Final Report of the Task Force on Student Activity Space |
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Final Report of the Task Force on Student Activity Space |
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The following document is the final report of the Task Force on Student Activity Space. This electronic version does not include Appendices 4 through 9 and Appendices 13 through 18.
The key recommendations of the Task Force are listed in the Summary of Recommendations.
Task Force on Student Activity Space
c/o Cristina Oke, Assistant Vice-Provost, Professional Faculties
Room 221, Simcoe Hall, 27 King's College Circle, M5S 1A1
A. Establishment of Task Force
D. Principles and Mechanisms of Eligibility and Allocation
February, 1999
Ian Orchard, Vice Provost, Students (Chair)
Aisling Burke, Council on Student Services
David Clandfield, Principal, New College
Jonathan Gouveia, Student, Hart House
Margaret Hancock, Warden, Hart House
Jane Lawless, Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students
Elena Lonero, Graduate Students’ Union
Andrea Moffat, Student Administrative Council
Stephen Pender, Graduate Students' Union
Michelle Pensa, Student Governor
Chris Ramsaroop, Student Administrative Council
Jennifer Schultz, Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students
Kiana Toufighi, Arts and Science Students' Union
Ron Venter, Professor, Applied Science and Engineering
Andrea Zeifman, Student Administrative Council
Cristina Oke, Assistant Vice-Provost, Professional Faculties (Secretary)
Susan Addario, Student Affairs
Brian Armstrong, Planning and Budget
Jim Delaney, Student Affairs
Peter Harris, Arts and Science
Schuyler Jones, Office of Space Management
Gail Milgrom, Planning and Budget
David Neelands, Student Affairs
Pierre Piché, Finance
Ben Yang, International Student Centre
The following are the key recommendations of the Task Force:
The Task Force recognizes that there is a shortage of student activity space of all kinds on the St. George campus, and that a variety of types of space is required by recognized student groups.
The Task Force acknowledges that all student activity space should be fully accessible, to ensure that no one is prevented from fully participating in the life of the University.
Under the leadership of the Vice-Provost, Students, an evaluation of the interim arrangement for multi-faith observances currently in place at New College, should be undertaken, since this arrangement is scheduled to end in May 1999.
The University, under the leadership of the Vice-Provost, Students, should, in consultation with faith groups, move immediately to locate and renovate an interim multi-faith facility, so that students from faith communities currently using the New College facility may expect to have space and opportunity until a permanent facility is completed.
The University should establish a permanent multi-faith facility, either by renovating a current facility or building a new facility for this purpose. The User Committee for this project should be broadly drawn from representatives of faith communities on campus, the Campus Chaplains’ Association, the International Student Centre, Student Affairs, and the planning offices of the University.
The University should make the funding of a multi-faith facility a high priority within the Campaign.
The Task Force recommends that room booking fees for recognized student groups be eliminated after 5 pm and on weekends, and that advance room booking for activity space be allowed at the discretion of the Office of Space Management. Charges for ‘extra-ordinary costs’ will continue.
A motion to amend the Policy for the Allocation of Rooms: Extracurricular Bookings must be presented to the University Affairs Board to implement the elimination of charges for recognized student groups.
The Task Force recommends that the infrastructure support summarized below continues to be provided to all student groups that are officially recognized:
a) provision of mailboxes;
b) provision of voice mail;
c) provision of support by Student Affairs, Hart House and the CampusLife initiative to develop web site access and email addresses;
d) access to a room booking system that maximizes the availability of campus space for meetings of recognized student clubs and groups.
It is the consensus of the Task Force that a multiple 'node' model is the best suited for providing additional space for recognized student groups.
The Task Force recommends that Hart House, in co-operation with Student Affairs, enters into negotiations with Wycliffe College to rent additional space, including the space which will become available in 2000 as a result of the merger of the Wycliffe and Trinity libraries.
In order to increase the amount of space available for student groups, the Task Force recommends that the user's group for each new capital construction project consider including a component of student activity space, recognizing that the construction costs for such space would have to be funded through donations and/or levy, but noting that matching funds should be available.
An inventory of space should be completed each year to identify any existing space that would be suitable for use by recognized student groups.
Space for campus-wide clubs and groups should be allocated each year, on a staggered year basis, by a Committee to Allocate Student Activity Space (CASAS). A standard application form will be available to groups wishing office or storage space.
The Task Force recommends that the Principles and Mechanisms described in this Report be implemented as follows:
The Task Force recommends that projects related to multi-faith and student activity space be placed on the donor list of the Campaign as matching donor projects, and that the costs of new space for multi-faith and student activity be funded by a combination of donor contributions, matching funds from the University, the student services fee, and, if necessary, a student levy with a sunset clause.
The Task Force on Student Activity Space was appointed by President Prichard in September 1998 in response to concerns raised by the Students' Administrative Council (SAC) following the demolition of the temporary building which had housed the Classics Department and Office of the Ombudsperson, and which SAC members thought could be used as space for student groups.
The terms of reference of the Task Force were to:
reallocation of existing space;
conversion of existing space;
construction or acquisition of new space.
The establishment of the Task Force and request for submissions was widely publicized, including notices in The Varsity and The Independent. All recognized student groups were notified, invited to make submissions, and to reply to a questionnaire that is described below. The Interim Report of the Task Force was posted on the web on January 21, 1999, and responses to its recommendations were invited. A Public Forum, organized by student members of the Task Force, was held on February 3, 1999.
The full Task Force met six times between October 29, 1998 and February 16, 1999.
At the initial meeting of the Task Force, members decided to form three working groups. Each group was responsible for addressing specific terms of reference, and for reporting back to the entire Task Force.
Working Group 1 focussed on articulating the needs, with respect to space and support, for campus-wide student clubs, groups and activities centered at St. George, and on developing appropriate principles and mechanisms for determining eligibility and the allocation of space and infrastructure support.
Working Group 2 assessed the existing use of space for student clubs, groups and activities centered at St. George, and evaluated alternative ways of meeting students’ needs, including
reallocating existing space;
converting existing space;
constructing or acquiring new space.
Working Group 3 developed financial plans, consistent with existing policy, to meet new capital and operating costs associated with the initiatives identified by the other groups.
As the work of the Task Force progressed, it became apparent that space for spiritual observances required particular attention. An additional Working Group was formed to develop recommendations for multi-faith space.
In order to determine the need of student groups for space and infrastructure, Working Group 1 developed a questionnaire and distributed it to more than two hundred groups in November. The list of the groups who replied to the questionnaire is Appendix 1. The summarized results of the questionnaire are found in Appendix 2.
Of the sixty-nine groups who responded to the questionnaire, twenty-nine, or 42%, indicated that there was no space available for their group. Thirteen of the groups without space identified it as a crucial infrastructure resource, while fifteen groups which currently have space indicated that it was an essential infrastructure resource.
Only nine of the groups who identified space as a crucial infrastructure resource identified office space as essential, while thirteen groups identified meeting space and eleven groups identified storage space. Other types considered essential included space for social activities, for musical or athletic practice, and for providing a resource centre for community outreach.
The Task Force recognizes that there is a shortage of student activity space of all kinds on the St. George campus, and that a variety of types of space is required by recognized student groups.
The Task Force also acknowledges that all student activity space should be fully accessible, to ensure that no one is prevented from fully participating in the life of the University.
The need for space which would accommodate the spiritual activities of faith communities and religious groups was addressed in several submissions received by the Task Force. (Appendix 3 lists those who sent submissions to the Task Force.) Clearly, there is a strong desire on the part of many groups to have dedicated space which is available for spiritual or religious observance; for some groups, the lack of this type of space constitutes a real and serious barrier to their full participation in campus community life. This is an issue which members of the Task Force regard as a high priority.
The working group that dealt with multi-faith issues consulted individuals at several Ontario universities and one B.C. university where there are significant multi-faith communities, and where there are initiatives in place to accommodate those communities. From those universities, the working group was able to identify the following issues and needs.
The space provided for inter-faith worship must be accessible, both from the perspective of barrier-free design, and by virtue of centrality to the campus. It was not considered acceptable to accommodate faith communities in space that is sub-standard or at the margins of the campus. There must be properly constructed facilities for ablutions, and appropriate separation for men and women for entrance to the facility. There needs to be flexibility in design, so that there is space for quiet meditation and reflection, at the same time as scheduled formal prayers and observances. In addition, there needs to be provision for storage for all groups, a small kitchen or food preparation area, space for food consumption, and a cloakroom. While none of the institutions consulted had made special provision for ceremonies requiring open flame, the burning of candles or incense, or burning of food offerings, most agreed that the physical requirements for such observances (proper venting, adjustments to the fire safety systems) are desirable.
While some institutions and colleges reported arrangements with individual faith communities to lease excess space or space owned by the institution but not in the academic program, none of the institutions consulted reported that they accommodated individual faith communities in permanent, designated space which was centrally controlled. The model used by all the institutions was an inter-faith model, with a variety of arrangements used to structure and run the facility (for example, see York University's Constitution for the Inter-Faith Council, in Appendix 4).
The rationale given for the inter-faith model in each institution contained the same message. The inter-faith model recognizes the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic nature of the student body, and recognizes that there are barriers to full participation in university community life, where the spiritual needs of those students are not met; the inter-faith model does not, however, give priority to one group over another. There was a strongly articulated belief that the experience of working on an inter-faith council was appropriate in an educational institution, particularly where leadership development is a goal. Individuals from some institutions spoke particularly of their equity concerns regarding designated space for individual faith groups; there was simply not enough space to accommodate every group, and giving priority to one over another was viewed as problematic.
Beyond these general observations, the individuals consulted spoke of issues such as staffing, with experiences which varied widely. In some institutions, such as York University, a staff member from Student Affairs is designated to support the work of the Inter-Faith Council and control booking of the Scott Centre for Religious Observances; at other institutions, such as Brock University, control over use of the space designated for spiritual observance rests with Brock Campus Ministries (see Appendix 5 for the Use Agreement of the Rita Welch Meditation Centre).
Having considered the information received from various institutions, the materials provided by the Council of Ontario’s Universities' discussion paper on Religious Observance Accommodation in Ontario Universities (Appendix 6), and the experience gained from the discussions during the development of the New College site, the Task Force makes the following recommendations:
Groups were asked to indicate the type and frequency of their activities that required the use of rental space. Most groups indicated that they held regular weekly or monthly meetings, and required meeting space. However, a number of the submissions and questionnaires received by the Task Force described the frustrations encountered by groups in renting space. Some questioned the charge for space after 5 p.m. Others described problems of access to rooms that had been rented, and audio-visual equipment that had not been delivered or set up. A number of groups indicated that they could not afford the rental charge. Another concern raised by several groups was the practice that space could only be booked two weeks or one month in advance.
The Task Force recommends that:
Room booking fees for recognized student groups be eliminated after 5 pm and on weekends (see Appendix 7); and that advance room booking for activity space be allowed at the discretion of the Office of Space Management.
Charges for ‘extra-ordinary costs’ will continue.
In response to the question of what infrastructure resources were currently available, fourteen of the sixty-nine groups responding, or 20%, indicated that no resources were available to them. However, thirty-nine, or 56% of the responding groups, had web access, and thirty-five, or 50%, had mail delivery. Thirty had email access, twenty-seven had access to a copier, twenty-four had telephone service and twenty-one had access to a fax machine.
In addition to the twenty-eight groups who identified space as an essential resource, twenty-two identified telephone service and twelve identified either email or web access as crucial.
In August 1998, President Prichard announced his intentions of:
a) providing mailboxes to all recognized campus-wide clubs and groups;
b) providing voice mail for recognized campus-wide clubs and organizations;
c) providing support by Student Affairs, Hart House and the CampusLife initiative to recognized campus-wide clubs and groups who wish to develop web site access and email addresses;
d) developing a room booking system that would maximize the availability of campus space for meetings of recognized student clubs and groups.
Implementation of each of these initiatives is currently well underway. Mailboxes for 200 clubs are being provided in the Map Room of Hart House. Also located in the Map Room is a work centre consisting of a computer, phone, fax and photocopier, for use by student clubs.
A voice mail or "bulletin board" system with a single phone number for campus groups is being designed and implemented. This will allow students and other members of the community to reach clubs by making a series of selections from menus (categorizing groups by various characteristics) which eventually reach a point when a choice of a small number of group names is presented.
Initially, the bulletin board system is being established as a pilot project which, if successful, will be the basis of the system which will be introduced next summer. While the pilot project will use a yet to be determined telephone number, if the test system is successful, the service will begin using the number (416) 978-CLUB beginning in July, 1999.
As stipulated in the President's letter to Chris Ramsaroop, President of the Students’ Administrative Council, in August 1998, the Club-Line will be funded by the administration for the duration of the pilot project. If the pilot is successful, the Student Services Fee or an alternate funding mechanism will fund the on-going costs of the service.
Campus groups may publish their own web site on the CampusLife and Student Services web server. The CampusLife server allows groups to use a variety of tools that facilitate web publishing and add a variety of features on web pages which would normally involve additional programming on other web servers. Student Affairs also offers recognized campus groups the option of establishing a "virtual host name" for their URL (e.g.<http://groupname.sa.utoronto.ca> instead of <http://www.campuslife.utoronto.ca/groups/groupname>). This, in turn, allows groups to promote their web sites in a short and compact format on business cards, posters and letterhead.
Student Affairs is also planning to design a set of templates which groups may use while setting up their first web site (minimizing the necessity for groups to find a volunteer with well developed web publishing skills).
New software for room bookings is being installed in Hart House for use by all recognized student groups.
The Task Force endorses these initiatives and recommends that the infrastructure support summarized below continues to be provided to all student groups that are officially recognized:
a) provision of mailboxes to all recognized campus-wide clubs and groups;
b) provision of voice mail for recognized campus-wide clubs and groups;
c) provision of support by Student Affairs, Hart House and the CampusLife initiative to recognized campus-wide clubs and groups who wish to develop web site access and email addresses;
d) access to a room booking system that would maximize the availability of campus space for meetings of recognized student clubs and groups.
An inventory describing current use of space for student groups was assembled by Working Group 2, combining data from Student Affairs and Facilities and Services, and is included as Appendix 8.
Of the 393 groups listed in the inventory, 136 or 34%, currently have formally assigned space. Within specific categories, 63% of the student societies, their affiliates or constituent components (111 of 176) had space while only 11% (18 out of 157) of groups recognized by Student Affairs had dedicated space.
Five alternative models of student activity space were considered by the Task Force. These models were:
Each of the models was analyzed, based on criteria including location, size, current use, permanence, renovations required, total space available, retail and service opportunities and governance. The models are presented in Appendix 9.
The Task Force considered the construction of a new student centre, and reviewed a variety of funding models to cover the capital and operating costs of such a facility. A student centre has been recommended in various reports over the past ten years, and some Task Force members initially favoured such a centre. However, after reviewing current space use and future space availability, it is the consensus of the Task Force that a multiple 'node' model is the best suited for providing additional space for recognized student groups.
Course unions would continue to be located within their Department or Division. Hart House would continue to be a node of student group activity, and continue its outreach initiatives to involve more members of the University community. The infrastructure support that has been established at Hart House could be expanded to support an increased number of groups.
The Task Force recommends that Hart House, in co-operation with Student Affairs, enters into negotiations with Wycliffe College to rent additional space, including the space which will become available in 2000 as a result of the merger of the Wycliffe and Trinity libraries.
The International Student Centre would continue to provide office and meeting space for groups. The Task Force explored the possibility of expanding the International Student Centre, but found that this was not a workable option because of building constraints.
In order to increase the amount of space available for student groups, the Task Force recommends that the user's group for each new capital construction project consider including a component of student activity space, recognizing that the construction costs for such space would have to be funded through donations and/or levy, but noting that matching funds should be available.
Also, as indicated below, an inventory of space should be completed each year to identify any existing space that would be suitable for use by recognized student groups.
It is exceedingly important in the development of mechanisms of eligibility and allocation of space to understand and to define the various group activities that are being addressed. A set of definitions, consistent with current policies and practices, are provided in Appendix 10. A careful examination of these definitions indicates that all existing groups can be categorized into seven particular divisions which are listed below:
1. Student Society, SS:
2. Student Society Affiliate, SSA:
3. Constituent Component of a Student Society, SSC:
4. Residence Councils: Not all need be SS, SSA or SSC.
5. Recognized Campus Group (Student Affairs): There are activities that are recognized by Student Affairs that are not included in the categories 1-4 above.
6. Other: All other groups that are not included in categories 1-5 and or 7. These could include activities that are recognized by SAC, Hart House and others.
7. Groups Which Currently Have Space: Not including student societies, constituent components of student societies (i.e. course unions), residence councils, newspapers and radio stations, there are a number of organizations that have been assigned space on the St. George Campus.
A) Groups allocated space on a permanent or semi-permanent basis
These groups fall into a number of different categories:
1) Groups allocated space under the Space Policy — Permanent Accommodation, in the category of 'Informal Student Groups':
(a) the African Canadian Students' Association (ACSA); and
(b) the Women's Centre.
2) Fee-funded affiliates of student societies:
(a) Downtown Legal Services, an affiliate of the Students' Administrative Council (SAC) and the Graduate Students' Union (GSU);
(b) The Sexual Education and Peer Counselling Centre, an affiliate of SAC;
(c) Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgendered of U of T (LGBTOUT), a potential affiliate of SAC (currently seeking space and the establishment of a designated portion of the SAC fee to support its activities); and
(d) The Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG), an affiliate of the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (APUS) and the GSU (and currently seeking the establishment of a designated portion of the SAC fee).
3) Groups that have permanent or semi-permanent accommodation under sponsorship by a University department or organization:
(a) Afropan Campus Community Group, sponsored by Student Affairs;
(b) Enterprise Legal Services, sponsored by the Faculty of Law;
(c) the Native Students' Association, sponsored by Aboriginal Student Services & Programs;
(d) the Outing Club, sponsored by the Faculty of Physical Education and Health; and
(e) the Student Christian Movement, entitled to use space at Hart House by the terms of the Deed of Gift.
The Task Force recommends that the University allocate space for the groups named above under provisions of the Space Policy - Permanent Accommodation and, if appropriate, form an agreement regarding the use of such space between the University and the organization.
The Task Force further recommends that no other allocations for group space be made under the Space Policy - Permanent Accommodation without clear and compelling evidence that it is in the best interests of the University community to do so.
B) Groups allocated space on a temporary basis.
A number of groups have been allocated temporary space. Seven groups have been given space within the International Student Centre: Arab Students' Association, Greek Students' Association, Japan-Canada Student Association, Muslim Students’ Association, Portuguese Association, Republic of China Students' Association and the West Indian Students' Association. The Graduate Students' Union has provided space to the Food & Clothing Bank and Frontier College Students for Literacy. SAC has provided space to the Local Exchange Trading System. The Campus Chaplains' Association has provided space to the Varsity Christian Fellowship. University College has offered the Jewish Student Union temporary space until they find a permanent centre.
The Task Force recommends that, in the future, the above groups apply for space under the principles and mechanisms described in the following section of the Report.
The Task Force considered several principles and mechanisms for determining eligibility and allocation of space, and makes the following recommendations.
1. To be eligible to apply for space or infrastructure support, a group must:
Student Society
Student Society Affiliate
Constituent Component of a Student Society
Residence Councils
Recognized Campus Group through Student Affairs
Other, includes student activities recognized by Students’ Administrative Council, Hart House etc.,
2. A recognized group, as defined above, will be entitled to a mail box, voice-mail, email account and web-page.
3. Some space will be set aside each year for newly formed groups, and/or groups that have previously not had access to space. To acquire this space still requires that all requirements of eligibility are met.
4. Support and assistance will be provided to groups during the application and review process. The process of application must be open and transparent to minimize all misunderstandings.
1. Recognized groups applying for space must complete a Standard Application form. An initial draft of this application is included as Appendix 11.
2. Applications for space and infrastructure resources will be considered by the Committee to Allocate Student Activity Space (CASAS)
3. Members of CASAS will include:
The total membership is ten, with a total of seven students. The Membership will appoint the Chair. Each student member will serve a one year term, renewable to a maximum of three years. The staff representatives will serve for a three year term which is renewable. The staff representation will provide the needed continuity from year to year.
4. Space allocation decisions will be made on the basis of weighted criteria; these criteria will be clearly defined and publicly available. The details are provided below:
The 25 Point Scoring System: Weighted Criteria:
Each group seeking access to space will submit an application. The information presented in this application will be assessed by each of the ten members of CASAS and points assigned based on the assessment of the information provided in accordance with the five criteria given below. Information provided by all groups will be taken on face value and the system will operate on an honour system. Group activities reporting inaccurate information can be subsequently challenged and run the serious risk of losing the right to apply for space.
A. Student Participation
The weighting criteria are structured to favour Group Activities with a strong U of T student participation.
Group Activity with less than a 50% U of T student membership: 0 points
Group Activity having a greater than a 50% U of T student membership but less than 75%: 1 point
Group Activity with a greater than 75% U of T student membership: 3 points
B. Membership
The weighting criteria are structured to favour increased Membership in the Group Activity:
less than 15 members 0 points
15-50 members 1 point
51-200 members 2 points
more than 200 members 3 points
C. Impact and Nature of the club:
Clarify whether the activity is academic, athletic or addresses a more expansive role. Define the objectives of the club, its appeal and the reasons why space is required. 5 points max
Guide:
- Group Activity has a narrow focus, single theme, repeated by other Groups, with limited outreach across divisional boundaries 1 point
- Group Activity is limited to a single Faculty, but crosses internal Department boundaries or has a single theme, and reaches across divisional boundaries 2 points
- Group Activity is broad, reaches across divisional boundaries 3 points
- Group Activity is very strong and impacts a large body of students in a significant number of Faculties 4 points
- Group Activity is as good as it might be. Excellent impact in all spheres of University involvement 5 points
[Group activity can encompass an extensive spectrum of activity. The focus of a group activity could be predominantly academic and contained within a particular Faculty, or the activity could be of an athletic nature bringing together disparate groups that have a common interest, such as hiking. Outside of what might be loosely termed the academic and or athletic focused activities, there exist many other broad based activities that defy simplistic classification, but encompass any number of the following issues and or activities: community outreach, cultural, social, special interest, spiritual, political, other.]D. For existing Group Activities: Report on the achievements of the Group Activity in past two years. Provide information, preferably, in point form. Group Activity should provide a listing of all events, coordinated in order of importance; the dates of these events and the number of individuals attending the events. Provide a listing of the major achievements of the Group. For New Group Activities: Provide information on the reasons and the perceived need for the establishment of the proposed Group Activity; the new Group is expected to make reference to existing Group Activities that might or indeed fail to address similar needs (5 points max).
E. Outline; 1. Plans for the Future; 2. Functioning Executive; 3. Budget details, 5 points max
Guide:
- Very sketchy outline of the Future Plans, Functioning Executive, but with minimal budgetary details 2 points
- Well defined, specific plans with key events identified, an active and in-place Executive and a full budget disclosure showing broad based support 5 points
F. Particular Features: Is this Group Activity addressing a unique need not provided by other groups? 1 point max
Guide:
- good arguments that the Group Activity meets a unique need: 1 point
G. Space Requirements and Usage: Comment on the need for space.
Is it needed or could the Group Activity function successfully without dedicated space? How will the space be used? 3 points max
Guide:
- no justification: 0 points
- strong justification for dedicated space only, with uses defined: 3 points
It is also recommended that the highest and lowest point assessment from the ten independent CASAS members be discarded in the overall assessment by CASAS.
5. Space will be assigned for a two year period, on a staggered basis. The deadline for applications will be March, CASAS will meet in April, and assigned space must be occupied no later than two weeks following the official starting date of undergraduate lectures in the Fall Term. If the space is not occupied by this date it could be transferred to another group. If a group which is allocated space does not qualify for recognition in October, the space may be transferred to a group which has received recognition.
6. Each group that receives office and/or storage space must complete an Annual Activity Report. The report will be a simple fill-in type form which will serve to confirm that the space is being used as planned. This is an annual review, should be taken seriously and if not submitted could lead to the loss of space after one year. The activity report will be submitted in March. The format for this Annual Report is provided in Appendix 12. Groups are also required to maintain the space assigned in reasonable working condition.
7. Space allocation decisions may be appealed. An Appeals Committee will be established, which will include the Vice-Provost, Students, a student Governor and the Chair of the Council on Student Services (COSS).
8. An Inventory of space available for student groups will be maintained and upgraded annually. Space being allocated will be identified in this inventory.
9. Current policies on space, support and recognition will be reviewed in light of the above mechanisms to ensure that they are consistent with the proposed process.
10.The Mechanism for Space Allocation procedures will be reviewed annually by the members of CASAS and the Office of the Vice-Provost, Students.
The Task Force recommends that the above Principles and Mechanisms be implemented as follows:
There are three University policies which cover issues identified in this Report.
The Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups outlines the criteria for recognition. This policy was approved on January 26, 1987, with additional sections approved on February 13, 1990 and May 25, 1993. There is nothing in the proposed Principles and Mechanisms that would be in conflict with this policy.
Space Policy - Permanent Accommodation was approved on January 20, 1977, with amendments approved on May 20, 1982 and April 24, 1984. Under this policy, student groups may be eligible to apply for permanent space providing such space is 'deemed to be in the direct interest of a large segment of the University Community'. The policy provides for a review of the group's tenure and a review of any exemptions from charges every two years. There is therefore nothing in the proposed Principles and Mechanisms that would be in conflict with this policy.
Policy for the Allocation of Rooms: Extracurricular Bookings was approved on June 1, 1988, and applies to 'bookings for events or activities which are not a part of the University's intramural or inter-collegiate athletic programme or do not relate to the normal academic or administrative functioning of the University.' This policy covers room rates, determination of charges, other charges and room booking regulation. If the recommendation to eliminate charges to recognized student groups is accepted, a motion to amend the Policy must be presented to the University Affairs Board.
The recommendations presented in this report have the following financial implications.
If the University acquired the space in Wycliffe and renovated the subterranean level of Hart House–most practically the theatre but perhaps also the shooting gallery–adequate space would be found for both multi-faith worship and club space. Without knowing the specifics of individual spaces, it is difficult to predict costs precisely, but $100 per square foot is a useful average for both new building and thorough renovation. Nevertheless, the renovations at Wycliffe would probably cost significantly less than building from the ground up. The total space in Wycliffe is about 10,000 square feet and therefore would probably cost no more than $1,000,000 to renovate. This is a high estimate since the space probably does not need extensive renovations; Sheraton Hall (within Wycliffe) would probably require only the slightest in adjustments. If the University were to match a one-time only student levy of $10, that is for one year only, with 1:2 funds, $1,000,000 could be met easily. Using the rough estimate of 35,000 students on the St. George campus, the student levy would at least be $350,000.
The subterranean level of Hart House would require more renovations, but depending on the size acquired (the theatre and/or the shooting gallery), another 10,000 square feet could become available for not much more than $1,000,000.
Operating costs are roughly $10 per square foot and fall under the protocol on ancillary fees. Under that protocol, they are charged to the proceeds of the student services fee.
A new student centre could easily fit all current student clubs but the costs are much higher, and the Task Force felt that asking students to cover the estimated $4 to $6 million building costs was unreasonable.
i) Mailboxes:
To date, mailboxes for 200 groups/clubs have been established at Hart House; the total cost of these boxes was $11,000. This cost was paid for by Hart House. Any additional mailboxes will be paid for by the operating budget of Hart House, which is approved by the University Affairs Board with the advice of the Council on Student Services.
ii) Voicemail:
The budgeted costs for voicemail is $12,000 annually. This cost will be included in the budget for Student Services, which is subject to approval by the University Affairs Board with the advice of the Council on Student Services.
iii) Web Site Development:
The development of a web site is currently funded through the CampusLife system that is already administered by the Office of Student Affairs, and thus, subject to no new costs.
iv) Email:
This service is already provided to students by the University and therefore incurs no additional expense.
The exact amount collect from student groups for rental fees for activities after 5 p.m. in the 1997-98 academic year was $28,909.71. This amount will either be absorbed into the operating budget of the Office of Space Management or recovered by increasing the fee to off-campus groups using space.
The Task Force recommends that projects related to multi-faith and student activity space be placed on the donor list of the Campaign as matching donor projects, and that the costs of new space for multi-faith and student activity be funded by a combination of donor contributions, matching funds from the University, the student services fee, and, if necessary, a student levy with a sunset clause.
3. a) Number of Members:
1-19 - 10
20-49 - 10
50-74 - 13
75-100 - 5
100-199 - 10
200+ - 19
n/a - 2
b) What % of membership are University of Toronto students?
0-24% - 2
25-49% - 4
50-74% - 7
75%+ - 51
n/a - 5
4. a) What space does your group currently have on campus?|
__ none 29 |
__ private office 20 |
__ storage space 13 |
|
__ shared office 9 |
__ lounge area 8 |
|
|
none 29 |
storage space only 7 |
office plus storage 1 |
|
private office only 14 |
office plus lounge 2 |
office plus storage plus lounge 5 |
|
shared office only 6 |
storage plus lounge 1 |
b) What infrastructure resources are currently available on campus to your group?
|
__ telephone service 24 |
__ computer 15 |
__ none 14 |
|
__ mail delivery 35 |
__ email access 30 |
__ access to fax machine 21 |
|
__ voice mail 11 |
__web access 39 |
__ access to copier 27 |
5. What are the 3 infrastructure resources that are most essential to your group?
|
__ telephone service 22 |
__ computer 11 |
__ access to fax machine 9 |
|
__ mail delivery 11 |
__ email access 12 |
__ access to copier 17 |
|
__ voice mail 7 |
__web access 12 |
space 28 |
c) What sources of financial support are available to your group?
|
none - 6 membership fees - 38 external - 12 |
support from student society - 25 donations - 6 fund raising - 6 |
Do you book space on campus for regular activities? No 13
Yes:
|
what type of activities/events: |
frequency of activity: (weekly, monthly,etc) |
size of space required: (auditorium, lobby, meeting room) |
|
membership meetings
|
Weekly 8 Quarterly 5 Biweekly 2 Bi-annual 3 Monthly 17 Annual 5 Bimonthly 1 |
Auditorium 8 Meeting room 27 Lounge 3 Lobby 3 |
|
committee meetings
|
Weekly 11 Quarterly 3 Biweekly 4 Monthly 11 Bimonthly 1 |
Auditorium 1 Meeting room 28 Lounge 1 |
|
films, lectures
|
Weekly 4 Quarterly 4 Biweekly 2 Bi-annual 2 Monthly 11 Annual 4 Bimonthly 5 |
Auditorium 20 Meeting room 7 Lobby 1 |
|
displays
|
Weekly 2 Biweekly 1 Bi-annual 4 Monthly 3 Annual 7 Bimonthly 1 |
Auditorium 1 Lobby 17 |
|
fund-raising:eg book sales |
Monthly 3 Bi-annual 4 |
Lobby 7 |
|
research activity
|
Monthly 1 |
Meeting Room 1 |
|
social/cultural activities
|
Weekly 7 Quarterly 2 Biweekly 1 Bi-annual 6 Monthly 6 Annual 7 Bimonthly 1 |
Auditorium 8 Meeting room 11 Lobby 4 Lounge 6 |
|
spiritual |
Weekly 4 Daily 1 |
Auditorium 1 Meeting room 3 Lounge 1 |
[These definitions have recently been developed within the Office of Student Affairs and will be used as the foundation to clarify the procedures to be addressed in the allocation of space in support of Student Activities]
Student Society: An organization on whose behalf the University collects a compulsory non-academic fee. Membership in these organizations is automatic on the basis of a student’s enrolment at the University (or because he or she resides in a particular residence). For example, a full-time student registered at University College and living in Innis Residence pays the SAC, ASSU, Varsity, Innis Residence Council, and UC Literary & Athletic Society Fees - and is automatically a member of all of these organizations.
Student Society Affiliate: A subsidiary or closely associated group of a Student Society. Often, an Affiliate receives funding through the collection of a "designated portion" of a Student Society Fee. For example, OPIRG is an affiliate of both APUS and the GSU and receives a portion of the fee paid to these societies. Some Affiliates also seek recognition from the Office of Student Affairs.
Constituent Component of a Student Society: A group which is one of a number of organizations which fall under the umbrella of a Student Society. For example, the program/departmental specific student associations within the School of Graduate Studies are Constituent Components of the GSU. Some Constituent Components Societies are also considered to be Student Societies (because the University collects a fee on their behalf) or might seek recognition from the Office of Student Affairs.
Residence Council: A student government and social organization comprised and representative of residents of particular residences. The University collects a compulsory fee on behalf of some Residence Councils (thereby making them Student Societies). Residence Councils do not normally require dedicated office space because a number of rescues are available to them within the residence complex in which they are based.
Newspaper: An organization which among a limited number of activities publishes student focused newspaper for distribution on campus. While most Newspapers are Affiliates of Student Societies (e.g. The Windows is an Affiliate of the New College Student Council, The Varsity is a Student Society in its own right and The Independent Weekly is not affiliated with any other campus organization (nor does the University collect a fee on its behalf)
Radio: A campus based radio station (e.g. CIUT- which is an affiliate of SAC).
Recognized Campus Group (Student Affairs): A voluntary membership organization (open to all members of the University of Toronto community- including students, staff, faculty and alumni) which has received recognition under the Policy on the Recognition of Campus Groups through the Office of Student Affairs. Recognition must be renewed annually.
Application for Recognition Pending: A group has applied for recognition to the Office of Student Affairs and must supply additional information or make changes to its constitution in order to be eligible for recognition.
Have not sought Recognition in 98/99: A group which has previously been recognized by the Office of Student Affairs but has not sought renewal of that recognition this year. Some of these groups currently occupy space.
SAC Recognized Club: A voluntary organization that has received recognition by SAC.
Hart House Club: An organization established and organized within the governing structure of Hart House. Hart House clubs have access to Hart House resources and facilities and normally do not have dedicated office space.
Not Defined by Policy: A group which has a special type of recognition by the University or otherwise has dedicated office space. Prior to the collection of a new designated portion of the SAC fee several years ago, the Women’s Centre was recognized and granted space through the President’s Office. Subsequent to the establishment of the fee, the Women’s Centre also became an Affiliate of SAC. It should be noted that some groups have no compelling reason to seek recognition (because, for example, they already have space and do not need to reserve meeting room space elsewhere) and therefore can only be categorized as special in the sense that they exist and operate on campus but are not Student Societies, Affiliates of Student Societies or Recognized Campus Groups (e.g. The independent Weekly)
Committee to Allocate Student Activity Space (CASAS)
Part A: General Information on Student Activity
1. Name of Group:
Classification of the Group Activity: Tick one or more as appropriate
|
Student Society |
° |
Residence Council |
° |
|
Student Society Affiliate |
° |
Recognized by Student Affairs |
° |
|
Constituent Component of a Student Society |
° |
Other |
° |
2. Contact Person:
Name:__________________________________________________________________
Position:______________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________
Tel # :________________________________________________________________
Fax #:_________________________________________________________________
Email:_________________________________________________________________
3. Group recognized by: Tick one or more as appropriate
|
Student Affairs |
° |
Hart House |
° |
GSU |
° |
|
SAC |
° |
APUS |
° |
4. Type of Space Requested:
|
office |
° |
storage |
° |
5. All Student Activities are expected to have access to a mailbox, voice mail, email and web-site facilities. Would it be beneficial to have access to the following?
|
computer access |
° |
fax access |
° |
|
photocopy access |
° |
6. How long has the group operated?
|
new |
° |
1-5 years |
° |
6-10 years |
° |
10+ years |
° |
7. Does the group currently have space? yes° no°
If yes, what kind of space?
|
private office |
° |
storage space |
° |
|
other |
° |
lounge |
° |
Where is this space?____________________________________________________________
Part B: Weighted Criteria
8. Identify the percentage of U of T student participation in the membership of this Group:
0-50% U of T student membership (0 points)
50%-75% U of T student membership (1 point)
greater than 75% U of T student membership (3 points)
9. Identify the number of members in the group:
less than 15 members (0 points)
15-49 members (1 point)
50-200 members (2 points)
more than 200 members (3 points)
10. Clarify whether the activity is academic, athletic or addresses a more expansive role. Define the objectives of the club, its appeal and the reasons why space is required. [5 points]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
11. Record the Achievements of the Group Activity in past two years. Provide information, preferably, in point form. For New Groups provide the reasons and need for the establishment of the Group Activity. [5 points]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
12. Outline
1. Plans for the Future; 2. Functioning Executive; 3. Budget details. [5 points]
Plans for the Future
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Functioning Executive (Names and Positions)
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Budget Details:
Revenues:
Membership:_____________________________________________________________
Contributions from SAC,others:__________________________________________
Donations:______________________________________________________________
Other:__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Categorize Expenditures:
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
13. Is this Group Activity addressing a unique need not provided by other groups? Provide supporting arguments in point form (2 points max) [1 point]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
14. Space Requirements and Usage: Comment on the need for space. Is it needed or could the Group Activity function successfully without dedicated or shared space? How will the space be used? [3 points]
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
(A copy of the three page APPLICATION FORM for space submitted to CASAS must be attached to this Annual Activity Report for the Report to be accepted)
1. Name of Group:
Classification of the Group Activity: Tick one or more as appropriate
|
Student Society |
° |
Residence Council |
° |
|
Student Society Affiliate |
° |
Recognized by Student Affairs |
° |
|
Constituent Component of a Student Society |
° |
Other |
° |
2. Contact Person:
Name:__________________________________________________________________
Position:______________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________
Tel # :________________________________________________________________
Fax #:_________________________________________________________________
Email:_________________________________________________________________
3. Record in point form the activities of the group, making reference to the original submission, specifically point 10, and the achievements during the past year.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Comment on the condition of the space occupied and any changes to the infrastructure of the space that have taken place during the past year.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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