Written by Zach Siddiqui, Opinions Editor

Could the Strategic Engagement Committee be dismantled?

On February 2, the Board discussed and tabled a proposal to abolish the ad hoc Strategic Engagement Committee.

The Committee, originally instituted in 2016 by former VP student life Curtis Pooghkay, was designed “to provide the Board with formal recommendations and reports relating to engagement — specifically, [relating to] target audiences, methods, areas of focus, resource requirements, and schedules,” as explained by arts and social sciences representative Jackson Freedman.

Freedman, who was appointed to be the committee’s chair during the fall semester, argued that the Committee is currently unnecessary as many of its mandates, such as social media engagement and classroom presentations, have been subsumed or worked on by other departments of the SFSS. “Without an independent line item, the committee doesn’t really have its own mandate . . . The goals set out by the strategic engagement committee have never been met [by the committee].”

Some Board members were less inclined to move to abolish. “I do think the Strategic Engagement Committee has done a lot in terms of engaging the membership, and I think that’s really invaluable,” science representative Parham Elmi said. “Abolishing that committee as a whole . . . is going to make SFSS a less well-known brand.”

After some discussion, the matter was tabled for a future meeting.

Board approves Movie Mondays

The Board has approved an event proposal for five Movie Mondays hosted by the SFSS this semester.

A social event for students, the upcoming dates will be February 19, March 5, March 19, April 2, and April 9; they will likely be held from 4:30–9:30 p.m. “Students really wanted free events, [where they] could come whenever, go whenever,” said VP student life Alam Khehra.

The initial proposal requested a $1,050 budget to pay the total cost of purchasing the movies, room rental, and contingency, for all five nights. Food was not attached to the motion brought forward at this meeting; a proposal requesting funding for one or more movie nights to provide food could be made at a future meeting if necessary, according to Khehra.

Board approves Valentine’s Day candy grams

The Board approved up to $1,200 to be allocated to a Valentine’s Day candy gram giveaway on the last day of classes before Reading Week.

Board approves Munchie Mondays

The Board has approved $9,382.10 for seven days of providing free tea, coffee, and snacks to students over the course of the semester.

Dates were not discussed, but the first day will be held in front of the Board’s office at Burnaby. Aside from feeding students, it also offers students a chance to meet Board members face-to-face, according to Khehra.

Not all Board members were on board with the idea. “I think we can do a lot more with this money . . . I believe instead you could hold, like, pancake breakfasts — at least seven or eight of them,” at-large representative Jaskarn Randhawa said.

“I feel that we should step back and start thinking about engagement as well as free events,” noted Jeffrey Leung, applied science representative.