Committees and Working Groups
AGSEM has a number of permanent Committees, including the Audit, Equity & Diversity, External Affairs, Mobilization, and Mutual Aid Fund Committees. Members of the Mobilization Committee also participate in a number of Working Groups within the union, including the Mental Health, Queer, International Students, Graduate Funding, and Climate Crisis Working Groups.
The General Assembly and Delegates' Council may also establish Union Committees and Working Groups. As of May 2020, AGSEM members who serve on a Committee are compensated by hour at the current TA rate.
Committees are typically filled at a Spring General Assembly, but AGSEM members may be appointed to Committees with open membership, such as the Mobilization Committee and External Affairs Committee, at any time. If you would like to join a committee, you can contact us, or run from the floor at a General Assembly.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is a permanent committee of AGSEM formed by three elected members in good standing. The committee inspects the union's accounts and alerts the Delegates' Council of any discrepancies or concerns.
Current members of the Audit Committee are:
Equity & Diversity Committee
The Equity & Diversity Committee is a permanent committee of AGSEM formed of three elected members in good standing. The committee receives internal union complaints related to violations of AGSEM's Equity Policy and ensures all AGSEM Executives and Committees integrate, demonstrate, and communicate their commitment to the AGSEM Equity Policy. The committee may also work on projects for the union related to equity and/or diversity.
Current members of the Equity & Diversity Committee are:
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Mary Kathleen (MK) Hickox
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Aiden Mehak
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Jennifer Suliteanu
Mutual Aid Fund Committee
The AGSEM Mutual Aid Fund was established to provide financial aid to members of AGSEM as well as members of the wider McGill or academic community.
A permanent Mutual Aid Fund Committee manages the Fund autonomously and reports to the AGSEM Delegates’ Council. Members include the Secretary-Treasurer (ex officio), the Mobilization Chief Delegate, a member of the Equity & Diversity Committee, and two Members-at-Large.
Current members of the Mutual Aid Fund Committee are:
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Matei Petrescu (Secretary-Treasurer, ex officio)
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Harry Ainscough
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Jackson Chen (E&D Committee)
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Jerin Varughese
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Emma McKay (Mobilization Chief Delegate)
External Affairs Committee
The External Affairs Committee is a permanent committee of AGSEM formed by elected or appointed members in good standing. The committee has an unfixed number of members. The committee promotes inter-union solidarity at McGill, with our affiliates, and with other associations that share the Union’s objectives.
The committee participates in the following meetings and groups:
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Federation of University Student Unions (FUSE)
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McGill Communities Council
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McGill Health and Safety Committee
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Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ)
Mobilization Committee
The Mobilization Committee is a permanent committee of AGSEM chaired by the Mobilization Chief Delegate and is composed of elected or appointed members in good standing. The committee has an unfixed number of members. The committee works on campaigns and organizing events, as mandated by the General Assembly or Delegates’ Council.
Current members of the committee include:
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Kiersten van Vliet (Mobilization Officer)
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Marta Beszterda (External Communications Officer)
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Aire McCall (Macdonald Campus Officer)
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Emma McKay (Mobilization Chief Delegate)
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Mario Roy (President)
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Juliette Regimbal
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Jugal Patel
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Benjamin Sauvé
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Sneha Senthil
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Kim Gruver
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Nicholas Viera
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Nada El Baba
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Cal Koger-Pease
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Jackson Chen
Working Groups
AGSEM’s Working Groups are flexible committees that are associated with the Mobilization Committee.
Currently, we have the following Working Groups:
Graduate Funding and Cost-of-Living Working Group
A group that discusses issues of graduate funding at McGill, how graduate funding packages intersect with Teaching Assistant employment, and the current cost-of-living crisis affecting student workers. Ideally also collaborates with the McGill Post Graduate Students' Society (PGSS) Funding Working Group on issues of mutual interest.
Climate Crisis Working Group
A group of AGSEM members interested in advocating for more climate awareness in our community and union policies.
Queer Working Group
A comfortable, casual, and ✨queer ✨ (as opposed to merely gay) working group. Here to hinder queer suffering, and make queer joy more accessible in our workplace and our union.
The following Working Groups are currently inactive:
International Students Working Group
Meets to discuss issues affecting international students and international student employees. Aims to inform AGSEM members about their rights and hold events that will help international students navigate their time at McGill and in Canada.
University Affairs Working Group
Collaborates with other members of the McGill community on policy revisions and other initiatives. It also advocates for an increased student and student employee presence within the university's structures of governance.
Mental Health Working Group
An inter-union and inter-association group that meets to discuss McGill’s services and policies related to mental health care. Aims to advocate for better mental health support for McGill students and student employees.
If you would like to participate in an existing Working Group or have a project you want to work on in your union, please reach out to us at mail@agsem-aeedem.ca.