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Dont Let University Pass You By. " " RMS: A Student Government For You, Made By You.

Plat-format: We have structured our platform around Three Guiding Questions we believe we
must always keep in mind when running the AMS. Our platform points arise as answers to these guiding questions, which we feel are reasonable, achievable goals worthy of being pursued. Where the issues being discussed are too large to easily separate into individual platform initiatives, we frame our discussion in collected Thoughts on Critical Issues Facing Students. For the sake of completeness, and a wellrounded view of your AMS Society and AMS Inc., we have included a Commentary on Current Initiatives, separated into The Society Side, and The Corporate Side.

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Table of Contents:
Critical Questions About Team RMS: " " Three Guiding Questions:" " " " " " ! (3-5) (6-14)
Who Are We? Why Are We Running? What Is Our Opinion On The Current State Of The AMS? How Do We Approach Building Working Relationships? What Is Their Vision For The Future Of The AMS?

Question 1: How Do We Increase Sense of Citizenship in the AMS?

1. Creating User-Friendly Manuals Designed To Make Using AMS Services Easier 2. AMS Newsletters Designed Around Current Initiatives, and How We Need Your Help. 3. Increasing Constitutional Review: Creating A Constitutional Review Committee: 4. Improving Two-Way Communication: Hosting Executive Live-Chat Sessions

Question 2: How can AMS better serve students day-to-day, on society side?
5. Increasing Clubs Grants Support and Streamlining Procedures 6. Space Is At A Premium: Streamlining Space Allocation Procedures 7. Exploring Integration of AMS Food Centre Services With AMS Grocer Forthcoming 8. Increasing Our Investment In Services Provided by the Peer Support Centre. 9. Upgrading the AMS AV Rental, IT Ofce: Exploring New Space Options and Equipment Acquisitions 10.Intramurals: Continuing Work With Athletics, Make Mac-Brown Intramurals Space, Earlier Times

Question 3: How Can We Better Reect The By Students, For Students philosophy in our AMS services, on the corporate side?
11. The Importance Of Mental Health First Responder Training In Our Services 12. Restructuring AMS Ofce Space 13. Revamping Queens Pub menu to Reect Its Growth and Image as a Restaurant 14. Putting A Plan In Place For An Overhaul of Ales Image, Including Its Name

Thoughts On Critical Issues Facing Students:(15-18)

Non-Academic Discipline: Maintaining Student Control Relationship With Kingston, Homecoming Tradition, And Future Renancing Queens Centre Agreement: Upgrading The JDUC Thoughts On Rural Students In Post-Secondary Education Thoughts On Orientation Week, Fall Reading Week: Make Your Choice

Commentary on Current Initiatives: " "

Section 1: AMS, Society Side" Section 2: AMS, Inc., Service Side (19) (20-21)

"

(18-21)

VOTE JANUARY 31st AND FEBRUARY 1st!

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Critical Questions About Team RMS:

It is important every AMS member see Executive as approachable, accountable, receptive and relatable. Our communitys strength is founded in volunteerism and activism - in raising your hand and rolling up your sleeves. Queens brands it the spirit of initiative. The AMS Executive must reect what is best about our community. Thats why we believe the two most important qualities for student leaders are honesty and integrity. Having those qualities ensures we work both with you, and on your behalf. You pay our salaries; you are the consumer for AMS-Services; you are the AMS citizens we advocate for, support and offer opportunities to in our AMS Society. No student should feel intimidated to try new initiatives, offer ideas or criticisms of our work; your voice must be heard. The vision of student government we are working towards is that of a Participatory Democracy. In a participatory democracy, the idea is not to create just a democratic government, but a democratic culture, in other words, a democracy where discussion, free ow of information and inclusivity are of utmost importance, and must take place between all levels of the community. This level of discussion keeps you informed and helps protect you as a student. We believe the AMS should invite participation as opposed to just allowing participation. We believe that more ideas being shared leads to better decision-making. We will actively seek out your ideas and input. The small, day-to-day actions students take to improve the Queen's Community starting clubs, helping peers, working in AMS services and commissions, are the basis of our community. A participatory student government helps keep this unique student culture healthy. This is in contrast to Representative Democracy, where once you choose who to elect, your input effectively ends. The AMS currently incorporates some elements of participatory democracy; we want to maximize its potential. We believe in shared decision making to the greatest extent possible. We believe that everyone can participate in the democratic processes of the student government. Your role should involve more than casting a vote once a year. Your input to democracy does not end when you choose who to elect. We come from an external, end user based perspective; RMS pledges to never lose sight of the importance of that perspective. We believe that we will make better decisions by drawing from a wider pool of ideas, and a diversity of perspectives. Our platform is designed around reasonable goals that will benet the AMS Community, that are achievable in our term or can be set in motion for future years. Our term only lasts a year; part of our denition of integrity is laying down a solid foundation for the future. That mandate must build on the strength of the current Executive. CES delivered on the promises they made, and took positive steps to improve the visibility of the AMS to students at large. Three teams running is a testament. We asked ourselves, what does the AMS need? RMS believes the following ve questions are critical to making an informed voting decision. We asked ourselves these same questions before making the decision to run; we hope you will nd our answers both candid and informative:

1. Who Are We?: We believe an important step towards RMS being relatable, is to know each member of
RMS as individuals. Its not that we like to talk about ourselves; simply put, we dont want to become synonymous with our positions. Here is a brief background of each member of RMS:

President: Jeffrey McCarthy (Con-Ed 12, Chem/Bio):

My name is Jeffrey McCarthy, and I am seeking the nomination to be your President for 2012-2013. I grew up in Kingston Ontario, and chose Queens for its Concurrent Education program. For financial reasons I chose to not have a residence experience; its a decision I would make over and over again. I have been fortunate to inherit a position of leadership as Chair to stand up for FYNIRS (First Years Not In Residence), a group of students whose participation is far more optional and somewhat logistically challenging. I also created the Queens Board Game Club this year. These experiences made me acutely aware of the challenges and frustrations of engaging with the AMS, and how easy it is to let that frustration make you feel disconnected with, and intimidated by your student leaders. I tend to be type-cast into fifth business roles; I was told at the outset of this campaign the learning curve was too great, that I should stick to my usual role. I have spent 3 months reading every AMS document I can, meeting with a number of individuals to have a conversation of ideas and get a sense of what this position is about. I am not entering this position as a stepping stone for future careers in Politics or Corporate Management - I will be a Chemistry teacher. I am raising my hand, I am offering my voice, for the change I think needs to happen. I am running in this election, I am seeking to hold this office because I want to show that you can do the same. The President is fundamentally an advocate to the administration, a person in a position of confidential trust and authority. Should I earn your vote, I promise to work tirelessly with you, and on your behalf. CES, the current AMS Executive, leaves behind an AMS better than they found it. I want to build on their successes, and I hope the Room For Improvement we propose in our platform sparks a discussion in our AMS Community.

Page 4 of 21 Vice President, Operations: Bryor Snefjella (Artsci 12, Linguistics):

Honesty and courage are two of my personal principles, and I try to act in accordance with these principles. Honesty is paid a lot of lip-service, but I think it is fundamentally lacking from our political systems, where honest discussion is confined to offices and conference rooms and closed-door committees, and the political process revolves around posturing and electioneering. If you want a democracy in which citizens can participate meaningfully, they need accurate, truthful information about their government. Courage enables honesty; honesty is often met with resistance because concealing information is in someone else's self-interest. Although, like anyone, I have a political ideology, I try to be objective and introspective, viewing and evaluating each issue separately with my intuition, reason, and the available data, instead of letting adherence to a political identity determine my views for me. In short, I value my independence. In my personal time, I am the regional director of the Canadian Improv Games, Kingston Region, a high school level competitive improvisational theatre tournament. Participation in CIG improv, which revolves around teamwork and creative expression, made a massive difference in my teenage years. Of all my duties running the tournament, I enjoy teaching improv to new students the most. I also attend Queen's Secularists and Inquirers, a current-events discussion club, and Queen's board game club, and sometimes I even attempt to write science fiction.

Vice President, University Affairs: Sean Renaud (Artsci 15, Psych.):

My name is Sean Renaud, and I am running for the position of Vice President University Affairs. I am currently in first year, and plan to focus my studies on Psychology and Philosophy. As a mature student, coming to university after being out of high school for nearly ten years, I have had the opportunity to accumulate a broad range of experience. A Kingstonian born and raised, I have fostered close ties to the Kingston community through volunteer work as well as various different jobs. The main concentration of my volunteer experience has been centered around mental health awareness. I have worked as a peer support at Hotel Dieu Hospital, a volunteer patient at the Queens Clinical Education Centre, and a facilitator for a Mood Disorders Support Group. I am well versed in the issues and challenges surrounding mental health, and would love to share my knowledge with the Queens community. As for work experience, I have held many different positions over the past ten years. Of those, the one that stands out the most for me is the two years I spent in China teaching English. I have also worked as the head of sales in a software company, and I helped to open and run a pawnshop here in Kingston. Having done just about everything I can without a degree, I decided to come to university so that I can further broaden my experiences, and because I love the community here at Queens. I believe strongly in reciprocity and hard work, and feel I am well prepared to represent the interests of my fellow students.

2. Why Are We Running? Our decision to run both comes from our love for brainstorming ideas, our
strength as a team, and our commitment to changing the AMS to be more user-friendly. We do not aspire to this position of power to use it as a stepping stone for greater careers in politics or corporate management. We want you to make our jobs as difcult as possible. We believe that reputation is built through hard work, tangible improvements and constructive working relationships with others. We are both idealistic and realistic; what we outline here are achievable, reasonable and desirable goals we will work towards when elected.

3. What Is Our Opinion On The Current State of The AMS? We have enjoyed the overall direction
the AMS has taken this past year. In the Platform section Commentary on Current Initiatives, we elaborate further. That said, there is always room for improvement.

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Having a unied AMS voice for the student body is critical to have any pull when communicating with administration and the Kingston community. The AMS nancial sustainability has been fruitfully addressed this year as well; we would like to commend the AMS for taking over management of the SLC, and the IT ofce; together, these acquisitions are important properties for further expanding the service we provide to our fellow students. Throughout the platform, we have commended current AMS progress where appropriate, and highlighted where there is Room For Improvement.

4. How Do We Approach Building Working Relationships? The three of us each have strengths
complimentary to each other. Rather than listing off each of our strengths independently, we decided to describe one another, not ourselves. What Do Each Of Us Bring To The Table?: President: Jeffrey McCarthy Bryor Describes Jeff: Jeff doesnt mince words. He has the remarkable ability to sit back, listen carefully, and then say something insightful and balanced. At FYNIRs, Jeffs leadership was just the right mix of management and delegation of tasks. Jeff has been a tireless advocate for FYNIRS. The organization has ourished under his leadership. Sean Describes Jeff: If people arent pulling their weight, Jeff is not afraid to pick up the slack. Jeffs really organized, and also really likes challenging himself. Because hes so organized, usually he succeeds. For example, Jeff was both an Exec (for FYNIRS) and a Teach (for Con-Ed), at the same time. Thats eight straight days of sleepless frosh leadership. He chose to start Board Game Club, because wanted to prove that he could do it. Vice-President (Operations): Bryor Snefjella Sean Describes Bryor: Bryor has strong opinions, and is not afraid to voice them. Bryors come up with a lot of creative ideas during this campaign; he has great creative talent. When he has an idea, hell share it, but wont be upset when other people take his idea and make it better. Bryors a bit of a jack of all trades hes a linguist, AV Nerd, D&D Dungeon Master, Slam Poet and Improvisor. Jeff Describes Bryor: Bryor has the ability to take an argument which is going nowhere and upsetting its participants, and nd a resolution for it. Essentially the voice of reason in a group discussing a difcult issue. Ive also been involved with volunteering at the Kingston Improv Games, which Bryor has run for the past two years. Events always run smoothly, and volunteers and audience members have a great time. Vice-President (University Affairs): Sean Renaud Jeff Describes Sean: Even when things dont go according to plan, and Sean has an additional out-of-theblue responsibility come up, he doesnt let that additional responsibility come in the way of his initial commitment. Seans always willing to lend a hand. Hes also tremendously motivated. He could be out in the working world, but he chose to come to university because he loves the community. Bryor Describes Sean: Sean has immense experience and maturity. Like Jeff, he has really excellent listening skills. Hes been to college - twice. Hes done everything he can without a degree - and so now hes getting one so he can do more things. Hes taught in China, hes managed a software company, and hes been in the army. He volunteers for mental health support groups in the Kingston Community. He wants to study psychology because he wants more professional skills in that area. " One of the most important sets of decisions we make during our term is the hiring of commissioners. Each of these six individuals, with their teams of dedicated volunteers to carry out their unique mandates, must establish strong working relationships with their constituents, and with the exec for the AMS to be an effective student government. Each commissioner will be tasked with learning about their commissions mandates and initiatives, before taking over. RMS will become uent in each commissions mandates and progress, by reading through transition manuals, etc. before hiring. RMS believes there are three important questions to consider when building these relationships - do they have skills and passion for their portfolio, can they readily understand the ideas of others and communicate their own, and will they contribute to the cohesiveness of the AMS Council? They must be committed to the principles of mutual respect, especially with those whose ideas are different from their own.

Page 6 of 21 5. What Is Our Vision For The Future Of The AMS?As the current Commissioner of Internal Affairs,
Mark Preston, stated in his goal plans, he will make a personal effort to curb the elitist and clique image the AMS has. Understandably, this cultural change is impossible in one year through my actions but, I can affect change. RMS will take up this torch at the executive level. We believe the AMS must be a society where no student feels their presence is unwanted, unwelcome or unhelpful. The AMS should not be an organization where its leadership shufes around positions year to year. We believe the life-blood of the AMS is its volunteers; these volunteers have the right to feel appreciated for their hard work - and that there are whole sections of the student population who shy away from getting involved in the AMS because they dont feel the AMS does them any service, or they dont feel like they would t the elitist clique image. We must work to change this, in all we do. The AMS must be a strong lobby for the student voice; it must establish strong working relationships with the administration and the Kingston community to make sure that student voice is listened to; and it must change its culture so more individuals feel their voices are worth offering.

Three Guiding Questions:

Question 1: How Do We Increase Sense of Citizenship in the AMS?
Making clear the breadth of services the AMS provides to its members is one of the critical steps we need to take to increase students sense of citizenship in the AMS. We have identied three initiatives the AMS should undertake to increase involvement. We believe these initiatives help build a solid foundation for becoming well-informed about the AMS, and facilitate starting your own initiatives within the AMS.

Our Thinking Process: The Big Picture: We believe that in a small, tight-knit community like
Queens, a student government that functions on the basis of participatory democracy is the best system to serve the needs of a community as diverse, motivated and intelligent as Queens. We think that the student government at Queens should invite participation, as opposed to allowing participation. Although we understand that the student government needs hierarchy to function efciently, we believe that every member of that hierarchy, from top to bottom, should be approachable, accountable, and be proactive in giving information to students. The four initiatives we outline here are intended to be tangible steps towards this ideal of participatory student government.

I. Creating User-Friendly Manuals Designed To Make Using AMS Services Easier: Why Does It Matter?: Did you know that, as a club, you are entitled under Section 9, subsection 8.5 of
Policy Manual 1, to a 50 MB allocation of space on the AMS server to set up your website? Not many people do. Furthermore, under subsection 4.3 of that same policy, an IT request made by a club is automatically assigned the lowest priority as a standard procedure, barring extenuating circumstances? RMS strongly believes that we should help our members help themselves, to use our services. Did you know that the AMS has corporate credit cards, which committees under one of our Commissions are eligible to use provided approval of line-by-line forthcoming expenditures? Do you know how to book the Common Ground for a club event? Do you know that the AMS now manages its own IT equipment ofce with rentable equipment? We believe in making this information available in the form of User-Friendly Manuals, which are written from an end-user perspective (e.g. a manual for someone looking to create a club, looking to structure a budget, looking to raise an issue at AMS assembly, etc.). Each manual would be available on the AMS website, in a user-friendly library format.

How Is It Handled Now?: While all AMS policy and reports centered around AMS services are all
available on the AMS website, the information that you would be specically looking for is often buried in the middle of lengthy documents written in the language of policy. If you wanted to nd the information you need to build part the AMS community, as it stands you will often be better served asking different commissioners about the problem, since they have spent time at length coming to terms with different facets of AMS policy.

Page 7 of 21 The Merits Of The Current AMS Team: This past year, the AMS has completely redesigned its website
to be far more user-friendly and informative. It has enabled students to begin answering their own questions they have about the AMS; it has also taken strides towards being a living, engaging website with such innovations as the Campus Calendar, the Housing Map, an attractive, informative main page, etc.

Room For Improvement: We want these manuals created from an end-user perspective. Their titles
would be along the lines of Thinking of Starting a Club? etc. We believe these are one-time investments (with subsequent updates where necessary) by a few dedicated individuals in the AMS, which will positively affect a large number of students looking to engage with the AMS.

II. AMS Newsletters Designed Around Current Initiatives, and How We Need Your Help: Why Does It Matter?: Any AMS member who has interest in becoming an active AMS citizen, be it with
their voice in assembly or by rolling up their sleeves with current initiatives, should feel encouraged for taking an interest in the AMS community. It should be clearly visible to all AMS members what these current issues and initiatives within the AMS are. Did you know the notion of an co-curricular transcript is on-thetable at AMS assembly? Do you know about the S.M.A.R.T team project, and the Campus Housing Map run out of the MAC? The way we look at it, becoming a well-informed AMS citizen is not nearly as easy a process as it should be. We will make strides to change that.

How Is It Currently Handled? AMS Assembly typically runs 3-4 hours every 2 weeks; reading material
for assembly members is prepared by each executive, commission, faculty society etc. and typically sits in excess of 100 pages. In other words, in order to be a fully informed AMS citizen, a person needs to have a reasonably large amount of free time to get acquainted with all the initiatives and issues up for discussion. When we decided to run, one of the main criticisms laid against us was this team doesnt understand the gravity of the position they will be taking over, nor the breadth and importance of issues facing the student body. This process has been a steep learning curve for us; we would like to change how information is presented, such that it would be a lot easier for someone to become reasonably competent about the critical issues and inner workings of any AMS position. Our goal is to present information so that any AMS member could reasonably acquire enough knowledge to be able to assume any position they take an interest in.

Room For Improvement: We think it is reasonable for each commissioner to compile a short 3-4 point
list each month of exciting initiatives taking place in their commission - and how the average reader could get involved. We provide a template via our Commentary on Current Initiatives section. Once-a-month Exec emails are insufcient, and easily ignored. A possible avenue to explore would be to work a deal with The Journal to advertise these updates each month in a short column. Such informative pieces make it easier to be an informed AMS citizen, and easier to get involved.

III. Increasing Constitutional Review: Creating A Constitutional Review Committee:

Why Does It Matter?: It is important the AMS Constitution be clear, up-to-date and followed. The current AMS constitution contains mandates for committees which do not actually convene. The constitution should be both enforced and updated regularly. When a member of our community is interested in learning about the AMS on a deeper level, the constitution should be there for them in a way that does not do them disservice for their interest by giving them misinformation. The Merits of Our Current AMS Team: The current AMS team has taken it upon themselves to review and update the current constitution and policy manuals. We would like to make this a yearly priority for the AMS moving forward.

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Room For Improvement: The AMS Executive this year has had a very heavy workload, and undertook this constitutional review whole-heartedly. We will make it a mandate to revisit our foundational documents every single year. By keeping track of important changes as we go, we not only create a document that is more representative of reality; we also create, from a management point of view, a situation where ascertaining what portions of the constitution need revision is far less a hassle than it currently is. We believe by striking a committee, involving the AMS Executive, the CIA and a presence of 1-2 members at large, we would be able to yearly say; what has changed? what needs revision? what language can be revised to be more userfriendly, where possible?

IV. Improving Two-Way Communication; Hosting Executive Live Chat Sessions: Why Does It Matter?: All AMS members are invited to attend as gallery members to Assembly. It is at
these meetings that important decisions are made about what stances the student body takes on important University issues; these decisions directly impact what sort of University climate we pass on to future students. These meetings tend to also be poorly attended by gallery members. While there are a number of potential reasons why the majority of students appear to not take an active interest in AMS governance - we suspect it is mostly a matter of being low on the priority list of most students - we believe the onus for this lack of interest cannot be solely attributed to the AMS community. Most communication the AMS releases to students is one-way in nature. We will put in the extra effort to ensure that you feel there are a number of ways you can get in touch with the Executive, and there are a number of ways we will get in touch with you.

The Merits Of Our Current AMS Team: We would like to applaud the current AMS team for making use
of video blogs and broadcasts (for example, the video blog of Clubs Night; The Municipal Affairs Commissions suite of videos on housing information; see AlmaMaterSociety youtube account). The current Commissioner of Internal Affairs, Mark Preston, has identied making the AMS Assembly more accessible as part of his goal plans for this year. He has introduced QTV Live Broadcasting with comments sections, built the document How To Assemble, etc. The Commission of Internal Affairs is also working hard to ensure their online voting system, VoteNet, is up and running risk-free to ensure delity of voting. Twitter is also beginning to be used to facilitate real-time two-way communication. These are important rst steps for making engaging with the AMS far-more interesting.

Room For Improvement: We will work to make sure students know their leadership is working with
integrity and honesty. Where possible, we will reach out to you, the AMS member, by coming to your club events, socials, fundraisers, without announcing our attendance. We will increase the AMS social media presence, via live tweeting of events, and live executive chat sessions. We want your candid feedback. Our vision of the live chat is an open, anonymous forum held at least once a month, where students can ask questions about what we are doing for them. You will be able to submit your questions online, live, or submit questions to us beforehand. The language we will use will be accessible. We want you, and every member of the AMS community to understand what we are doing; and for your feedback to be heard.

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Question 2: How Can The AMS Better Serve Students Day-to-day?

The role of the AMS is encapsulated in its mission statement: To Serve And Represent The Diversity of Students At Queens. We believe the AMS owes it to our members to fulll this mandate by providing as many opportunities and learning experiences as we can. We asked ourselves, how do most students engage with the AMS society? We believe clubs and other AMS organizations are the bread-and-butter of our community spirit.

Our Thinking Process: The Big Picture: In order to approach our goal, we need to reach
students in as many ways as possible. Therefore, we have identied where the AMS has maximum contact with the student body, often in areas where that is students only active engagement with the AMS.

V. Increasing Clubs Grants Support and Streamlining Procedures: Why Does It Matter?: AMS Clubs Grant is a fund established to give the nancial support AMS-ratied
clubs need to offer meaningful programming to you. It is used to grow a clubs membership base without incurring unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses to the volunteers who help ensure their club is sustainable. As it stands, each year roughly $105,000 in grants funding is applied for; only $30,000 is available in the Clubs Grant Pool. In this competitive environment, if a student wants to start a club which needs any sort of inventory, they need to have disposable income that they may or may not ever see returns on. We believe it is time to explore ways and means to increase the size of the AMS Clubs Grant over the long term, while also taking away the guessing game of what a successful application looks like.

How Is It Handled Now?: The AMS likes to boast that it has the second highest number of clubs per
student capita, behind only Harvard; we have over 200 Clubs. Of those 200 clubs, in Fall 2011 only 65 applied for grants; of those 65, 21 received no funding. The recurring explanations for this denial of funding include a very poorly presented budget; a projected surplus budget; or the group is already receiving a sizable student fee. Criteria for distributing this fund comes down to an itemized list of expenses to justify the grant application, and whether or not the funding could reasonably benet any member of the AMS community (for example, club events are more deserving of funding than executive clothing). The group must also send a delegate to the AMS Clubs Conference to learn about budgeting, handling donations, etc.

Room For Improvement: We believe that if an individual would like to perform an act of communitybuilding by founding a new club, or by taking a club in new directions to attract new members, the AMS should be there for them nancially. The money for supporting a club cannot always come from charging members or from collecting student fees; in either case, you reasonably need to already have a sizable membership base to either vote with their wallets, or with their signatures to get your club on the referendum. We are committed to increasing the size of the clubs grants pool, as well as building a budget template, with examples of what is worthwhile to apply for, and what is not. We would work towards creating one-on-one club workshop sessions, with bookable appointments. Understandably, this would create signicantly more work for the clubs manager. We would create volunteer club liaison positions, working under the clubs manager. These positions would be there to assist clubs in event planning and design. Part of this position would be attending different club meetings throughout the year; assisting in creation of new clubs; and could also help the clubs manager do more research into how clubs use spaces, budgeting, etc.

VI. Space Is At A Premium: Streamlining Space Allocation Procedures: Why Does It Matter?:From the perspective of a club operating programming year-round, space allocation
can become the crux of their community. We believe it is the right of every club to easily know the sum of spaces available in the Student Life Centre; how to go about applying for acquiring a space; how that decision is made by their AMS peers in the Space Allocation Committee; under what conditions that space can be taken away from them; and what targets need to be met to stand a chance of earning a larger space.

Page 10 of 21 How Is It Handled Now?:The AMS Policy Manual Part 1 (Section 8 Part C) contains a one-and-a-half
page policy governing space allocation in the Student Life Centre. Each year, how these spaces are allocated is put up for review. The policy manual lists the requirements to submit an application, the timeline for the review process, and the basic criteria upon which space is allocated.

The Merits Of Our Current AMS Team: Craig Draeger, clubs manager, has identied this issue in his
goal plans: Space Allocation - Establishing and engraining a permanent methodology for club space will allow for more effective implementation. This issue is on the AMS radar; we would like to see it through. In addition, as part of the settlement for the Queens Centre Agreement, the University will transfer 1.3 Million Dollars to the AMS, explicitly for JDUC renovations. This will allow not only for a review of clubs space allocations, but also making signicant changes to the spaces themselves.

Room For Improvement: We want to create a more comprehensive assessment scheme for how
different clubs are given priority when assigning space allocations, and making this scheme available to all students. Clubs who use their space primarily for storage, should not be allocated high-trafc areas in the SLC. We believe these groups should be allocated large storage spaces in the basement rooms of McGillivary-Brown Hall because it is not wheelchair-accessible, and therefore should not be used for hightrafc needs. Space is fundamentally at a premium in the SLC; all spaces available should be measured for room size, maximum occupancy under re code, electrical outlets and accessibility levels, etc. This should be compiled in a public le, so club leadership can look at what options are available. The AMS controls four primary spaces open for applications to receive space allocation - the Grey House; the JDUC; Mac-Brown Hall; and the Queens Centre. Mac-Brown frequently oods. The basement level is also not wheelchair accessible. The Grey-Houses second level is having substantial roof problems, and is not wheelchair accessible. While the JDUC is an AMS-Managed space, due to decisions made in 2010, a large portion of these spaces have come under the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS) control. We believe these spaces are underutilized. We want to enter into negotiations with the SGPS on how to better use these spaces. This demonstrates the severity of the need to set aside funding to address and x these space issues. Given the 1.3 Million dollar allocation coming into the AMS possession for specically this purpose, there will be great opportunity for improvement. Apart from certain critical projects we outline in this platform (such as renovating the Peer Support Centre), we would like to make this an exercise in Participatory Democracy, by getting a feel for what the AMS Community wants, and taking as many ideas from the student body as possible. We believe it is vital, along with making space allocation procedures far more transparent, that we put funds in trust to make our spaces more attractive for clubs down the road. These funds could come from both internal and external fundraisers.

VII. Exploring Integration of AMS Food Centre Services With Forthcoming AMS Grocer: Why Does It Matter?: The AMS Food Centre is currently based out of Mac-Brown Hall, and is a
condential, non-judgmental food service designed to service students in need while they pursue academics. It is a donation-based enterprise (with the aid of supplemental opt-out student fees). Being located in Mac-Brown, it is essentially the only tenant in Mac-Brown (minus the forthcoming Bike Shop). We believe that this service is very important in a world of rising food costs, especially since the forthcoming grocer is not particularly cost-effective to students on a tight budget.

The Merits Of The Current AMS Team: Last years winning AMS Executive team, CES, promised to
put a pharmacy and grocery store in the Queens Centre. They delivered on their promise to students. One of the food centres mandates is to establish ties with local grocers; the food bank donation bins in the local Metro go towards the AMS Food Centre, demonstrating the activism of the Food Centre as is.

Page 11 of 21 Room For Improvement: We will work towards Donation bins, both cash and food in the new student
grocery store located in the SLC. We believe the grocer would be open to these ideas. You deserve a wellfunded, cost-effective, close-by option for food that doesnt break your budget. Furthermore, we would also like to foster partnerships between clubs that engage in culinary activities, and the grocer. VIII. Increasing Our Investment In Services Provided by the Peer Support Centre. Why Does It Matter?: The Queens community has woken up to the importance of mental health. Our community has spearheaded initiatives aimed at ghting the stigma surrounding mental health issues. These initiatives have involved striking committees to systematically assess what needs to change and around awareness campaigns (such as the Queens Wears Green campaign). These efforts help break the stigma of mental health, and also point out resources available to students in distress. Due to the difcult nancial situation the University nds itself in, Health Counseling and Disability Services (HCDS) cannot single-handedly meet the needs of every member of the Queens community. The resources simply arent there. RMS believes we must maximize the potential of what we have - we must increase our commitment to making the Peer Support Centre as meaningful a service it can be.

Merits Of The Current AMS Team: The Peer Support Centre is located in Room 34 of the JDUC.
Advertisement is critical to any service being as useful as it can be. The current AMS team has promoted the Peer Support Centre well on the AMS Website, and in the Presidents Newsletters. The Peer Support Centre team this year, themselves, have engaged in sidewalk awareness campaigns for the PSC outside the JDUC several times this year; we would like to commend this initiative.

Room For Improvement: The Peer-Support Centre is mandated to provide short-term counseling in a
safe and non-judgmental space on campus, to actively listen and where pertinent make recommendations should longer-term, professional counseling be necessary. We must bolster the space to be as safe, and as inviting as it can. Installing Soundproof insulation is a one-time investment that would make it a very safe space; under the guide of the Head Manager, funds should be provided to refurnish the space should that be deemed necessary. Furthermore, given the 1.3 Million dollars available to improve the JDUC, we would like to see the Peer Support Centre be given a larger space. One possible solution is moving it across the hall, to the old AMS boardroom. The AMS has installed a third boardroom near Wallace Hall in the JDUC, making the old AMS boardroom essentially a redundant space. By installing a sound-proof partition wall, the Peer Support Centre could have both a reception area, and a condential meeting area. IX: Upgrading the AMS AV Rental, IT Ofce: Exploring New Space Options and Equipment Acquisitions: Why Does It Matter?: The AMS AV Rental Service is a new AMS service that allows members of the AMS Community to rent AV equipment for events, clubs etc. This service could become a very viable, revenue-generating service in the future, requiring little overhead investment and being highly useful to our community.

Room For Improvement: This service could be incredibly useful for our community. By acquiring more
equipment for the service (such as sound mixers), and moving the service into a better space, we could make this service so much more useful. The old JDUC Post Ofce space, under the Universitys Operations and Management Agreement, is classied under University management, as a revenue-generating space. Given that there is no longer a university-run service in the space, RMS will lobby the administration for control of this space. We would like to see this space become the new location of the AV Rental Service. X: Intramurals: Continuing Work With Athletics, Make Mac-Brown Intramurals Space, Earlier Games.

Why Does It Matter?: Intramurals, in conjunction with BEWIC Sports Days are an important component
of student participation in athletics during their time at Queens. There is a wonderful variety of sports available to play, for people of all skill levels. For a number of student groups on campus, these games of friendly competition can become a centre-piece of their community-building efforts.

Page 12 of 21
Jeff, as a Concurrent Education student, has been exposed to how incredible these programs can be for both transitioning to university life (playing on the Con-Ed non-competitive basketball team in rst year), to building positive relationships with new students in your program (playing on the Con-Ed Tier 3 volleyball team in third year, and BEWIC sports days that year as well), to keeping a group together throughout the year with a common interest (being on the ORT 2011 Tier 2 volleyball team this year). The critical issue is how late these games are; it is one of the most pressing issues facing intramurals to fully realizing its potential. Jeffs volleyball games this semester alone, are Tuesday nights at 11:30PM. Making these programs more accessible for students who cant necessarily get to campus this late at night, by having games earlier where possible is one goal RMS will pursue. The Merits Of The Current AMS Team: Mac-Brown Hall, at the corner of campus, was originally signed over for AMS management in 2006, when plans were in place to tear down sections of the JDUC, so that Mac-Brown could house important AMS services during that transition period. Queens Centre phases 2 and 3 are no longer happening, and so this space has undergone signicant changes and investments to improve its usability this year. The old student affairs cubicle ofces have been torn out, and there is a usable gym space, with a stage and improved lighting. The partnership with athletics to begin using this space for intramurals has been slow going; RMS will work diligently to ensure this work gets completed, so students have a tangible way of seeing intramurals games scheduled earlier. Room For Improvement: RMS will work diligently with Athletics to get equipment and necessary facilities installed to allow the space to begin to house intramurals games. This is an important project the AMS already has on-the-go, which RMS will make a priority to see through.

Question 3: How Can We Reect The For Students, By Students philosophy in our AMS services?
Services are another way the AMS has direct contact with students. To create a wide support network of students with specic knowledge of what to do to help someone in crisis requires maximum participation of members in the community. Everyone deserves a comfortable place to stage special events to help offset the stresses of university life. By improving QP and Ales services, we can help ensure that every member of the community wants to take advantage of these services.

Our Thinking Process: The Big Picture: Our ideal of participatory democracy is to include
the maximum number of students in the whole AMS community. AMS Inc. is unique for being a notfor-prot organization, whose goal is to give the best service possible at the best price, with the most positive effect on the community as a whole. XI. The Importance of Mental Health First Responder Training In Our Services: Why Does It Matter?: This is an extension of Platform Point VIII. Our commitment to changing the culture
of Mental Health Issues on campus must not stop with work handled on the Society side. In addition to these cultural changes, we want to increase the number of students capable of being mental health rst responders. There are existing support services on campus and in the Kingston community; mental health rst responders have the tools to recognize when you may be in distress, and help direct you to these services. Mental health rst responders help cast a wider net to make sure no one in distress is missed. Having more informed members of our community will also work towards reducing the stigma that surrounds mental health. How Is It Handled Now: As it stands, there are a number of tiers of training available to the Queens community, offered through Student Affairs (we encourage you to check out www.queensu.ca/ studentaffairs/events/mentalhealthrstaid.html). The certication in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a 12hour course which costs $50 for students at present. The AMS has worked to give this training to its leadership; faculty societies such as Nursing have also taken strides to provide training opportunities.

Page 13 of 21 Merits Of The Current AMS Team: The AMS is coming to realize the importance of giving these training
tools to the leaders of our student bodies, especially those in positions of trust towards other students. In this years ORT training program, the workshop Responding to Students in Distress, was given by Dr. Condra from HCDS, to every single leader. We commend ORT for taking up this initiative.

Room For Improvement: We are aware that training paid staff members in being mental health rst
responders will incur costs. We think it is a justiable cost.The one area where student leadership encounters a wide portion of the student body, that has not received due attention is AMS-ratied clubs. The current clubs conference, where the AMS has the most direct contact with club leadership, is underutilized. We will make mental health rst responder training a component of the clubs conference.

XII. Restructuring AMS Ofce Space: Why Does It Matter?: As it stands, there are a number of ways a restructuring of AMS Ofce space could both improve and expand the quality and breadth of services the AMS is able to provide. The Marketing Ofces biggest requirement is a larger space, where their deputies are able to work without the Marketing Ofcer needing to give up their computer. The Communications ofce also deals with sensitive information, and could benet from being in its own space. The service directors currently share an ofce in the AMS ofces, and would greatly benet from having their own private ofces, to deal with their meetings, etc., since they are quite separate from the Commissions. The CES (Commission on Environmental Sustainability) could also benet from being separated from its current shared space in the Municipal Affairs Commission ofce. Room For Improvement: RMS will work closely with student affairs to lobby for the Town Gown Relations space (across from QP), as it would be an ideal location for the directors ofces, with both a common meeting area and two private ofces. That opens up the current directors ofces for marketing and communications to move into the current service directors space, freeing up their own ofce for the CES to move into. This plan hinges on getting the Town Gown Relations Ofce relocated; given the million dollar investment in improving the JDUC, there is likely a space we could offer the Town Gown Relations Ofce to move to. XIII. Revamping Queens Pub Menu to Reect Its Growth and Image as a Restaurant. Why Does It Matter?: QP has seen its food sales, and alcohol sales increase greatly, as the pub comes
to be recognized as a restaurant on campus. The nancial loss this year, according to an April Journal Article, was projected to be $1913.14, versus $45714.94 the previous year. In other words, business is good; since QP is beginning to gain ground as a dinner hotspot, it is time we examined how to improve the quality of our service to match this Restaurant image.

Merits Of Our Current AMS Team: RMS would like to commend QP for its Holiday Drink menu. The
increase in seating has allowed for more patrons; the introduction of a POS system to improve efciency; and capital purchases of new TVs improve the pub atmosphere.

Room For Improvement: RMS would like to explore the possibility of improving the selection of beers on
tap, to include more Ontario-based breweries such as Mill St., Sleeman, etc. We will do a customer survey to ask, what is your favourite brew? and take away the guessing game. Furthermore, ensuring that ingredient lists are available for patrons with dietary restrictions, or who wish to have a vegetarian option, can easily do so. We would also like to introduce additional vegetarian and gluten-free options in the summertime when the menu is reviewed. Any restaurant should have this information readily available. We would also examine possible ways to improve the kitchen, including replacing or updating equipment, utilizing the current kitchen size more efciently, etc.

Page 14 of 21 XIV. Putting A Plan In Place For An Overhaul of Ales Image, Including Its Name: Why Does It Matter?: Ales and QP together form the AMS bar service TAPS. Both are typically a
nancial loss; since they appear as a single line in the consolidated budget, it is not easy to separate how much of a loss each service typically experiences. The gap has been closed by the surging business of QP. Ales progress is nowhere near as positive. Furthermore, its name is grounded in historical racism, and must be changed. The name itself is too similar to Ale; there is no clear signage outside the bars stairs, to indicate there is a bar there at all. A new name would allow for clear signage and an opportunity to do a relaunch. Given that Queens Centre Phases 2 and 3 are no longer being built as part of the Queens Centre settlement, we must maximize the potential of the current space.

Merits Of Our Current AMS Team: The AMS has begun to make better use of the space. Classic Rock
and Jazz Lounge nights have been well-received by patrons, and have made good business sense. Halloween this year was used as a Con-Ed fundraiser for the Conference on Education. When using the space for the Last Lecture on Earth series, the space lled to capacity. While hosting such events 19+ carries the downside of the exclusion of most rst years, having events such as these makes positive and creative use of the space.

Room For Improvement: Taking the lead from the Classic Rock and Jazz Lounge successes, we believe
that the root of the problem is when Ales tries to replicate the experience of bars in the Hub, is when it sees its business suffer. Live music is no longer the mainstay of the bar-scene; it is the exception. Instead of trying to play the game of the Hub Bars, let us carve our own niche. It is time to refocus Ales as a scene for live music. In so doing, we are providing an avenue for local bands to gain exposure. Other creative programming such as a Battle of The Bands could be put in place. Another possible type of event we want to gauge the feasibility of is broadcasting major sporting events (including the Stanley Cup playoffs, Grey Cup, World Cup, 2012 Olympics, etc.), at Ales. We will rename Ales; we will do so with the help of the Queens Community, through a contest. RMS is aware that, in order to secure visible signage outside of Ales, will require lobbying the administration, and working with PPS to ensure this change doesnt violate visual identity standards. In changing the name, it is important that the AMS nds another, appropriate way to honour Alfred Pierce (see this article for more information on Alfred Pierce). We either want to place an honorary plaque in Ales, explaining the history of the name and his historical mistreatment; or, name a new room or space on campus with his full name.

Page 15 of 21

Thoughts On Critical Issues Facing Students:

RMS feels it is very important every AMS citizen be aware of the kinds of positions RMS takes with regards to critical issues facing students. While these issues are too big to tackle with concrete this-will-happen-in-our-term platform points, our full platform would be incomplete without our stances on each issue. We have identied ve large, key issues we feel the average student cares about:

Non-Academic Discipline: Maintaining Student Control:

Why Does It Matter?: Over the past couple of years, the Queens community has suffered tragic losses. These events led to an investigation by Regional Supervising Coroner Roger Skinner on health and safety issues on campus. The Coroners Report was released May 31st, 2011; this report shed light on the need to closely and critically examine our current campus policies, paying particular attention to campus mental health culture and drinking culture. Of particular concern is the reports recommendation that health and safety issues be removed from the jurisdiction of Queens peer/student judiciary systems in place (read the Journal Article here for background). These recommendations have led to a committee being struck between Student Affairs and the AMS. To our knowledge, the committees recommendations are expected before our term; their investigation leaves our long-standing Non-Academic Discipline system hanging in the balance. In order to fully appreciate the consequences this would have on our community, we believe it is important students rst understand how the system works now. How Does It Work Now?: The Non-Academic Discipline system is envisioned as an exercise in restorative justice, seeking to repair damages done rather than policing and punishing students for their behavior. Stu-Cons or Campus Security investigate and bring forth cases of complaints to the Commissioner of Internal Affairs (CIA). The CIA works with the Judicial Affairs Ofcer very closely, in both bringing these cases forward, and in providing oversight of how cases are handled. The Judicial Affairs Ofcer has 5 deputies, who are assigned cases to investigate. A Respondent (traditionally called the defendant), is made aware of the case, and has three courses of action: they can sign a sanction (settle), they can request for minor alterations (a closed hearing), or they can outright argue the case (an open hearing), whose outcomes can raise or lower the sanctions, or leave them unchanged. In the case of property damage, the settlement is set by how much is needed to repair the damage, not a ne intended to punish. In behavioral cases (e.g. incidents involving alcohol), settlements vary by case from an electronic workshop, to an alcohol workshop run out of HCDS. Complainants tend to be satised with outcomes. The Judicial Affairs Ofce has seen a rise in numbers of cases investigated. 80 cases were reviewed all of last year; this year, 73 were seen so far. It is clear this service is not irrelevant for students, and in fact is becoming more important as time goes on. Students value this system of restorative justice, and it is our duty to make sure this system is not taken away from us. The Merits Of Our Current AMS Team: The Administration side has tended to take up a position of wanting to remove peer-administered Non-Academic Discipline from student control. The current AMS Executive has worked diligently in the coroners review committee to ensure student interests are protected when it comes to non-academic discipline.

Page 16 of 21 Room For Improvement: The Judicial Affairs Ofce has expressed interest in reform to their system, based on clear, specic criticism from the administration. The notion that non-academic discipline need be removed from student hands entirely, however, is not a position RMS accepts. We agree with the Judicial Affairs Ofce, and believe there is some room for improvement. Campus security wants to be kept in the loop for outcomes of the cases they bring forward; while this years team has made this a priority, this priority needs to be kept consistent from year to year. Assembly should be more involved, to facilitate this consistency, by requiring a Judicial Affairs section be included in the CIA weekly report (as it stands, it is optional). Non-Academic Discipline is an important heritage for the AMS community, and we will make it a priority to keep this heritage alive.

Relationship With Kingston, Homecoming Tradition, and Future:

The AMS Community is a part of the Kingston Community. Mutual respect, and a give-and-take relationship between both communities is paramount. Since the ban on homecoming came into effect in 2009, the Aberdeen street party has been curbed substantially. The Avoid Aberdeen efforts of CES last year were a step in the right direction - and structuring the scheduling of home football games such that no football games occur in the traditional Homecoming period this year has made a big difference. Things are going in the right direction. RMS is aware that the University is planning to schedule a football game around the traditional homecoming weekend for the fall of 2012. RMS believes this is a step backwards in the efforts to bring back homecoming. We would like to work with the administration to show them the benets of not having a football game during this time. Queens University has made a concerted effort, in partnership with the AMS, towards changing the culture of alcohol on campus, through Orientation leader training via giving workshops on how to talk about this difcult topic. RMS promises to continue these efforts; it is a show of good faith to our Kingston community, that an AMS citizen is cognizant of their place in Kingston, and the privileges and responsibilities that entails.

Renancing The Queens Centre Agreement: Upgrading the JDUC

Short History Lesson: In a 2005 spring Annual General Meeting, students were approached by the AMS and the University with oor plans of the forthcoming Queens Centre, seeking funds to turn those oor plans into a reality. As the AMS is the primary user of the space, students voted in favor of contributing a total of 25.5 Million student dollars towards the completion of the project. This created a fee structure where for the rst few years, students would be charged $71 per student per year; this year, it was increased, as planned, to $144 per student per year registered full-time. In 2010, 5.5 Million had been transferred. In 2009, the AMS learned Queens Centre construction of Phases 2 and 3 had been put on hold. At that time the fees collected were held in trust, until construction resumed. By March 2011, this trust had reached $3 Million. The University threatened rescinding their agreement to transfer control of the Student Life Centre to the AMS, if the ow of money did not resume. The AMS promptly handed over the $3 Million held in trust. The critical question of this year has been how to proceed moving forward. Merits Of Our Current AMS Team: This has been a year of difcult negotiation on the part of Team CES. They have delivered for students, in a big way. At the AMS Assembly on January 20th, our AMS announced they have reached a settlement with the University, two important components of which are a) construction of Phases II and III will not be happening; and b) the University will transfer 1.3 Million Dollars to the AMS, for the express purpose of making important renovations to the JDUC. It is important to note this does not come into conict with the Operations Management Agreement with the Student Life Centre signed in 2010.

Page 17 of 21 Under that original agreement, the comprehensive review of the Student Life Centre agreement would take place this coming academic year, entering into negotiations with the AMS on whether or not to renew the agreement for an additional ve years. The University has already promised us the continued management of this space; be critical of the rumor that we are at risk of handing management control of the SLC back to the administration next April. Room For Improvement: One of the most important committees struck by the AMS is the Queens Centre Student Working Group (QCSWG), whose primary function is checks and balances, and giving guidance and recommendations concerning the development of the Queens Centre project. This group is composed of the AMS Executive, Student Trustee, Board Of Directors Chair, Student Centre Ofcer, General Manager, Information Ofcer, and 2 students at large. CES, rightly so, has increased the number of students at large selected to four, to increase the weight given to the student voice. We also believe the Rector should be invited to be on the committee, in a non-voting role to give an additional perspective. This committees mandate must transition towards stewardship of Queens Centre projects, and the Queens Centre fee moving forward. With respect to the $1.3 Million awarded, RMS pledges to make the use of these funds an exercise in participatory democracy. Apart from certain critical changes we believe need to be made (including improvements to the Peer Support Centre, and the IT Ofce), we would like to take the pulse of the student body, before proceeding to spend student dollars on the Student Life Centre. The spirit of the SLC is contained in its constitution: a place students can call their own - a place where they can relax and have fun, discover self and others, and build the student governments and clubs that are the vehicles of civic engagement. We pledge to let the student voice direct how we spend the gift of $1.3 Million left to us by our predecessors.

Thoughts on Rural Students In Post-Secondary Education: Written by Bryor Snefjella, VP (Ops) Candidate " As a student from a rural community, Ive seen some of the special problems that affect rural
graduates of post-secondary education. I grew up in Bancroft Ontario, a community of 3500 people, where tourism is the backbone of the local economy. My family lived well below the federal poverty line for most of my life. I was able to come to Queens because of a scholarship specically intended for prospective Queens students from my area of rural Ontario. Had I not received this scholarship, I would not have been able to attend Queens without incurring a very large student debt. " There are big divides in my rural community between children of middle-class parents with post-secondary educations (children of teachers, doctors, etc) and children whose parents never attended university or college. Ive heard a fair bit of rhetoric about the importance of getting rstgeneration students into post-secondary education. Although I generally agree with this statement, there are several caveats to my agreement. " First, student debt can be an especially large concern for students from rural communities. Often, these students will not be able to fall back on their families in the same way as urban students. Many urban students can live with their parents after their degree while working in their eld, and quickly pay off their debts - this is much harder for rural students, as their community may not have employment opportunities in their eld. This isolation from family members can have emotional and nancial consequences - family members can provide advice, child-care, and a lot more. Thus, even after getting a university degree, rural students can often still be held back by their rural roots.

Page 18 of 21 " By following my intellectual interests in university, instead of trying to streamline myself into a specic, in demand career path, I am effectively barred from both returning home and working in my eld. I did this knowingly, but I still feel some regret about how difcult it is to return to my roots. Because of these sorts of difculties nding employment in rural communities, I think that career planning can be especially helpful for rural students, if they want to return to a rural life. " Second, because not all people who receive post-secondary education nd work in their elds and success in rural communities, students whose parents have received post secondary education need help too. Plenty of educated families struggled in my community as well.

Thoughts On Orientation Week, Fall Reading Week: Make Your Choice

Written by Jeffrey McCarthy, AMS Presidential Candidate
Why Does It Matter?: Which would you prefer, an introduction to the University focused on community, tradition, and student leadership - or another week of unstructured vacation time? A school semester is 12 weeks; the fall term is anchored around Christmas; students who have a summer job dont want to come back to school early, and lose that week of savings for school. The only week left to make room with is Orientation Week. Orientation Week is one of the most memorable undergraduate experiences you have at Queens. It is run by students, for students, and is one of few examples where surplus of students want to get involved, as Orientation Leaders. " Orientation week, like Non-Academic Discipline, is at risk of losing its student-run traditions. Our orientation week is very unique, in that it spans an entire week and is run entirely by students. It is a tradition that has made major leaps in making the effort to be more inclusive (through alternative frosh weeks, through more rigorous and useful leader training, through making it an explicit part of ORT event forms, etc.), more environmentally conscious (metal water bottles for all rst years this year), and more nancially sensible (bringing the concert back to campus, an amazing accomplishment from ORT and the CAC this year). Having sat on ORT, I know that its core leadership group is made up of students who care a great deal about making their respective orientation weeks the best they can possibly be. They are in a trusted position of leadership, and to take that sense of trusted leadership away would only hurt your student undergraduate experience. Room For Improvement: Having been on FYNIRS, I have worked closely with residence life and student affairs this year, to overhaul our programming to be more integrated with residence students. The members of Student Affairs I dealt with welcomed the dialogue and cooperation between us, and together we implemented important changes I knew needed to happen. For instance, for the rst time FYNIRS has a mailing list from the Registrars ofce; Student Affairs sends emails every two months to all FYNIRS, but I have the nal say on what FYNIRS-specic material is included. The administration shouldnt be excluded from the process (committees such as SOARB, the senate body that annually reviews all orientation weeks and makes recommendations for improvement ensure theyre not excluded); ideally, the administration enters into a dialogue with students in the planning phase, and is a resource for the core leadership group. Much like the Non-Academic Discipline situation, RMS is willing to work with ORT and Student Affairs to make improvements to Orientation Week, in response to specic criticisms. We will advocate on your behalf, to be a strong voice in ensuring your interests are protected.

Page 19 of 21

Commentary on Current Initiatives:

Section 1: AMS, Society Side
We stand to inherit a vibrant AMS community with numerous projects already on the go. Rather than only stating how we plan to decisively change course, we offer here a commentary on projects and issues currently in motion. We have broken these issues down by commission, to simplify the process. As mentioned in our platform, we would like to see a brief newsletter with bullet points about current initiatives from each commission. It would be hypocritical of us to not demonstrate what we mean - consider the following as a template: Commission Initiative & Commentary A Resource, Advisor and Advocate for events on campus, the CAC has done a lot of work above and beyond his mandate to help clubs. The CAC was instrumental, with ORT, in moving the concert back to campus; the new budgeting templates with line-by-line accounting were a vital improvement made this year.

Campus Activities Commission (CAC)

Academic Affairs Commission (AAC)

The AAC staged a very successful Provincial election awareness campaign (Its A Big F@#$in Deal), and secured the advance polling stations. Offering Study Space In Wallace Hall during fall exams was commendable, a real solutions students need academically. Support and advocacy for a sustainable campus. New commission, with important new initiatives, and partnerships with Kingston member of Sustainability Kingston. Bike Shop - Setting up in Mac Brown, already allocated start-up costs allocation. Keep an eye out! Youth Mentoring Youth - Wonderful partnership with local schools to offer sustainability education; teaching opps for AMS members. Gender Neutral Washrooms Audit: Keeping in line with the Gender Neutral Bathroom Scans motioned by the current SIC, and the AMS mission statement, we agree it is the right course of action to implement gender neutral washrooms. We want to proactively ensure gender neutral washrooms are available in every future building project, and to retroactively correct current buildings where nancially feasible. The commission has worked hard to work on making assembly more accessible to the average student, via Multimedia use, moving to a different location (policy studies building), streaming live with QTV.

Commission of Environment and Sustainability (CES)

Social Issues Commission (SIC)

Commission of Internal Affairs (CIA)

Page 20 of 21 Commission Initiative & Commentary Very Impressed With Current Initiatives, including SMART Team (cleaning up University District, undercutting local contractors), Campus Housing Map (an informative tool that will help students to nd info they need quickly when looking for housing), and University District Marketing (with the University District Hockey League, both a great competition and a way to rebrand how the community thinks of Aberdeen).

Municipal Affairs Commission (MAC)

Section 2: AMS, Inc., Service Side

Service Initiative & Commentary The P&CC provides printing, copying, and publishing services to the Queen's Community. It has had recent success with wideformat printing, and has also beneted from increased sales in course packs because of it's copyright licenses. The P&CC has expressed an interest in having their space repainted, to better reect their brand. Common Ground Coffeehouse is a vendor of high quality coffee and food at low prices. It operates in two locations, one in second oor of the Queen's Centre, and the other, Common Ground Express, provides a more limited selection for students on the go. Common Ground Express is a great service for students who go to coffee shops specically for coffee and baked goods; having installed some new tables and chairs has improved its atmosphere. The Common Ground Express, specically, could benet from doing a simple student survey of when theyd like to see it open; weve noticed it tends to be closed just when you need it most. Common Grounds composting program, facilitated through the Commission of Environment and Sustainability, is a great addition to this service. This service operates two venues on campus, Queen's Pub and Ale's, both in the JDUC. Queen's Pub provides quick and lowpriced pub food and drinks, and a provides a great atmosphere for students to unwind in. This year, Ale's has seen success at hosting special events, like Last Lecture on Earth Series. QP and Ales are Points 13 and 14 of our platform, respectively. Queen's Student Constables provide peer-supervision and support at various events and venues on campus. They help keep students safe, and make sure that everyone is able to have the best time at student events.

P&CC

Common Ground

The AMS Pub Services (TAPS)

Queens Student Constables

Page 21 of 21 Service Initiative & Commentary Walkhome provides night-time accompaniment to students on their way to destinations South of Concession street, and west of Sir John A MacDonald boulevard. The Charity Walkathons are a fantastic extension of this service into fundraising efforts for important causes. CFRC broadcasts online and at 101.9FM, providing programming related to Queen's and Kingston events, music, debate on issues facing Queen's students and much more. We are impressed with its programming occurring, with Black History Month, International Womens Day and Aboriginal Week. The Queen's Journal provides news and editorials on students issues and issues of general interest. It also provides valuable journalistic experience to staff and volunteers, making up for the lack of a full-blown journalism program at Queen's. It is valued for its editorial autonomy from the AMS. RMS would like to explore how archived issues could be better catalogued, so that older articles are easier to nd. A student run television service on campus, that airs at www.queenstv.ca and on TvCogeco 13. It also provides valuable video-journalism experience, making up for the lack of a full-blown journalism program at Queen's. RMS would like to continue the partnership between the AMS and QTV for broadcasting assembly; also, we would advertise the costs of producing a video for student clubs in our User Manuals (see Platform Point 1). YDS provides high-quality photography and design for the Queen's community, producing the Tricolour Yearbook, the Tricolour Agenda, and the organization of graduate photography. Tricolour Outlets bus service has seen declining sales in years past due to Megabus services running stops through Kingston. It is a service which is a convenient, one-stop location to pick up Queens Gear, Used Books or Tickets Home. RMS would love to see more trips to NHL games.

Walkhome

CFRC

Queens Journal

Queen's TV

Yearbook Design Services (YDS)

Tricolour Outlet