SFSS, This is Your Life

As the euphoria of the new year comes and goes it is time again to return to the grind of day to day living. Nowhere is this grind more taxing than for those dedicated servants of the student body, the Simon Fraser Student Society. But before the SFSS embarks on another landmark year of efficiency and overall student service, let's take a look back at SFSS 1995 and the highlights of what was accomplished during the past year.

In May, Forum raised fees $2.25 per semester per full-time student in order to cover a fee increase from the Canadian Federation of Students that took effect about three years ago.

Early June saw Forum invite an independent accounting team from Ernst & Young to evaluate the SFSS' accounting methods and bookkeeping. The report, which called for sweeping changes to how SFSS accounting affairs were handled, and outlined gross inefficiencies and deficiencies in the $2 million per year operating budget of the SFSS, has yet to be acted upon. Although suggestions were many from Ernst & Young, the report has not had any real effect on how Forum is being run.

In perhaps the highlight of the summer semester, Forum showed it could get things done by successfully passing a motion to produce a coffee mug with the new SFSS logo. Way to go, that's what student fees are for.

Contrary to every piece of pre-election rhetoric, SFSS external relations officer Joey Hansen delayed the implementation of the student-approved health care plan. The plan was to be implemented by September, but was put off until January because of Hansen's concerns over finding a suitable broker to underwrite the plan. There were to be delays and complications for SFU's health plan for the remainder of the year.

The plan is still on-line despite these delays, and is to be finally implemented May 1st. Students will automatically be billed for $35 for the summer semester, according to Hansen, and then $105 per semester in September for the entire year. Students can opt out of the plan if they have other health care.

At the same time as the health care debacle, Lee-Anne Clarke made headlines with her comments about SFSS sponsorship of the Shrum bowl buses, and sporting events in general (see inset).

July saw Frank Karabotsos trying to implement a motion to eliminate part-time student fee status. The plan would make all students, regardless of credit hours taken, pay the full student activity fee and would almost double the $67,424 that the fees raise every semester. The altruistic plan failed (see inset).

After the summer hiatus, Forum members decided to begin steps to hold a referendum on SFSS membership in CFS. The move was sparked by problems with the CFS' handling of SFU's health care plan broker, and an apparent conflict of interest between the plan's organizer, Joey Hansen, and the CFS. Hansen held positions both on the SFSS and on the CFS. Although not a concern of most students, the SFSS dissatisfaction with the CFS grew as they were blamed for the problems of the health plan. Adding to the push to leave the CFS was the creation of a new student organization, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. This new option has made the move possible for SFU out of the CFS and into CASA more likely than ever. How the implementation of the CFS-backed health care plan in May affects the proposed referendum is anyone's guess. It is also anyone's guess whether or not the plan will actually be implemented by May, if the past is any indication. In their final act of 1995, Forum voted to decide to consider one of the many options to increase efficiency after the $25,000 Ernst & Young accounting report was tabled. Good work.

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