On Tuesday, the AMS' Special General Meeting (SGM) was adjourned before a vote could take place as a quorum was not reached.
In April, Slon UBC submitted a petition signed by over 500 students, calling on AMS to hold an SGM to vote on a motion to restore access to the AMS food bank for AMS Associate Members, and to consult with students through a referendum to overturn said motion, in accordance with the AMS Articles of Association. Associate Members include staff and faculty from UBC and AMS.
In March 2023, AMS limited UBC staff access to AMS food banks starting in May 2023 due to financial difficulties.
For the motion to be voted on, a quorum of 623 students needed to be present at the meeting – roughly 1% of students enrolled in the 2023/24 academic year, which runs from Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024.
With just under 460 attendees, the quorum was not reached and the meeting adjourned around 10:30 a.m.
AMS voted “against” the motion.
AMS posted on Instagram that they voted against the motion and would “prioritize UBC students at AMS Food Banks.”
AMS wrote in the post that it believes employees have a right to access food banks, but that “budget constraints already limit the quality and quantity of food available.” [the AMS] What can we offer to students?”
“As we reopen access for UBC staff and faculty, access will become more restricted for students,” the post reads.
In an interview with The Ubyssey, AMS President Christian “CK” Kyle said that AMS took a stance against the motion because the final decision of the AMS Board of Trustees was in favor of limiting food bank use to students only. As chair of the SGM, CK said he had to remain impartial and did not take a position on the motion.
Student organizations including Sprouts, Climate Justice UBC, UBC Social Justice Centre and Slon UBC called on students to vote Yes in support of UBC staff. In Instagram posts, the student organizations wrote that “food belongs to everyone” and that voting Yes is “the only choice that comes from compassion for others in our community.”
Students express concerns over SGM governance
Students expressed concerns online about AMS not following its protocols regarding SGM.
CK said SGM does not have the technical rules in its AMS bylaws, so the association uses the Roberts Rules of Procedure instead.
“We went well beyond the actual articles of incorporation requirements in terms of notice of the extraordinary general meeting,” CK said.
The meeting did not achieve a quorum within a 30-minute grace period from the official start of the meeting, which is in accordance with the AMS Annual Meeting Bylaws.
Students and student organizations have also criticized AMS for its limited promotion of SGM, for requiring registration to access the webinar, and for only opening up registration one day in advance, but CK said the association was adhering to its bylaws.
“We went above and beyond all of the actual requirements,” CK said of AMS posting more than necessary about SGM on social media, “we sent emails to food bank clients, we actually notified students as well, again, way more than is required by our rules.”
The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in person. According to CK, Sulong UBC asked AMS to change the meeting from in-person to a hybrid format, but AMS did not have the capacity to hold a hybrid format meeting. Instead, the association held the meeting online via Zoom webinar.
“I wish we had explored the online option sooner. We wanted to make it as accessible as possible,” CK said.
Suron hosts community meeting, council debates motion
In response to the lack of a quorum, Slon UBC wrote in an Instagram post that it would be holding a community meeting to discuss the motion.
“There were people who wanted to speak out” at the SGM, Slon president Maya Fernando explained in an interview with The Ubisy.
“I know they're disappointed and I wanted to give them another chance,” Fernando said.
Furthermore, CK stated that the motion will be discussed at the AMS Council’s June 19 meeting.
“I look forward to the discussion at the council meeting and hope that students will come and give their input,” CK said. “It's unfortunate that we didn't reach a quorum, but that's the trend at AMS.”
They highlighted their frustration with the platform's limitations, with Fernando due to speak at an upcoming AMS conference.
“We currently only have three places available and we wanted to keep the voice of workers at the centre, which is why we were really looking forward to the first SGM, which will also give non-students a chance to have their say,” Fernando said. “The aim is to give a voice to those who will be most affected by the decision.”
Fernando said it was “a bit disappointing” that a quorum was not reached, but that the meeting set a “precedent” given that the last SGM meeting was almost 30 years ago.
“Now people know they have the option to have their voice heard,” Fernando said.
“It's a democratic process, so even if it's a loss, I think it's a benefit overall to students knowing about the process.”
