GRADUATE

STUDENT SOCIETY
UBC-VANCOUVER

The Student Societies Act
BC's student societies are funded primarily through membership fees. They are govemed
by, and accountable to, those members. However, because public bodies (universities and
colleges) determine those societies' membership and collect fees on their behalf, the
Society Act considers students societies to be publicly funded. This discrepancy between
the way student societies conduct themselves and the way in which the law views them especially on matters as fundamental as the administration of membership and funding places them in a class of their own.
As a point of perspective, the BC Law Institute has repeatedly expressed in its
submissions on Society Act reform that the issues presented by Occupational Title
societies are unique enough to merit their own statute. We feel that student societies are
likewise unique enough to merit a separate statute governing their composition and
activities. This solution would more effectively address persistent issues facing student
societies for which provisions of the Society Act may be insufficient.
We thank you for the oPPOliunity to provide comment and for the Ministry's ongoing
efforts to renew the Society Act. We hope that you will thoroughly consider our
comments and recommendations. Please feel free to get in contact with the us should you
seek any more infonnation.
Col urn Connolly

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President, Graduate Student Society of UBC Vancouver

Thea Koerner House Graduate Student Centre
225-6371 Crescent Road Vancouver BC V6T lZ2
Tel: 604-822-3203 Fax: 604-822-6858
www.gss.ubc.ca

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