Advocacy Advice: Complaints

There’s a whole host of things that people come to the Student Rights Centre for. Some of them have specific processes, and are attached to particular outcomes (grade appeals, re-entry to a professional program, etc), but there’s one that’s always a little more free-form, and that’s complaints.

KPU has a complaint policy, but it doesn’t really tell you very much other than that you have the right to complain about things, and to go up the chain of command if you’re still unsatisfied. The most important thing you’ll learn from it is that if you go straight to the president of the university, you’ll likely get a response sending you back to the supervisor of whoever you’re complaining about.

There are a bunch of things that can help you decide whether to write a complaint or use some other procedure, how to write an effective complaint, and to make sense of what’s going on after you send it in.

WHAT'S A COMPLAINT

There’s a deceptively tricky answer to this question, sometimes. Most of the time, a complaint is the thing to do if someone who works for KPU has treated you disrespectfully, seriously wronged you in some way, or done their job poorly. A complaint is a written explanation of what someone did that was wrong, which you send to their superior at the university.

For faculty, this is usually the dean of their faculty, for other departments it’ll vary. You might be asked to come in and talk to the person receiving the complaint to go over the details. They might also bring someone from KPU HR. We can also come with you for support - this usually involves taking notes, coaching, debriefing, and talking about your next steps.

The tricky stuff starts when you look at the exceptions. If you feel like you’ve been wronged by unfairly marking an assignment, or another kind of academic decision, you’re looking for a grade appeal, not a complaint (a future blog post on this soon). If you just don’t like someone or their style, that isn’t worth writing up as a formal complaint, but we can help you to find ways to mediate or to work through a rough relationship.

FACULTY ASSESSMENTS

Folks, I hate to be the one to say it, but RateMyProfessor ain’t that good. You never really know if you’re seeing bitter low ratings from bad students, or creepy high ratings from horny students, or what. Personally, the one time I personally found RMP really useful in picking a class, I was choosing between a few English classes and took the one whose negative reviews were all spelled wrong - Al Valleau was great, and I learned a lot about close reading and grammar on the side. And frankly, if your goal is to take only “easy” instructors, I’m not sure if you’re taking advantage of your time in university.

There’s a bunch of reasons why KPU does faculty assessments, and you should take advantage of those to give the most complete feedback you can. Thoughtful and detailed feedback should help KPU keep things on track. It’s also helpful to tell us or your elected KSA representative if there’s long-term problems that don’t get fixed even though there’s been feedback over time, so we can work on it.

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS

Faculty and most other staff at KPU are represented by labour unions, who have negotiated collective agreements that cover the terms of their employment. The details there may lead to some particular quirks in how a complaint gets handled once the university has it, but it probably shouldn’t affect you too much. Sometimes, the person you’re complaining to will hint that something you’re asking for is impossible because of a collective agreement. Sometimes they’ll just say that as a cop-out, though, so keep on your toes. People should explain in more detail what’s going on. And just because someone brings up a collective agreement doesn’t mean you still can’t lodge the complaint, come talk to us if this happens.

PRIVACY

Complaints are a tricky place for everyone’s privacy rights. On the one hand, students are often hesitant to come forward and attach a particular beef to their own names. Especially in small programs, there’s a reasonable fear that other students and instructors will find out what you’ve said, and no one wants their problems to be the subject of gossip. On the other side, there could be all kinds of things going on for an individual instructor that students don’t need to know about - maybe they’re disorganized in class because they’re getting divorced or a family member just died. Who knows? You also don’t have a right to know the details of what KPU has done HR-wise about a complaint.

It’s in everyone’s best interest to respect each other’s privacy as much as possible, but I think you still have a right to know a few important things about your complaint. For instance, does the person you are complaining to believe you or not? Is what you’ve said happened a problem or not, even if they don’t believe it did happen? Those are important parts of proving that your complaint has been taken seriously. Whether someone believes you is actually information more about you and your complaint than about the KPU employee you’re complaining about, and whether it’s considered okay or problematic is information about KPU itself and what kind of experience it wants to provide.

COMPLAINTS

A lot of the time, you’ll be asked what outcome you would like out of your complaint. This is something to think about. Most of the time, in my experience, what people want is to either undo something that was done to them or to be assured that it won’t happen again. Unfortunately, a lot of the time the damage can’t be undone, and KPU hates to give people their money back. It can take some time to process what’s happened, or to try to resolve things informally, and that time can also make it harder to fix things afterwards. I strongly encourage anyone who’s thinking of writing a complaint, or pursuing something informally, to talk to us and/or a KPU counselor sooner rather than later. Even if you just talk it out and go over your specific situation and options, that can help you to handle a difficult solution before it gets worse.

-- John (KSA Advocacy Coordinator)

Information on the KSA's Student Rights Centre, and contact details for our Advocacy Coordinator, John, can be found at http://www.kusa.ca/studentrights/. 

Saving $$ With The KSA

As your student association, we live to support Kwantlen students and make their lives easier in as many ways as possible. One of the ways we try to make your lives easier, is to help save you money. 

Here is a list of some ways we help you to save $$$

1) FREE COMPUTER REPAIR

If you haven't already heard about REBOOT, you'll be super happy with yourself for reading this blog post. REBOOT is our free computer repair service located on the Richmond and Surrey Campuses. That's right, we'll fix your computer for free. Your computer is likely a super important device for you, not only do you use it to scroll Facebook, but you write your essays, email profs and submit assignments on it as well. So if it's running super slow, or has a glitch, bring it in to our REBOOT Technicians, they'll help you out. The one exception in cost, is parts, you'll have to pay for any new parts that your computer may need, but the labour, software issues, etc, those are all free! 

2) INEXPENSIVE GYM PASSES

While the KPU Gym and Fitness Centres are free for students, we understand that it's not always convenient to work out on campus, many KPU students live across the Lower Mainland. Our solution? Inexpensive Steve Nash Passes. We have a partnership with Steve Nash Gyms to get students monthly fitness passes for as low as $5 per month (Steve Nash locations that have more amenities than normal are a few dollars more, but all options are significantly cheaper than buying a normal pass). We figure that while it may not be easy for you to make it to a KPU Fitness Centre, there likely IS a Steve Nash Gym near where you live or work. More information on discounted Steve Nash passes here. 

3) ACTIVE KSA ADVENTURES

We live in a beautiful corner of the world with hiking, biking and so many other outdoor activities at our fingertips and we think it's hugely beneficial for students to have the opportunity to adventure in a safe and cost-friendly environment. Our Active KSA department hosts a variety of different adventure outings based on the season. In the Summer you can join guided hikes of all levels for free, or get the shuttle from KPU to Cultus Waterslides. Winter weather brings a whole other group of activities from $30 snow tubing adventures (including transportation there and back from a KPU campus), to rock climbing and ice skating. Active KSA is a great option for any student who wants to go on an adventure but doesn't want to go alone, doesn't want to do the planning or wants to save money! Check out upcoming Active KSA events here.

4) FREE FOOD

Have you ever been to one of our events on campus? If you have, I'm willing to bet you've eaten some free pizza, burgers, samosas, or corn. We love food and we know you do as well, so check out when we're coming to your campus and have a free snack/lunch/coffee on us! 

5) MOVIE TICKETS

All our KSA Member Services locations sell discounted movie passes to Cineplex Theatres. That means you can stop by after class, buy a $9 movie ticket from us and redeem it once you're at the theatre. Save those extra dollars for some popcorn or skittles. Bonus: during the Summer, we also sell discounted tickets to Playland! 

6) FREE SWAG

Sporks, Bike repair kits, stress balls, coffee mugs, drawstring bags, agendas... those are just a few of the many swag items we've given away during the KSA's lifetime. Similar to free food, most of our events have free swag you can pick up, or at the very least we usually have some kind of giveaway you can enter by participating at our booth. Interested in more practical things? KSA Member Services are always stocked with free condoms and feminine menstrual products that you can grab in a pinch. 

7) UPASS 

Oh our beloved UPASS. Most people love it, a few people (usually drivers) aren't the biggest fans, but no one can doubt it saves you money! A regular 1 month 3 zone Adult pass is $172, but as KPU Students under the UPASS you pay a whopping (this is sarcasm, it's a very discounted price) $51. Also if you have a car and use the UPASS instead, you don't have to pay for parking at campus and downtown. There is no denying it, the UPASS is super convenient and it's saving you money. 

8) CAFÉ DISCOUNTS

The last thing I want to make sure you know about, is the student discount at KSA GrassRoots Café. Did you know that as a KPU student you receive a 5% discount on all non-alcoholic purchases at the cafe? Want some nachos? Discount. Coffee? Discount. Tater Tots? Discount. You may not think it's much, but it IS saving you money, and every little bit counts when textbook prices are threatening to drain your wallet, am I right?

So there are 8 ways that the KSA helps you save money. From movie tickets to free swag to inexpensive gym passes, we really do aim to support services that make things easier for you, Kwantlen Students. Want to know more about our services and other ways we help you save $$? I recommend you head here.. 

Until next time!

Kendell 

Waste Audit Part 1

So what can I do?

Arguably, climate change, oceans full of plastic and the continued use of fossil fuels aren’t things that each of us individually can solve.  That said, we don’t have to just ‘continue as is’ powerlessly waiting for others to make changes. Everyday we can take actions that help the planet but also help our bodies and minds in a lot of ways.

Modern culture, through media, marketing and social norms, tells us to shop, accumulate and get more in order to be happy, successful and so on.  What many people are finding out is this routine of more, more, more isn’t making us happy, healthy or satisfied.  In turn, more people are turning to living lighter - purchasing less, looking for durable, reusable items when they do need new things and reducing the amount of waste they create.

This idea of living lighter doesn’t happen overnight, there is no perfect solution, and what works for you and your family may not work for others, but many people have noticed they feel better, spend less money and generate less waste.

KPU Students performing a waste audit, 2015.  

So you ask, how can you start? My first recommended step is to do a waste audit. Look honestly, at the amount of waste generated by your household and then take steps to reduce that waste. You’ll probably quickly realize that nearly half of your waste is compostable, another quarter is recyclable and the rest is bound for the landfill.  The average north American generates four pounds of garbage a day – at the end of this you’ll get to find out how you compare – don’t worry there’s no shame this is all about learning.

Doing a waste audit isn’t difficult though it does take some preparation and organization. Essentially, you're going to gather all your waste from the kitchen, bathrooms, offices and such for a few days, and measure it by weighing or counting and then calculating how much you generate per person or per day for your household. Once you know what your waste is, investigate where its coming from and what you can do to reduce it. Don’t forget to get your roommates, partners and family involved because they’re responsible for that waste too and they will probably be mores supportive if they’re included too!  

For more details on conducting your own audit try one of these great blogs:

Food Waste - https://zerowastechef.com/2017/11/02/kitchen-science-for-kids-food-waste-audit/

Home Audit - http://www.jenandjoeygogreen.com/2012/10/homewasteaudit.html#

From your audit, you’ll probably find some changes you could make right away - sorting your recycling properly or using a reusable coffee cup. One of the best things you can do is make sure that what you’re currently recycling in your municipal or building recycling bins is actually what’s meant to go in those bins - look up your municipal website or talk to your building manager and make sure you stick to what’s allowed. Wishcycling (hoping it can be recycled), actually reduces the ability of that whole bin to be recycled.  Other changes might require more research and planning - any change to reduce waste is positive and it won’t all happen overnight. If you want to follow along,  Next month, we’ll explore doing a waste audit with some of our KSA staffers who undertook this project in December so you can compare your results to some locals doing the same thing!  We’ll also delve into some great resources for starting your journey looking at the waste you generate but if you’re curious right now - just hit up Google, Instagram or Pintrest and search zero waste.

By looking at ways to reduce your waste you’re joining a growing movement of people striving to live zero waste, reduce their plastic use, take better care of their bodies or just create a personal challenge for themselves.

If your curious about why reducing garbage and waste is important try some of these resources:

https://plasticmanners.wordpress.com/

http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/

-- Mairi (KSA Sustainability Coordinator) 

Waste Audit Part 2 coming soon... 

10 Things That Are Unique & Cool About BC

10 Things that are unique and cool about BC

BC is a pretty awesome province, we have a beautiful coastline, some very majestic mountains, and this one place where you can get all you can eat poutine. We also have a bunch of fairly interesting things that make this province different, so today we are bringing you a list of 10 of the things that are unique about BC. Enjoy!

1) According to one report BC is the healthiest province in Canada, with a life expectancy of 82.2 years. We have low rates of obesity, drinking, and smoking, and the highest percentage of people who do physical activity in their leisure time. I think that means everyone has to stop making fun of our yoga pants now.

2) BC has had some weird laws. Between 1947 and 1986 you were not allowed to sell stoves within Vancouver city limits on a Wednesday. To be clear, you could sell stoves anywhere you wanted the other six days of the week, and outside city limits anarchy reigned and you could sell a stove on any day of the week.

3) BC has the longest running movie theatre in all of Canada. Powell River’s Patricia Theatre opened in 1913, and has been showing films ever since. It makes sense that film is important here, BC is second only to LA in TV production, so British Columbians are more likely than most to recognize that one place that was in a scene in that show that one time… you know the one.

4) BC is responsible for Botox. The cosmetic treatment involving injections that alter the shape of your face or lips was invented in Vancouver in the year 2000.

5) We are the only province in Canada without needs-based grants for students. In every other Province the provincial government looks at your household income and gives low and middle income students a portion of student loans as a non-repayable grant. We are currently working with other universities on the Grants Now campaign to get a comprehensive system of needs-based grants in BC, and catch up with the rest of the country. If this is the kind of thing you think is important, email campaigns@kusa.ca to find out how to get involved in the campaigns we run.

6) We are the home of the man with the longest beard. The Guiness world record holder is named Sarwan Singh, and he and his 2.33 meter long beard live in Surrey. For reference, Shaquille O'Neal is only 2.2 meters tall.

7) We basically invented speed-writing here (speed writing, it turns out, is a thing). The now international, 3-day novel contest in which writers attempt to complete a novel in 72 hours started in Vancouver in 1977. It started in a bar, so I am gonna go out on a limb and say someone made an overly optimistic wager about their writing skills one night after having a few too many local brews. But it continues to this day. You can find out all about how to sign up here.  

8) BC has been a leading adopter of Open Educational Resources, which are basically freely accessible textbooks, which you can usually find online. BC has the only program where you can get a whole degree without paying for a single textbook! It’s called the Zed Cred program, and was launched right here at KPU.

9) Oak Bay has some very specific laws about pets. Pet parrots must be confined to your property. If your Parrot is found trespassing, they can be impounded by the city, which will cost you $6 a day. You will also be fined if you fail to keep your bees away from your neighbours pond. I am sensing that that last one is the result of a specific incident involving an angry pond owner, but I could be wrong, this might be a common problem in Oak Bay.

10) Last but not least, you might expect California rolls, named after an American state and now a staple in every sushi restaurant, to come from California, but we get to take credit for that one to! California rolls were invented in BC, and kicked off the trend of turning rolls inside out to hide the seaweed from North Americans who weren’t used to eating it yet.

Club of the Month: Sustainable Agriculture Student Association

Every month we (try to, yes sometimes it just doesn’t end up happening, we’re sorry, please forgive us) feature a KSA club and highlight the fun/cool things that make their club different from the others. It’s a chance to get a little inside information, and see what events and meetings they have coming up.

Our January Club of the Month is the Sustainable Agriculture Student Association!



SASA (Sustainable Agriculture Student Association) is a unique club that caters directly to the students within the Sustainable Agriculture Program. We get together and discuss the program itself, swap textbooks when we can, and search for funding to send students to conferences that are relevant to our program. It isn’t just organizational tool for the Agricultural student body, but also a meeting for point for all the different years to get together and swap ideas, give advice for the program, for minors, for electives, and for course planning, we use it as a tool for our senior students to pass on their wisdom to the new crop of students.



SASA started because students wanted an organization that got all Ag students from all the years together, to have our own Ag specific events, and an organization that connected us all to KPU/KSA, but also to each other. The ability for SASA to fundraise to send students to program relevant conferences is also much greater than what each individual student could achieve, and the conferences that we have been able to send students to has been invaluable. Not only for greater learning in Agriculture, but also for networking, and future research and job opportunities.



SASA is still a pretty green. We haven’t established any major traditions, and events from year to year are always changing. The program itself is still new and evolving, and SASA is always evolving with it. This past year for example, there was extra produce that we usually sell at our farmers market, but due to a location change, there was even more surplus than normal. This led to the opportunity for SASA to sell the produce to their students on campus using a trolley that we took classroom to classroom. One theme, however, which SASA has always been pushing for, is for SODEXO to incorporate more of the student grown produce from our program into their menu. What better way to get the entire student body involved in the Sustainable Agriculture program, than by supporting their fellow students by eating locally student grown fruits and vegetables!

Our first meeting of 2018 is going to be on January 17. This meeting will be held to introduce our new all female executive consisting of President Piper Kenney, Vice-President Lindsay Dodds, Secretary Angeli Dela Rosa, and Treasurer Hazel Chan. We will also be discussing how many students we can send to the next COABC conference (Certified Organic Association of British Columbia) which will be held in Abbotsford in February where our own Kent Mullinix (Director of the Institute of Sustainable Food Systems) is one of the Key note speakers this year. This year their theme is Bioregionalism; resilience in a changing climate.