2nd SWSA General Meeting October 10th, 2014
Location: CHN 2173
Present (Executive): Matthew, Michelle, Jonathan, Katie, Amy, Rebecca, Dakota, Lorie, Danielle,
Kiera, Elena
Present (General): Miranda
With regrets: none
Minutes taken by: Matthew Dunlop
Meeting called to order at 12:02 P.M.
Introductions of each person present
Election Results - Katie
Results are now available; congrats to all those who were elected!
Still 3 positions open but we cannot have another election, within the SWSA Constitution it
states SWSA can appoint people to positions (Article 4 S. 1 Bullet 6)  may need to be fact
checked
Three positions available are:
Social Work and Disability Studies Representive (Action Point: Matthew will bring this to DSSA’s
attention)
External
Secretary
Also, worth noting that there are three people who wanted to but were unable to get in for
various reasons.
Action Point: Katie and/or Dakota will ask the three people who didn’t get in if they want to fill
the positions.
Action Point: A general idea of all future meeting dates will be sent out during reading week
Action Point: Katie will send out last meetings minutes
Ideas for questions to those who want to be appointed:
Ability to attend meetings
Why do you want to be on SWSA?
What is your motivation to represent social work students?
Phi Alpha Update
Changed the Social Work major average requirement from 85% to 81% as to open up the
organization and allow for more people to try and sign up.
Action Point: Communicate this change to students
Trick or Eat – Benefit for the Iona College Food Bank
Phi Alpha is going to partner up with SWSA for some events
Lunch and Learn Event – On Halloween (October 31st) at 12pm location TBA Bring a canned
goods? More details to come
SWSA is going to double all cans collected and donate them to the Iona College Campus Food
Bank
Flyer drop off days – Oct 24, 25, 26
Pick up day – Halloween (Friday October 31st) starts at 4pm in respective areas
Areas
Lorie and her group: Prince- Huron and down around Wendy’s area near St. James
Katie: Behind Zellers
Jonathan: neighbourhood
Dakota: ? / In his area
Matthew and Michelle: Around College Ave-Campbell-McKay neighbourhood
Please sign up with someone and get a group going! Please let us know who’s going where and
such
Friendly Reminder: Make sure to go to the neighbourhoods about a week or so before to drop
off flyers
Action Point: Everyone should try and get a few people to help out.
Action Point: Matthew will contact the Iona College food bank.
Action Point: Lorie will contact the Womyn’s Centre.
Action Point: Representatives will contact classes about can collecting and tell anyone who
wants to get involved to contact SWSA@uwindsor.ca
Action Point: The drop off flyer will be sent out to all executives ASAP
Action Point: An event form should be created for each of the drop off days (as it is an offcampus event) and also for the pickup day. I believe that only Katie and Dakota can do this but I
may be wrong.
Feel free to contact schools and anyone who might be able to help.
SWSA Grants – (The project is) Due November 13th
In previous years:
4th year students would apply to grant if they wanted, it has now become a required and
graded aspect of a class.
Issue: A group must be formed to grade the grants and choose a recipient/s
Secondary Issue: The grant as it is right now is JUST a grading rubric, not a grant proposal. This
needs to be looked at as it is set out as it is to be an education tool but does not mirror a real
world grant.
Idea: A committee is formed to address this issues and create a grant proposal application for
the class. This committee will also be grading the grants. Jon and Dakota will begin the
application process write up format over reading week.
SWSA will attempt to include Mary Medcafe as she has a great deal of experience in grant
writing.
Discussion topic: Should 4th years be allowed on the Grant Grading Proposal Readers?
For – people have to learn how to separate personal vs professional and these are 4th year
students, excluding the skills/experience that a 4th year may have,
Against- puts into question conflicts of interest (voting for friends),
Motion: Should 4th years be allowed to represent on the Grant Grading Proposal Readers?
Yes: 8
No: 2
Abstain: 0
THE MOTION HAS PASSED
MOTION: To destroy the ballets (passed) (eyes have it)
Motion: The Grant Grading Proposal Readers shall be composed of:
Option A (PASSED)
1 person from each year plus Advisor
Option B (FAILED)
5 students – 1 from each year, one from SWSA one advisor
Vote:
A – Unanimous
B-0
NONE – 0
Outcome: The Grant Grading Proposal Readers was formed and the members will be decided at
a later date.
Action Point: Dakota and Jonathan will start the grant proposal application write up during
reading week and will connect with Mary Medcafe for assistance.
*Secretary Note* I don’t know how these are to be appointed, it seemed as if it were to be
each of the yearly representatives but I don’t think many were aware that’s what the wording
was alluring to. I feel that some think this is going to be brought to the general membership and
that we will pick people from that whom apply but I don’t see the time to do this being there.
Likewise, each of the yearly reps might not be aware of this newfound duty.
CAS Day of Purple
A student messaged SWSA about the awareness campaign put on by CAS for child abuse
awareness.
All we have to do is wear purple take a picture
Action Point: Wear purple October 24th (the next Meeting)
Social Work Student Council Report - Matthew
Idea: Flowers for new secretary
Rationale: The position is integral to the workings of the School of Social Work and she deals
with many student issues for BSW students. SWSA wants to welcome her and congratulate her
on her hiring and wish her the best.
Motion: Matthew to buy flowers after reading week (possibly next meeting) for about $30 (will
be reimbursed)
Vote: all in favour (the eyes have it)
Next point: Talked about the open house and how Dr. Barrett needs help for the open house.
Open house date: November 7th 9:30 A.M. – 2:30 P.M.
People can take shifts, she would like this to be elected members but is willing to have extra
help
Action/Information Point: If any executives are able to help please contact Dr. Barrett.
bbarrett@uwindsor.ca
1st Year Representative Report - Kiera Royle
Issue: 47-117
There are two sections of the class. There are two separate professors teaching the classes. The
professors combined their efforts to write the midterm. Students found this unfair as each
professor taught the course in a different way and emphasized on certain topics in a certain
ways. Some students are hoping to bring this to SWSA so that we can try and have this not
happen for the exam.
Added short answers and was not talked about or made aware to students
Also, during the class time the students were required to make and present either a song,
debate, flash mob. The professor added a question to the midterm that reflected one of the
presentations. Students found this unfair as the group that presented this would have in a
sense had a bonus mark.
Action Point: Matthew and Kiera will connect about the issues and give a deeper understanding
Action Point: Matthew will explore and bring these issues up to Undergraduate Council at next
the meeting
Issue in Abnormal Psychology
Action Points: Matthew will connect with Amy about issue as they are not of SWSA’s direct
concern
2nd Year Representative Report – Amy Kwan
Nothing to report
3rd Year Representative Report - Elena Varosi
Nothing to report
4th Year Representative Report - Danielle Emms
Issue: 47-423 Mr. William Marcotte section
Old issues never resolved: This issue has been brought to SWSA’s attention by students. In
Social Policy & Social Welfare (47-423) there are two sections. The topic brought to our
attention has been that there are different standards between the two classes that will affect
the grades of the students for one class and not that other. In one class the students have been
given the chance to have their two lowest journal marks dropped while the other section has
not been given that opportunity. These changes supposedly took place more than 2 weeks after
the classes had begun. This is an issue that we wanted to bring to your attention as there were
multiple students bringing up the issue of fairness and bylaws in regards to the issue.
Next (NEW) issue:
Midterm had very open questions and was opinion based
A lot of opinion questions on the exam. Spelling and grammar made question able to go one
way or another.
Asking for clarification by students, refused to answer
Next Issue: Discussion about wanting to change the weight of certain grade even now (need to
clarify)
(These three were from last meeting but where not addressed to faculty) Next Issues: The
integration class is being taught by GA’s
Policy class same as 117
Intersectionality material redundant for Double Majors
Next Issue: Field placement and lunch time
Must get 700 but end of April (266 Fall 434 Winter)
Issue about if lunch in part or full should count should counted accreditation hours
Next Issue:
Outside of agency hours are not being counted and there is no clear statement about it in
policy handbook
Next Issue:
Chris Reid talked about not allowing the 7 hours from strike day to count towards accreditation
hours.
Action Point: All of these issues will be explored and brought up by Matthew (and anyone else
can help research) at the next Undergraduate Meeting (November 5th). Also, will be brought to
SWSA’s attention next meeting (October 24th) as part of “Business arising from minutes”. Also,
Matthew will connect with Danielle to understand situations more clearly.
Issue: Field placement issues, people want to change placements. Various reasons. Do the
placements reflect SW values, ethics, etc.
Discussed many topics relating to the issue of field placement
Idea: A venting group for 4th year students.
Idea will be further explored and discussed in future meetings
Idea: The idea of a policy review event for 3rd years was brought up
Idea will be further explored and discussed in future meetings
SWSA board
Dr. Reid has asked SWSA to fill up our board. Discussion about how people felt about pictures
ensured and many people felt uncomfortable about it.
Action Point: if everyone could please send a little bit about themselves to SWSA@uwindsor.ca
with the title “SWSA Board” in the subject line it would be helpful.
Ideas will be further explored and discussed in future meetings
Mentorship Report – Jonathan (had to leave before report)
Getting closer to being done. Need to connect to Chris about reference letter for mentors
Official report was tabled until next meeting
Email vs Facebook
Point of Information: All contact will be by the universities e-mail system until further notice.
UWSA Governance Review Report – Matthew
The UWSA has gone through extensive measures to rewrite its Bylaws and Elections Policy. An
update from the last meeting is that the process is now done its first step of society student
review. Step 2 brings these documents to the general membership to discuss and debate the
merits of the changes. Our role as SWSA is to bring this information to the students and
encourage them to find out what’s happening in their student government.
There will be three “townhouse” debate days in which the students will have a chance to
review the documents and bring up any concerns.
There will then be a “Special General Meeting” in which these changes will be voted on after
the townhouses
All days and time are yet to be announced but will be sent to everyone as they come
Meeting adjourned at 2:58 P.M.