Meetings & Advocacy
ROBARTS PRAYER SPACE – SUCCESS! After months of collaborative effort between students in a multitude of clubs across campus, the UTSU is pleased to announce that on February 25, a multi-faith Prayer and Meditation Space opened on the 8th floor of Robarts Library. A statement regarding the space was issued the week of the opening and was posted on the UTSU website and circulated on Facebook. An open house launch event was held on Friday, March 1. Margaret Wall from Robarts administration and Richard Chambers, Director of the Multifaith Centre, were present alongside student representatives and leaders to celebrate this launch and gain feedback on how to make the space as functional as possible. The UTSU extends its appreciation to those who were a part of ensuring the success of this project and for their commitment in improving accessibility and equity on this campus in a tangible way. The Student Committee for Appropriate Accommodations includes representatives from the following clubs and unions: Buddhism and Psychology Students’ Union, Ismaili Students’ Association, Keeping It
Halal, Muslim Students’ Association, Power To Change, SGI University of Toronto Buddhist Club, Thaqalayn Muslim Association, University of Toronto Students’ Union and the Varsity Christian Fellowship. The UTSU is committed to ensuring all students have the ability to fully engage with their university experience. We continue to work alongside students and administration to facilitate this participation through varied means, including continuing to pursue access to prayer and meditation space on campus. The space currently has yoga mats contributed by the Multifaith Centre and prayer carpets contributed by the Muslim Students’ Association.
ACCESS COPYRIGHT – VICTORY! On June 7, the UTSU received a letter from Vice President and Provost Cheryl Misak regarding the University of Toronto’s decision to not extend their current agreement with Access Copyright. In January 2012, UofT and Western University signed on to a one-year agreement with a publications licensing organization called Access Copyright, effectively forcing all students at UofT to pay an extra $26 in ancillary fees to protect UofT from potential lawsuits on copyright infringement. The license agreement was unnecessary as federal legislation already protects the rights of those in academic institutions to access copyright materials for educational purposes. The UTSU was a vocal opponent to Access Copyright, and had spent the past year lobbying the university to retract the deal. It is because of the hard work of student representatives from the UTSU and allies at UofT and the Canadian Federation of Students that the
23 | THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO STUDENTS’ UNION | ANNUAL REPORT 2O13-2014