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University of Manitoba Students' Union

Coordinates: 49°48′34″N 97°08′04″W / 49.80944°N 97.13444°W / 49.80944; -97.13444
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University of Manitoba Students' Union
InstitutionUniversity of Manitoba
LocationWinnipeg, Manitoba
Established1919
PresidentDivya Sharma
Vice presidents
  • Carolyn Wang (Finance)
  • Prabhnoor Singh (External)
  • Rachhvir Dhaliwal (University)
  • Bolu Akindele (Student Life)
Members27,000+
AffiliationsCASA
ColoursBright Cerulean
Campus businesses
  • VW's Social Club
  • IQ's
  • Degree's
  • G.P.A.'s
  • UMSU Service Centre
  • UMCycle
Websitewww.umsu.ca

The University of Manitoba Students' Union (UMSU) is the university-wide representative body for undergraduate students at the University of Manitoba, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[1][2] UMSU was established in 1919, replacing the former University of Manitoba Students' Association founded in 1914.

Its head office is located in UMSU University Centre, a large, Modernist architecture building designed by Canadian architect Isadore (Issie) Coop at UM's Fort Garry Campus that serves as the university's activity hub.

UMSU is funded by mandatory student organization fees, included in tuition fees; upon paying their fees, students become full members of the Students' Union.[2] For the 2020-2021 school year, the mandatory UMSU fee was $136.90 per term, $69.61 of which goes to UMSU itself.[3] The executive and community representatives of the Union are elected during the UMSU General Election.[1]

Businesses and services

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The UMSU operates 7 student businesses on campus, all at the University Centre. These businesses include:[4]

  • Degree's — a restaurant
  • G.P.A.'s Campus Convenience — a convenience store
  • VW's Social Club — the campus bar
  • IQ’s Cafe & Billiards — a pool hall and coffee shop
  • UMCycle — a full-service bike shop
  • UMSU Service Centre — an information kiosk that provides information on university-related matters such as registrations, exams, and transit routes/maps, as well as UPass information, poster approvals for University Centre, and a lost-and-found service. It also sells bus passes, other Winnipeg Transit products, and event/social tickets. The Service Centre has replaced the much smaller Answers information booth.

UMSU also operates a number of non-business operations, such as the Gallery of Student Art, which displays art installations created by students; the Grocery Run, which supplies students living in residence with an opportunity to purchase groceries from the local grocery store; and a Food Bank for students.

It also administers a number of scholarships and bursaries, travel grants, as well as providing funding for the student radio station, CJUM-FM (more popularly known as UMFM), and the student newspaper, The Manitoban.[3]

In 2018, UMSU partnered with Nimbus Learning to provide students with a peer tutoring program.[5]

Governance

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UMSU has a 5-person elected executive, which includes a president and four vice presidents. In 2016, the reported salary for an executive was $37,700 per executive, including benefits.[6] The President is responsible for the overall operation of UMSU and serves as the official spokesperson. The President also serves on the University Senate and Board of Governors.[7] The four Vice-Presidents are each responsible for a different portfolio:[7]

  • Finance and Operations — the Vice President, Finance and Operations (VPFO) for students, including U-Pass, Health and Dental, and Legal services. They also manage UMSU businesses and finances alongside the general manager.
  • External Affairs — the Vice President, External Affairs (VPEA) works to build relationships and negotiate with provincial and municipal governments to ensure post-secondary students are consulted on all academic decisions.
  • University Affairs - the Vice President, University Affairs (VPUA) oversees internal university-related affairs and serves as a liaison between UM administration and departments. They advocate for the Union’s interests to the Board of Governors, the Senate, and other university committees.
  • Student Life — the Vice President, Student Life (VPSL) oversees over 100 UMSU Clubs and 28 Faculty Associations on campus. As the primary liaison between UMSU and its community representatives, they ensure that UMSU consults with and supports marginalized communities on campus.

UMSU Board of Directors is the highest authority in the organization, and is made up of student representatives from each of the University's faculties, schools, student residences, the Inner-City Campus, and five positions for community representatives.[1] Each faculty, school or residence has at least one representative, with some having up to four, depending on student population. The five community representatives represent the following marginalized communities of the student body: women-identifying students, international students, students living with disabilities, LGBTQ students, and Indigenous students.[8]

The executive and community representatives are elected during the UMSU General Election.[1] UMSU is also member of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations[9] and the Manitoba Alliance of Post-Secondary Students (MAPSS).[10]

There are also various committees that deal with UMSU's governing policies and procedures, including specific areas, such as governance, finance, member services, UPass (a subsidized student bus pass), and the health & dental insurance plan. These committees are composed of a combination of UMSU executives, UMSU Board members, and students-at-large.[1]

UMSU Executives are invited to serve on the Board of Governors and the Senate of the University of Manitoba each year. In the event of openings on committees and task forces, student representation fulfilled or delegated by the UMSU Executive. In 2020, UMSU President Jelynn Dela Cruz served on the University of Manitoba COVID-19 Response Steering Committee.[11] In the previous year, Dela Cruz served on the Presidents' Task Force for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.[12]

UMSU is funded by mandatory student organization fees, included in tuition fees; upon paying their fees, students become full members of the Students' Union.[2] For the 2024-2025 school year, the mandatory UMSU fee was $136.90 per term, $69.61 of which goes to UMSU itself.[3][6]

University of Manitoba Students' Union Act

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The University of Manitoba Students' Union Act
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
CitationR.S.M. 1990, c. 203
Enacted byParliament of Manitoba
Commenced14 November 1990
Amended by
S.M. 2018, c. 24
Status: Amended

The University of Manitoba Students' Union Act is the Manitoban law that defines the University of Manitoba Students' Union,[1] making UMSU the only student government in Canada with its own specific law.

The Act commenced in November 1990, and was amended in 2018.[13]

Past presidents

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Lynn A. K. Watt served as president of the UMSU in 1947.
Period President[14]
1914 George H. Lee
1915 Rod K. Finlayson
1916 W. T. Straith
1917 U. D. Clark
1918 Eileen Bulman
1919 Alexander Addison “Mac” McCoubrey (1885–1942)
1920 George H. Lee
1921 Henry Bruce Chown (1893–1986)
1922 C. Dick
1923 D. Black
1924 E. C. Corrigan
1925 F. W. Bamford
1926 Harry Moss
1927 T. E. Holland
1928 J. N. Crawford
1929 L. Adamson
1930 Charles Hutchinson A’Court Walton (1906–81)
1931 William Lewis Morton (1908–80)
1932 John S. Anderson
1933 W. M. Bendickson
1934 Hector J. Craig
1935 W. Donald Ross
1936 J. M. Robinson
1937 W. R. O. Turner
1938 William T. Cave
1939 Roderick “Rod” Hunter (1915–2001)
1940 George Richard “Dick” Hunter (1917–95)
1941 John H. Halin
1942 Fred Tallman
1943 A. C. Hamilton
1944 Monte R. Halparin, aka Monty Hall (1921–2017)
1945 David S. Robertson
1946 Lynn A. K. Watt
1947 Peyton Vaughan Lyon (1921–2011)
1948 Fred R. Bicken
1949 William A. Appleby
1950 Arthur Valentine Mauro
1951 William “Bill” Norrie (1929–2012)
1952 Conrad Leslie Wyrzykowski (1929–2020)
1953 Richard Bocking
1954 Scott Wright
1955 Miles H. Pepper (1930–2007)
1956 Julius M. Koteles
1957 Charles Anderson
1958 Biran Knapheis
1959 James E. Foran (1937–2014)
1960 Roy MacKenzie

Linly G. Abdulah

1961 William Franklin Wymark “Bill” Neville
1962 Marshall Rothstein
1963 Bruce Doern
1964 Richard Good
1965 Winston Dookeran
1966 David McNichol Sanders (1947–2016)
1967 Chris Westdal
1968 Horace Paterson
1969 Alan L. Bodie
1970 Israel Lyon
1971 Roy Hamm
1972 Bill Balan
1973 John Draper Perrin III
1974 Robert M. Setters
1975 Victoria E. Lehman
1976 James F. Snidal
1977 Roger E. Nelson

Caroline M. Dabrus

1978 Steven J. Ashton
1979 Debra Slade
1980 James Egan
1981 Timothy Rigby
1982 Eric Tatarchuk
1983 Michael Young
1984 Carol Manson
1985 Jeffrey Kushner
1986 Mark Rogers
1987 Kevin Janzen
1988 Robert A. M. Cielen
1989 Karen Taraska
1990 Adam DiCarlo
1991/92 Paul Kemp
1993 Cory Pollock
1994 Blessing Rugara
1995 David Gratzer
1996 Trevor Lines
1997 Katherine Kowalchuk
1998 Christopher Kozier
1999/2000 Steven Fletcher
2012/13 Blan Arte
2014/15 Al Turnbull
2015/16 Jeremiah Kopp
2016/2017 Tanjit Nagra
2018/2019 Jakob Sanderson
2020/2021 Jelynn Dela Cruz
2021/2022 Brendan Scott
2022/2023 Jaron Rykiss
2023/2024 Tracy Karuhogo
2024/2025 Divya Sharma

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "GOVERNING DOCUMENTS | About." UMSU. Retrieved 2021 May 6.
  2. ^ a b c "University of Manitoba Students' Union : Archives & Special Collections : Libraries : University of Manitoba".
  3. ^ a b c "Finances". UMSU. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  4. ^ "UMSU Businesses - Degrees Restaurant, The Hub, IQs, GPAs, UMCycle, ." UMSU. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  5. ^ Jones, Emma (2020-04-28). "Partner with Nimbus: UMSU | Nimbus Learning". Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  6. ^ a b "Student union salaries across Canada". The Ubyssey. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  7. ^ a b "Executives". UMSU. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  8. ^ Fern, Spencer (2012-11-08). "An argument against a racialized representative for U. Manitoba". Macleans.ca. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  9. ^ "Members". Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  10. ^ "About – MAPSS". Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  11. ^ "COVID-19 Response Steering Committee" (PDF).
  12. ^ "EDI Task Force Membership List" (PDF).
  13. ^ "R.S.M. 1990, c. 203".
  14. ^ "Manitoba Organization: University of Manitoba Students' Union". www.mhs.mb.ca. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
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49°48′34″N 97°08′04″W / 49.80944°N 97.13444°W / 49.80944; -97.13444