Year-end board meeting approves strategic plan and operating agreement

On Apr. 15, the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union board of directors met for the last time in the 2010-11 academic year. Union policy, long-term plans and the union’s agreement with the university were all on the table for approval.

A lobby and advocacy policy drafted primarily by WLUSU policy researcher and advocacy coordinator Chris Hyde and vice-chair of the board Chris Walker was presented, reflecting the union’s first end of representation and advocacy. The purpose of the policy is to establish guidelines for future presidents to engage in lobbying efforts with the university and the municipal, provincial and federal governments.

The strategic plan, developed over the course of the year, outlines general and more specific goals for the union reflecting the organizations values. The values outlined included diversity, community and safety.

Questions were asked about how this plan would stay active despite frequent turnover among student representatives. WLUSU general manager Mike McMahon explained that by implementing an annual review of the strategic plan, the goals listed would remain relevant to the state of the organization.

Finally the Operating Procedures Agreement (OPA) between WLUSU and the university was presented to the board after months of negotiations. The food services and meal plan agreement which had caused a great deal of disagreement previously, featured many changes from the current structure.

Notably, the agreement included the change of allowing students who run out of their alternative dollars in their meal plan to have access to prime dollars for purchases at WLUSU operations that previously would have been restricted. The students’ union will have to provide food services a 30 per cent commission on those sales.

“We will definitely not lose money in this,” assured WLUSU president Kyle Walker.

With the food services and meal plan existing in the appendices of the agreement, McMahon also added that these terms specifically “can be reviewed at any time.”

After some discussion among the board regarding the agreement with food services, the OPA was passed unanimously.