BadgerFest 2024
BadgerFest 2024 was a tremendous success, with thousands of students attending events catering to a variety of interests. From dancing with guest DJs at the Glow Party to expressing creativity through painting and tie-dye at Colour Your Calm, from the high-energy Sexy Bingo to the laid-back Movie Night, there was something for everyone.
We continually gather feedback to enhance our events, and this year we implemented several improvements. Sexy Bingo doubled in size, hosting 1,300 students compared to 700 last year. We also added live music and inflatables to the Community Fair, moved the U-Pass collection to a shaded area between Goodman and the Student-Alumni Centre, and brought in DJs with a broader range of popular hits for the Glow Party.
Students can share their feedback on this year’s events through this link. Once we have the survey results, we’ll share them with the Board at the next meeting.
Events
All events are proceeding as scheduled. The first trip to Toronto, for the Blue Jays game, went well and as planned.
We've successfully launched Tuesday Trivia, Brews and Board Games, and free food events, all running smoothly. Shinaya, our VPSS, and Celyn Talue, our events Manager, are doing an amazing job elevating the events and ensuring everything runs seamlessly for our students to have a great time.
Shinaya is also working on exciting plans for Wellness Week, hoping to introduce something new and engaging. Additionally, Shinaya is working with the Clubs team on clubs’ carnival and night market.
New Student Centre
The BUSU team have met with the Architect firm, now three times to discuss the planning process of the new student alumni centre.
As per plan, we will be taking the design and financial plan to the Brock Board of Trustees in December for the Cycle 2 meeting, for a final approval.
Senate
Carleigh Charlton, Mark Chrabalowski, and Kayleigh Rosetto conducted a Senate orientation for all student senators. The goal was to ensure they felt comfortable as they transition into their respective Senate committees.
Senate meetings are now in full swing, having started last week. Additionally, the Brock University Strategic Plan, which Carleigh Charlton contributed to as part of the working group, has been finalized and was approved by the Senate last week. It will now move to the first cycle of the Board of Trustees meeting.
Brock University Board of Trustees
I met with Yvonne Russell, Brock University’s Secretariat, along with Christian, the GSA President, for a walkthrough of how the Board of Trustees functions.
The Board Orientation with all board members took place on Friday, September 20, 2024. It was a full-day event where I met new and returning Board members and gained insights into the Board’s operations, including financial literacy.
The first cycle of Board meetings is set for Thursday, September 26, 2024, and I’m looking forward to it.
Universal Bus Pass
Relocating the U-Pass booth was a smart move. Additionally, Carleigh took the initiative to efficiently handle non-eligible students for the bus pass, significantly improving the process. I want to extend my gratitude to her for all the hard work she’s put in. The Brock University Students’ Union distributed over 8,000 stickers in the first two weeks of September.
Brock Parking Update
Recently, we had all heard that Brock Parking is making changes to evening parking, now charging $6 after 6 pm. This change was only mentioned on their website, with no further communication on social media, and BUSU was not informed in advance. We met with Mr. Ed Wall and Matthew Lauer (Manager of Parking Services) to discuss the next steps, as this decision is likely to be unpopular among students, especially given the current financial constraints.
Carleigh proposed that Brock Parking consider waiving parking fees for students during the week of Badger Fest, as most events occur in the evening, and we don’t want students to pay extra just to attend. Our proposed suggestions were denied at first.
To expedite the decision, Carleigh reached out to Jennifer Guarasci, Interim Vice President of Administration, and successfully advocated for making Parking Lot 2 free for the entire term. This was a significant win for us. As we approach the winter semester, discussions will continue, and we’re hopeful for a positive outcome.
Open Education Resources Award
Carleigh Charlton, BUSU’s Vice-President of University Affairs, was nominated by Rajiv Jhangiani, Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning at Brock University, for a globally recognized Open Education Award for Excellence. With more than 100 individuals or projects from 28 countries nominated this year, Carleigh was selected as a finalist in the People in Open: Student category and went on to win the award.
BUSU is incredibly proud of the work Carleigh has done on Open Education Resources, along with Robert Hilson and Rajiv Jhangiani, Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning at Brock University.
OUSA
As mentioned previously, BUSU is hosting the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance Fall General Assembly. Mark Chrabalowski, VPEA, and Carleigh Charlton, VPUA, are working diligently to finalize logistics, while Shinaya Peiris, VPSS, is finalizing the social events for the conference. The OUSA delegate form has been released on the website and will be open until noon on September 25th.
We aim to have everything in place by the end of next week.
A-Team
Our first A-Team meeting was held on September 10th at Isaac’s Patio, with a great turnout.
We introduced the team to BUSU and each executive's role, and explained the six committees they could join.
We implemented a new, efficient approach to committee selection. I would like to thank Kayleigh Rosetto, and Jessie Reid, for working through the new process.
Students had 48 hours to submit a short bio and headshot, after which their peers could review and vote. Everything went smoothly, and we have now finalized our committees.
The Clubs Advisory Committee has already started meeting to review club funding.
All the executive committees have been finalized; we are all working on scheduling our meetings with the committee members for the Fall semester.
Convocation:
The Fall Convocation in October will feature two ceremonies, which will be attended by Mark Chrabalowski, VPEA, and Shinaya Peiris, VPSS.