The Brandon University Student's Union (BUSU), Local 37 of the Canadian Federation of Students, was incorporated in 1969 as the students' organization of Brandon University. Its predecessor was the Brandon College Students' Association, which was established in 1899. BUSU is a not-for-profit society that serves to represent the students of Brandon University; all regular full and part-time students at Brandon University are members of the Students’ Union.
BUSU has several broad functions: they are a service provider that offers programs and support services to students throughout the year; they act as lobbyists on behalf of the student body at the local, provincial and federal levels, working with the other member locals of the Canadian Federation of Students, Canada’s national and provincial student movement; they represent the student body within the important, decision-making bodies at BU, such as the Board of Governors and Senate; and they provide funding for student clubs and organizations. BUSU is bound legally to the Brandon University Sudents' Union Constitution and Bylaws and the Universities Act of Manitoba.
BUSU draws on collected student fees to operate. Its administrative structure consists of a board of directors consisting of 11 voting members. Students elect representatives to relay their issues and concerns to the University community, the community at large, and all levels of government. A democratically elected council, made up of members from various constituencies on campus, oversees the work of the Students’ Union. The council includes four executive officers (the President and three Vice Presidents – Academic, Finance, and Student Activities), numerous commissioners, and one liaison. The work of the Students’ Union is also powered by the efforts and dedication of countless campus and community volunteers and staff. BUSU also has a voting student representative on the Board of Governors and Senate.
BUSU holds annual and semi-annual general meetings, full council meetings, and council committee meetings throughout the year. All meetings are broadly advertised to the membership and are open to students. As BUSU members, students have full speaking rights at any meeting of the Union, as well as voting rights at general meetings.
Custodial History
The records in accession 25-2003 were stored by the Brandon University Students' Union until they were donated to the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Series consists of records of Executive meetings, correspondence and financial records of the Brandon University Students' Union, as well as club records and copies of "The Sickle," "The Quill," and Student Handbooks. It has been divided into five sub-series, including: (1) BUSU Executive and Council; (3) Correspondence; (4) Clubs; and (5) Publications.
Notes
BUSU is a separately incorporated organization from Brandon University's Board of Governors, but for administrative purposes it has been incorporated int RG 6 Brandon University fonds. Administrative information in the History/Bio field was taken from the BUSU website at http://www.busu.ca/aboutus.asp (December 2005).
BUFA was formed in 1957 as an academic organization with its primary aim the entrenchment and protection of academic freedom.
In subsequent years, BUFA became more involved in promoting the economic, social and general interests of tis members. This process culminated in 1971 when BUFA obtained voluntary recognition as bargaining agent for its members from the University. The relationships between the Faculty and the university were governed by the "Faculty-Administration Brief" (the precursor to the present Collective Agreement).
A dispute arose between BUFA and the University in 1976, when BUFA requested that Instructional Associates be included in the bargaining unit and that the University deduct union dues. The University rejected BUFA's request. BUFA applied to the Manitoba Labour Board for resolution of the dispute. A Board hearing was held in Brandon on May 31, 1977.
At this hearing theLabour Board determined that, since the University had rejected BUFA's contention that it was a union, it would first have to answer the question: Is BUFA a union? In a decision dated June 16, 1977, the Board ruled "that BUFA is not a union; that following therefrom the faculty administration brief is not a collective agreement."
Following this ruling, BUFA launched a certification drive in September 1977. Application for certification was filed with the Labour Board October 17, 1977. In anticipation of a favorable certification ruling, Dennis Olson and Gerald Neufeld collected existing collective agreements from other universiities across Canada. They attempted to incorporate the best features from the old Faculty-Administration Brief and these other agreements into the first draft of the proposed collective agreement.
Certification was confirmed January 1978. The bargaining unit defined in the Certificate included: all full-time and part-time members of the academic, instructional and related staff at Brandon University kncluding laoratory insturctors, cartographers, counsellors, professional ibrarians, continuing education specialists and all other staff directly related to the teaching process. It also included sessional instructors.
Since certification in 1978, BUFA has attempted to function as a principled and effective union. These effors have included: establishing links with other unions and progressive organizations in the community; participating in the Manitoba Organization of Faculty Associations; vigorously pursuing member and union grievancess through to arbitration; advancing the rights and interests of members at the bargaining table; and promoting and protecting academic freedom.
The most recent chapter in BUFA's history was a successful strike in 1998, which started November 9th and ended at midnight November 11th.
The general objectives of BUFA are the advancement of higher education through the protection of the freedom that is necessary to it, and the improvement of the standards of the profession of University teaching. Its members include all full and part-time instructional staff of Brandon University and professional librarians.
Officers of BUFA include the: President, Past President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Elected by the General Body at the annual meeting in March. Associate members are not eligible to serve as officers.
Executive - officers and four members elected by the General Body to represent the Faculties of Arts, Science, Education and Music. Four elected at annual meeting. Acts as liasion between BUFA and the University Administration. May appoint committees chosen from the General Body to carry on routine affairs and to act in areas of special interest as directed by the General Body of by the Executive. The Standing Committee of BUFA is the Salary and Faculty-Administration Relations Committee - its duties are to represent the interests of BUFA in negotiating the salary schedule and other benefits and the Faculty-Administration Brief with the Board of Governors or its represntatives. The Vice-President of BUFA is to be the Chairman.
Scope and Content
Series contains minutes, collective agreements, reports, recommendations, correspondence, memos, newsletters, reference materials and various other documents.
Notes
BUFA is a separate corporate entity, but for administration purposes it has been incorporated into RG 6 Brandon University fonds. History/Bio information taken from BUFA promotional materials (File 37) and provided by Bruce Forrest (BUFA Executive) with the return of the signed donation form. Files 106-116 were extracted from the BUFA records and are in the possession of Ms. Eileen McFadden.
The Board of Governors of Brandon University is a body established by the Brandon University Act (1998), a statute of the Province of Manitoba. The Act vests in the Board the authority for governing Brandon University. The members of the Board of Governors, as trustees, hold the University in trust for the people of the Province of Manitoba. Responsibilities for maintaining this trust include: selection of a president, monitoring his/her performance, providing guidance to the University via its policies, and often delegating authority to the administration.
The Board of Governors is a collective representing the entire community (both internal and external of the University). As a collective, the Board of Governors is responsible for ensuring the financial stability of the institution and for seeing that the overall plans of the institution are consistent with the institution’s philosophy, goals, and financial resources.
Scope and Content
Fonds consists of records generated and collected by the Brandon University Board of Governors in the course of perfoming its functions. The fonds is divided into six sub-series, incuding: (1) Documents; (2) Board Executive; (3) General Board agendas, minutes and packages; (4) Correspondence and subject files; (5) Board of Governors' committees; and (6) Board projects.
Notes
The information in the History/Bio field was taken from the Brandon University webpage (http://www.brandonu.ca/Administration/Governors/) on December 2, 2005.
Access Restriction
All files in the series are restricted. Researchers are required to contact the Executive Secretary to the Board of Governors to obtain written permission to access the records. Contact:
204-727-9714
board@brandonu.ca
