University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
UPEI STUDENT UNION ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
UNIVERSITY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND STUDENT UNION INC. PREPARED BY:
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INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS - SARA REEVES
550 University Avenue ஃ telephone: 902.566.0530 ஃ fax: 902.566.0979 ஃ www.upeisu.ca
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
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Our Vision: As a unifying body, the UPEI Student Union strives to provide leadership while assisting students as they obtain the highest standards in their academic and personal life; enhancing their quality of life now and into the future.
Our Mission: The UPEI Student Union is a non-profit democratic representation of students. We are dedicated to fostering pride in the university, the betterment of university life, and enhancing the student experience at UPEI. We value our independence as an organization while maintaining effective relationships with the university and surrounding community.
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union Council 2013-2014
Our Core Values: •Representation for all students •Transparency, Honesty, and Accountability •Fun, Participation and Engagement •Progress (Growth, Strength, Best Practices, Creative Solutions, etc.) •Sustainability (Triple Bottom Line - Financial, Social, and Environmental) !2
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
" A Sneak Peek...
A Year in Review.
Page 4
New Initiatives
Page 5
Advocacy
Page 6
The Wave
Page7
UPEISU and Communication
Page 8
The Campus Trust
Page 9
Conferences
Page 11
The New and The Old
Page 12
The Cadre
Page 13
Nexus Yearbook
Page 14
End of Year Banquet 2014
Page 15
Elections
Page 18
A Look Into The Future
Page 19
“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” Student Union Council 2014-2015
Page 20 Page 21
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
A Year In Review " "
The View From The General Managers Chair
This past year has been like most at the SU an exciting one with lots of changes taking place. The year started off with some last minute changes happening at The Wave which forced us to not open until Oct 1st. This was also the first year that The Wave was open during the day for full food service and this turned out to be a success endeavour. There is always room for improvement and I know Josh McInnis, Bar Manager, will be busy this summer having everything ready for September 2014. As well, this was the first year minors were able to come to The Wave throughout the day and evening as long as there was no entertainment going on. This has been something we have been working on for several years and are excited that it finally happened. Travis Gordon did an exceptional job this year developing the SU’s first ever lobby documents which were approved by council and presented to the University Senior Administration and our provincial government. This past year was a year of updating our internal policies and bylaws to make sure they are all current and reflect the actual practices of the organization. This past year was the first time in several years that the Student Union had the opportunity to plan Orientation Week in partnership with UPEI. It was great to have this portfolio under the Student Union again to help make all first years experience an exciting one. This was also the first year that the Student Union organized a Movember campaign in which students, faculty and staff all participated. This past year I had the opportunity to network with my colleagues across Canada at the Association of Manager In Canadian College and Universities & Student-Centres, National Professional Conference in Saskatoon. This conference is always an exciting time as you get to meet new and old friends to discuss challenges and opportunities in the SU environment. Currently, I’m the Communications Director of AMICCUS-C and I am the Chair of the Campus Trust, which is the executive board of our health insurance which includes nine universities from across Canada. This past year the Campus Trust did a RFP for our administration services which we are happy to say we will be continuing to work with The PBAS Group. I was extremely lucky to have had a wonderful executive committee to work with this past year. It is always a hard time of year as you have to say goodbye to the current executive but exciting as well because there is a new group waiting, full of new ideas. Anastasia Smallwood, Travis Gordon, Matthew MacInnis, Sara Reeves and Matthew Rice I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” - John D. Rockefeller - Melissa Morrow, UPEISU General Manager
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
" New Initiatives " " " "
O-Week and Movember Find a New Home
New Student Orientation, or NSO at the University of Prince Edward Island has gone under some exciting changes this year. Beginning in May of last year, NSO undertook the new title of Orientation Week (O-Week) and was coordinated within the UPEI Student Union in collaboration with the UPEISU executive team and the V-P Academic Christian Lacroix. While maintaining its chemical- and alcoholfree protocols, the week was composed of events such as PlayFair, Chaplaincy Centre Breakfast, UPEI FYI Sessions, Damien the Hypnotist, Toga Party, and many more academic and social events. With the overall goal of orienting new students so they are better able to succeed at UPEI, make connections with one another, the rest of campus,and the surrounding community, Orientation Week played a key role in this year's first year student experience at UPEI.
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" "O What?" "O-Week!" " -Lucas MacArthur, O-Week Co-ordinator " "
Well UPEI, another year has come and gone of month of great and sometimes not so great moustaches. It was a tremendous month for this year's Movember Campagin. Thanks to all Mo bros and sista's that helped make that happen. The money fundraised for this year's campaign will go towards men's health initiatives especially for prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health research. The world wide total was CAD $123,489,376 with over $1200 coming from UPEI. Highlights of this year's campaign included: Mo-shots "fake moustaches photo-ops", STI Screening Clinic, Movember Trivia ,Movember Merchandise Sales and many more. The UPEISU Movember Committee is extremely proud of our campus and to all the participants that supported Movember. Shout-out to all the professors and sta who got involved as well! Whether it was buying some Movember Merchandise or attending our Movember Trivia Night, thank you again for all your support.
" See you next Movember! "
-Lucas MacArthur, Movember Co-ordinator   !5
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
" Advocacy
A Year of Hard Work
It has been a busy year in the UPEI SU Advocacy portfolio. Our efforts have been stepped up massively this year on all fronts – university, provincial government, and federal government. I am so proud to serve in an organization which has at its heart the interests of students, and seeks to make things as good as they can be for students.
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This year marks the first time the UPEI SU has codified our policy stances in print. Going forward, having a policy library from which to derive stances and positions will benefit us greatly – it has and will continue to strengthen our advocacy going forward.
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This year, our large amount of university advocacy has continued in many ways. Committee work is an ongoing part of the work of the UPEI SU, and our team has worked to ensure that our interests – the interests of students – have been at the forefront. For example, this year the UPEI SU played a key role in introducing a new scholarship program which did not discriminate on the basis of geographic origin – one of the Student Union’s policy priorities for the year. Work is ongoing on other issues, like the use of open textbooks for first-year students at UPEI.
We’ve also had a strong provincial presence. This year marks our second year presenting to one of the Department of Finance’s pre-budget consultations, and we met with several Members of the Legislative Assembly on student issues. Other activities have included a presentation to the Liberal caucus and regular meetings with the Department of Advanced Learning.
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Further, we have been very active in our work with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. CASA is an alliance of over twenty student unions associations across the country working to make post-secondary education better. This year, CASA lobbied and won on several issues: the Canada Student Loan Program will now exempt the value of a student’s primary vehicle, full-time international students will automatically receive work permits for off-campus work, and international students will also now automatically be issues multiple-entry visas.
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To be certain, the UPEI SU has had a very successful year in advocacy, and there is much opportunity going forward for an increased presence and focus on it. For more information, I encourage those interested to contact me, VP Academic & External, at vpax@upeisu.ca or 902-566-0648.
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-Travis Gordon, Vice President Academic and External !6
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
The Wave:
New Year, New Manager
This was my first year as bar manager at The Wave. Not only was it my first year but I have never attended UPEI or visited The Wave except for a few rare occasions, and wasn’t too sure what to expect. Diving head first into something someone else had started has also been quite an experience. The past year has provided several challenges and some great times as well. Challenges include working with limited resources, which lead to long wait times. Poor attendance for certain events, advertising and marketing, and some of the food could use some work. That being said there were still plenty if success at The Wave this year including Halloween Pub, Sex Trivia, and Beach Blast. Our smaller events have been successful as well; trivia and open mic were both well attended. Being open during the day to provide food and beverage service has also been worthwhile. Feedback has been mostly positive and I look forward to making improvements next year to make The Wave even better. The biggest change will be the kitchen renovation. This renovation will give our kitchen staff the space they need as well as some new equipment. This new equipment should help to reduce wait times. The renovations of course will change the layout of the wave as well. A pool table will be added and some more lounge seating will be set up in attempt to create an area for students to hangout between classes. The fooseball table is not going anywhere either. Better training will be provided to servers. Not only will this be better for customers but better for our employees. There will be changes to the menu and more specials. I plan on working with the Student Union more in order to provide a better experience and service to campus. These are just a few examples of what the future holds for The Wave. I look forward to the next school year and making The Wave even best it can be. - Josh McInnis, Bar Manager
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
" UPEISU and Communication " " A Roller Coaster Year " " " " The communications department of the UPEI " Student Union underwent many changes this " year. Although the Union was faced with these “With twitter " changes, they came together as a team to becoming a bigger " insure that the students were still being component in " informed and engaged. "" communication the " In the 2013 Spring Hiring Board, Ryan Student Union gained " McCarvill was chosen as the new Vice " President Communications. Upon starting the 482 Twitter followers " position full force in September, Ryan soon this year. ” " came to realize that this was not a position "which he was able to completely fill and "therefore gave his resignation to Council. “Our Facebook page "" received 182 more "Laura Wisener stepped up at an extraordinary "meeting of Council to take on the position likes, helping spread until it could be filled by the proper the word even more!” "interim "procedures. "" In a fall hiring board Kelsey Marr "was chosen to fill the position of Vice " President Communications. Kelsey was in the position for roughly four months " before making the decision that studies must come first resulting in her " resignation. "" " In an extraordinary meeting of council held in mid February Sara Reeves " stepped forward to take over the position interim for the remainder of the " year. "" " With the many changes in the position this year it was hard to remain " consistent for the students. Many mistakes can be attributed to this high turn " over rate. Fingers crossed that there is not another year like this for the " Student Union anytime in the future. "" " - Sara Reeves, Interim Vice President Communications " " " " " !8
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
" Campus Trust The " The Trust and Us "
It has been my pleasure to serve as a Trustee on the Campus Trust Board of Trustees for this past year. The Campus Trust is a non-profit organization made up of student associations from across Canada that have come together to form a legal trust in order to provide their students with the best benefit plans possible. The Campus Trust Board of Trustees is responsible for managing the trust and ensuring that the students are getting the best benefits at the best rates possible.
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The Board of Trustees is made up of five student representatives and five staff representatives and these positions rotate between the member organizations. This past year Melissa, our General Manager, and myself both held positions on the Board. Melissa served as the Chair of the Board as well and will continue to do so until her term expires in September 2014. The UPEISU will continue to have a student representative on the Board until May of 2015.
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The first Board meeting was in June as part of the Assembly of Participating Organizations in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Some of the highlights from the Board meeting included updates from various committees on their activities for the year, selection of representatives to send to a conference in San Francisco put on by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, and various financial and investment updates. This conference also included an introduction to the Campus Trust for new members that were unfamiliar with the organization. !9
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
This has been a busy year for the Campus Trust, with lots of great accomplishments. One major milestone was the addition of a new member organization to the Campus Trust. The Cape Breton University Students’ Union will be joining the Campus Trust as September 1, 2014, which is very exciting news and will bring the membership of the Trust up to ten student associations. This comes as a result of more active marketing and recruitment efforts on behalf of the Trust that will continue and hopefully help to educate more student organizations on the benefits of joining the Campus Trust.
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Another major task undertaken by the Campus Trust this year was a review of our administrators. This was the first time that the Trust ever underwent a request for proposal (RFP) process for its benefits administration services. While there were no issues with the current administrators, The PBAS Group, it was decided that it was in the best interest of the Trust to undergo an RFP process in order to ensure that the Trust was continuing to offer the best services possible to its members. I was able to take part in the entire RFP process as a member of the RFP Committee, and although it was a lengthy process it was definitely beneficial.
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Throughout the year the RFP Committee, which was made up of five individuals from different member organizations, worked with a third party advisor, Grant Thornton, to implement a transparent and fair RFP process. The RFP Committee decided on three potential vendors to present at The Campus Trust Annual General Meeting (AGM) in February in Toronto, Ontario. At the AGM, the three vendors presented to the member organizations, which after discussing the strengths and weaknesses of all the potential vendors voted unanimously to remain with the current administrators, The PBAS Group.
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Other work completed at the AGM in February included approving the annual budget, reviewing the financial statements for the Trust as a whole, reviewing the Trust’s investment portfolio and performance, and appointing our advisors for the year (auditor, legal counsel, investment manager). All of the reports presented showed that the Trust had an overall successful year, with our investments performing well and the majority of schools operating within a surplus position.
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Some of the successes of The Campus Trust in terms of the UPEISU included increasing coverage for UPEI students and implementing a late opt-out fee. Once again the UPEISU plan operated with a surplus, which allowed us to increase the coverage that we offer students on the health plan. We also implemented a late opt-out fee that allowed for greater flexibility for students that missed the opt-out deadline for the health and dental plans. Instead of every student having to write a letter and seek approval in order to opt-out after the deadline, students had the option to opt-out any time after the deadline by paying a $25 late fee. Of course there were still some circumstances where students wanted to challenge the fee and they still had the option of writing a letter to do so, but overall the late fee allowed for greater flexibility and less frustration. -Matthew MacInnis, Vice President Finance
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
Conferences
Leadership and Learning
The Canadian Organization of Campus Activities is a collection of schools across Canada dedicated to supporting campus events and Canadian entertainment.
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I had the pleasure to attend the 2013 COCA National conference in Halifax, termed "COCA: Impact 2013" in July. Lucas MacArthur, our O-week coordinator, myself and our previous bar manager, spent 5 days in Halifax with delegates from all over Canada in hopes to find some new and exciting ideas to bring back to UPEI.
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From some amazing main-stage showcases from groups such as Two Hours Traffic, the Honey Runners, to singersongwriters Craig Cardiff and Tim Chaisson. Some incredible Canadian talent was displayed and actually led to a significant amount of our bookings in the 203-2014 year.
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During the day we attended numerous workshops ranging from clubs and societies, to proper communication skills. We spent our days building skills that would directly impact the year ahead of us.
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I personally, gained a lot of new skills and ideas, as well as countless new relationships with programming professionals all over Canada. Our membership with COCA and the National conferences are invaluable to our yearly programming and club/society relationships.
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“ Every year I look forward to the AMICCUS-C NPC as it is a chance to meet new and old colleagues from across Canada where we are able to discuss issues, trends and highlights of the past year.” - Melissa Morrow, General Manager
-Matt Rice, Vice President Activities
“This year, I had the pleasure of attending the East Coast Student Leadership Conference in Halifax, NS. The ECSL Conference was founded by 5 Dalhousie students in response to the lack of leadership conference opportunities on the East Coast. In 2013, UPEI Student Affairs, UPEISU, UPEI International Relations office and Residence Life sent 12 delegates to Halifax, NS. Highlights of the conference included: Poster Presentations, World Café, Keynote speeches by Blake Fly, Jen McMillen and Bill Carr,Concurrent Sessions, Professional Sessions, Open Space, Creation Stations and Closing Ceremonies.
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The support given by various departments at our University has been phenomenal and I happy to report that the 2014 Conference will be hosted at UPEI. This conference will provide a large number of UPEI students an opportunity to not only attend a leadership conference but also an opportunity to lead a workshop at the conference level, and will be a crucial development weekend for on campus student leaders. Look forward to seeing everyone at ESCLC 2014 - Cultivating Leaders: It's your time to grow.
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- Lucas MacArthur, Senate Representative, ECSLC 2013 Delegate
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
" New and The Old The " Being Involved and Working Together
" HECKBERTS
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The UPEISU worked closely with Heckberts Studios on many occasions this year. Heckberts set ups remote office in the back boardroom to offer graduating students the chance to have their portraits taken in a convenient location on campus.
Alumni Engagement
This year we have increased our involvement with the office of Development & Alumni Engagement. Collaborating with the Development office with regards to Scholarship availability at the University of Prince Edward Island. The President, VP Finance and VP Activities met with the Office of Development to discuss the fair allocation of scholarship funds to students regardless of province of origin. Other conversations related to the ease of access in regards to scholarships for students.
Celebrating Student Achievement Scholarship
Shinerama Campaign 2013 Shinerama is the largest post secondary fundraiser across Canada and raises funds for cystic fibrosis research and treatment. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disorder that affects an individual's digestive and respiratory systems. UPEI students have participated in Shinerama for several years and raised $24,145.68 in last year's campaign alone! A highlight of Orientation Week, Shinerama is an opportunity for students to interact with members of the community to raise awareness about CF as well as build many new friendships. - Michelle MacDougald, Shinerama Coordinator
The UPEI Student Union was integral to the introduction of a new scholarship program for the students of UPEI. In the past thirty students would be given full tuition scholarships based on their averages upon entering UPEI. In February 2014 the University of Prince Edward Island introduced a scholarship that will apply to all UPEI students of eighty percent averages and above. This program was of keen interest to the students as it applicable to all students, regardless of origin and allocates funds more equally across all years of students study.
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
The Cadre: Showing that Online-Only is the Way to go! " The 2013-2014 school year was an excellent one for The Cadre. After moving to an online-only publishing format in 2012, The Cadre has experienced an increase in readership which demonstrates that more and more people are turning to the internet as a source for news. The Cadre has continued to build connections with other campus newspapers in the Canadian University Press, as well as with the CBC, Macleans, and The Guardian. In February 2014, The Cadre moved to a new website that is more organized, professional, and easier to navigate. In March 2014, The Cadre received over 7,500 page views. Our presence online through Facebook and Twitter continues to grow as well. Over the past year it has become increasingly evident that the world of journalism is changing and here at The Cadre we are happy to roll with the changes. This year was a learning experience for everyone involved with The Cadre. All five of our Managing Editors hit the ground running, bringing a wealth of past journalistic experience from their volunteer work with The Cadre and other campus newspapers to the table. The Cadre would not be what it is without the enthusiasm and dedication of the staff and fantastic volunteers who help keep The Cadre running. Our readers also deserve a special thank you for sticking with us and continuing to provide insightful feedback.
From everyone here at The Cadre, we hope that our new website and continued coverage of events on and off the UPEI campus continue to be satisfactory and interesting well into the foreseeable future. I am looking forward to another great year as Editor-in-Chief and I am excited to see what news the next year will bring.
Olivia Robinson Editor-in-Chief
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
Nexus Yearbook
Another Year Full of Memories
The 2013-2014 academic year for the SU Nexus Yearbook was a fantastic one. We had an amazing team of hard working and creative individuals and a few volunteers photographers who really added to our book. Our committee this year, then, consisted of 6 people instead of the original 4 we started with. For the 2014-2015 year, as editor, I hope to expand on this number and to get more people involved and interested.
"To me, the yearbook is a reflection of all the good times had over the course of the school year. It highlights major pubs, events and celebrates the accomplishments of the graduates, while preserving the memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. " - Heidi Burt (Photographer)
"For myself, the yearbook is an opportunity to look back on the past and remember how much we’ve all grown throughout our time here at UPEI. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun!" Eliza MacLauchlan (Sports Editor)
“For me, the yearbook is more
than just a printed and bound book. It represents memories and the connections students have made with UPEI, friends they've met, as well as their professors and classmates. It reflects all of the good times, and maybe not so good times, over the last year and allows us to appreciate and cherish our experiences here at UPEI." - Brittany Jakubiec (Editor) !14
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
Robert “Rocky” Paquet
Michelle MacDougald
Cadre Volunteer of the Year
Councillor of the Year Award
Chelsia Gillis
Staff of the Year Award
Faculty of the Year Award
" of Year Banquet 2014 End
Brad Pauley and Elspeth Tate !15
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
Nexus Appreciation Award
Mickey’s Place Appreciation Award
Olivia Robinson and Brittany Rhynold
Wave Server of the Year Wave Bartender of the Year Wave Security of the Year
Heidi Burt
Tayte Willows
Megan Johnson
Alex Stavert
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
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Every year the UPEI Student Union hosts a banquet in appreciation of all the staff and volunteers that make up the organization. The Wave, The Cadre, The Nexus Yearbook, Mickey’s Place and Council come together to celebrate their accomplishments and to feast on the delicious spread from The Rodd Charlottetown.
Thank you all for an amazing year!
The Banquet allows the Student Union to thank everyone for all their hard work and to allow everyone to feel appreciated for all that they do. The organization also shows appreciation to a staff member and a faculty member with their Staff and Faculty Member of the Year Awards.
Outgoing Executive 2013-2014
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Travis Gordon, Sara Reeves, Candice Heigh, Melissa Morrow, Anastasia Smallwood, Matthew Rice and Matthew MacInnis
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
 
Elections
And the Winner is...
Region 1
Region 2
Fall Election The Fall Election brought a lower turn out than previous years with only 11% of eligible students choosing to cast their vote.
Region 1
Region 2
Spring Election The Spring Election brought a slightly lower voter turn out than usual with 18% of eligible students making their voices heard. There were many issues that contributed to this and there will be steps taken to insure a higher voter turn out next year !
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University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
A Look into the Future " Vice President Communications
Vice President Academic and External
Executive Team 2014-2015
Travis Gordon
Emilie Sullivan
Lucas MacArthur
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Vice President Finance
Vice President Activities
President
Alex Heighington
Willem MacKenzie
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
“The " difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” ― Jimmy Johnson
Outgoing Executive 2013-2014
Outgoing Executive 2013-2014& Incoming Executive 2014-2015
Incoming Executive 2014-2015 !20
University of Prince Edward Island Student Union - Annual Report 2013-2014
Student Union Council A look ahead to 2014-2015 Chair of Council: Bob Deziel Deputy Chair of Council: Emiley MacKinnon Arts Representative: Emily Roberts Arts Representative: Grace McCarvill Arts Representative: Alix Barry Science Representative: Anastasia McCarvill Science Representative: Emma McDermott Science Representative: *Fall 2014* Business Representative: *Fall 2014* Business Representative: *Fall 2014* Nursing Representative: *Fall 2014* Veterinary Medicine Representative: *Fall 2014* Education Representative: Kristy Dewey Accessibility Representative: *Fall 2014* International Representative: *Fall 2014* Residence Representative: *Fall 2014* Board of Governors Representative: Dana Kenny Senate Representative: *Fall 2014* Senate Representative: Amanda Johnston Senate Representative: Laura Wisener Graduate Senate Representative: Luke Poirier Graduate Student Representative: *Fall 2014* First Year Representative: *Fall 2014* Ombudsmen: *Fall 2014*
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