.

Downtown Safety Advocacy

At the Downtown Safety Leadership Table Community Consultation Session — which had over 40 representatives from police services, community associations, businesses, homeless shelters, post-secondary, and Indigenous organizations — Joseph advocated for initiatives such as safe walk programs and educational campaigns to enhance downtown safety and inclusivity for students.

Reading Week Rebrand

In efforts to promote mental health, REC has proposed rebranding reading week to highlight the importance of using the break to focus on mental health, wellness and accessing support.

Technology Enhanced Resource Fees Awareness

Tala highlighted the need for increased awareness of the Grades Policy — specifically the section covering Technology Enhanced Resource Fees. She advocated for better communication and dissemination of information to faculty and students. This section of the Grades Policy sets a limit for the costs and percentage of your grade associated with technology resources or assessment tools professors assign in their classes.

Student Employment Advocacy

President Nguyen advocated for MRU to require commission-based companies to explicitly state their employment terms during the hiring process, as well as for Career Services to prioritize part-time job opportunities near campus and accessible transportation hubs.

Federal Budget Advocacy Wins

SAMRU REC and the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) were successful in their advocacy to the Federal Government during CASA’s Advocacy Week in November 2023, where REC President Joseph met with MPs and other Federal Officials.

REC and CASA saw almost all of their proposed policies included in the recommendations put forward by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance for the 2024 Federal Budget. While all recommendations put forward by this standing committee may not be seen in the budget, this budget still shows that MPs from multiple parties agree with the policies we proposed to make life better for students. The 2024 Federal Budget is expected to be announced on April 22, 2024. 

Thanks for reading!

Your REC members have been employed in their respective roles full-time for over a year, which means every day is full of advocacy and representation happening behind the scenes, dedicated to improving your student experience at MRU. You can visit this link to learn more about your student representatives this year, view updated position descriptions of each member of REC, view their position statements and advocacy priorities, and even learn how YOU could potentially become an elected student representative!

REC elections for the 2024-25 term are just around the corner! Happening in the final week of March, this is your chance to make your voice heard and select the advocates you think will serve your interests best over the next school year. 

Keep your eyes glued to @samrurec on X (formerly Twitter) and @samrubuzz on Instagram for REC campaign week on March 25-27, where you can learn about each REC candidate’s motivations and advocacy platforms for the next year! You’ll also be able to meet these candidates in person at the REC Candidate Meet and Greet, happening in Wyckham House on March 26.

After the votes are counted, your new REC team will be announced at SAMRU’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 27. 

Keep your eyes open for updates, statements, and more on these and other upcoming initiatives on social media by following @samrurec on X. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to email your representatives at representation@samru.ca.