U n i v e r s i t y o f M a n i t o b a’ s G r a d ua t e S t u d e n t M a g a z i n e
September 2011
CFS referendums to get CRO Members also bring back Day of Action by Briana Hill — CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief
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TTAWA (CUP) — Delegates from across the country discussed campaigns, referenda and a new Day of Action as they helped determine the direction the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) will take over the next six months at their semi-annual National General Meeting held in Gatineau, QC from May 31 to June 3. Opening and closing plenaries were generally friendly in tone, and member locals presented a collabora-
sion to leave the organization. Ratification of the referendum is pending the payment of outstanding fees, which the UVSS understands to be membership fees for the 2010–11 academic year, up to June 30. “The fees will be remitted as soon as we have them from the university, which will complete our departure from the CFS,” Tara Patterson, chairperson of the UVSS, explained in an email. “We are yet to have exact confirmation of the amount as there are several factors affecting this including the number of students who register for summer courses,” she added. Budget committee report The budget committee’s report was well received, with some discussion surrounding the litigation and membership drives and referenda expense lines. Litigation expenses for the 2011 year-to-date are $59,497.44, up from $25,392.43 in 2010. The 2011 budget had laid out $60,000.00 for membership drives and referenda, but the 2011 yearto-date expenses have reached
tive approach to the issues dealt with over the course of the meeting. Incoming CFS national chairperson Roxanne Dubois felt the four-day-long meeting was an overall success. “This meeting allowed everybody to have plenty of discussion, then come out with a really positive, energetic feeling,” she remarked. Membership changes A marked departure from the relative cohesiveness of the meeting was the recognition of the University of Victoria Student Society’s (UVSS) referendum on decertification from the federation. Dave Molenhuis, former national chairperson, said he was “surprised, saddened, but respectful” of the UVSS’ deci-
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$232,980.21. Dubois believes that the amount projected for the 2012 combined budget is more reflective of spending trends. “In the past couple years, circumstances have made it that that line wasn’t necessarily where it’s supposed to be, so the expenses have been higher,” she explained. “At the same time, the amount that was projected is more in line with what has been standard spending for that line item in the past few years.” In the campaigns and government relations budget line, $338,756.53 has been spent out of the $567,000 set aside in the 2011 budget. During closing plenary, several locals discussed the need to increase campaigns spending.
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c/o The Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation 105 University Centre University of Manitoba Winnipeg MB, R3T 2N2 Changes to referendum rules Some changes to CFS membership referendum rules also successfully passed, including a motion presented by the York Federation of Students to eliminate the referendum oversight committee and replace it with a Chief Returning Officer. Previously, an individual referendum oversight committee was struck each time a referendum was held on a university or college campus and was composed of two people from the campus’ student association or member local and two people appointed by the CFS. The particular section of Bylaw 1, now reads: “For each vote to certify, the national executive shall recommend an individual to serve as the Chief Returning Officer. The Chief Returning Officer’s appointment is subject to ratification by a general meeting of the federation.” The same practice will be applied for votes on continued membership. “There were numerous discussions around the motion to have a CRO, and in the end, members decided on a structure that is very similar to that of most students unions,” Dubois explained in an email. “The National Executive will be discussing the best way to implement what was adopted by members.” Furthermore, according to the updated bylaw, the CRO “shall be the sole arbiter of whether materials are misleading, defamatory or false” during a campaign. Any appeals of the referendum results or of the rulings of the CRO will be referred to an appeals committee, to be composed of one member from the national executive, or an individual chosen by the national executive, plus two individual CFS members who are not members of the national executive and are elected at a CFS general meeting. National Day of Action At the campaign end of discussions, delegates enthusiastically passed a motion to implement a National Day of Action for the 2011–12 academic year, though there was much indecision about the focus it would take. Some discretion will be left to individual locals, however the general emphasis of the concerted lobby effort will be on rising students fees and debt. The Canadian Federation of Students is expected to meet next in November for its second general meeting of 2011.
General inquiries and advertising Phone: (204) 474.6535 Fax: (204) 474.7651 Email: publisher@gradzette.com Editor: Sheldon Birnie Copy Editor: Leif Larsen Designer: Kevin Doole Contributors to this issue: Ashley Gaboury, Tyler Omichinski, Kara Passey & Noreen Ritsema. Cover: Monica Mercedes Martinez (see pgs. 4-5) The Gradzette is the official student newspaper of the University of Manitoba’s graduate student community and is published at the end of September, October, November, January February and March by The Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation. The Gradzette is a democratic student organization, open to participation from all students. It exists to serve its readers as students and citizens. The newspaper’s primary mandate is to report fairly and objectively on issues and events of importance and interest to the graduate students of the University of Manitoba, to provide an open forum for the free expression and exchange of opinions and ideas and to stimulate meaningful debate on issues that affect or would otherwise be of interest to the student body and/or society in general. The Gradzette serves as a training ground for students interested in any aspect of journalism. Students and other interested parties are invited to contribute. Please contact the Editor for submission guidelines. The Gradzette reserves the right to edit all submissions and will not publish any material deemed by its editorial board to be discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic or libelous. Opinions expressed in letters and articles are solely those of the authors. The Gradzette is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national student press cooperative with approximately 65 members from St. John’s to Victoria. All contents are ©2011 and may not be reprinted without the express written permission of the Manitoban Newspaper Publications Corporation. Yearly subscriptions to the Gradzette are available, please contact for more information.
September 2011
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Studio practice as research First round of MFA students present first exhibition by Noreen Mae Ritsema
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xploring the concept of studio practice as a form of research, U of M School of Art MFA students Monica Martinez, Shawna Munro, Gurpreet Sehra and Durga De Silva recently participated in the exhibition called much was decided before you were born . . . but not everything. Running from May 16 – June 30 at Gallery One One One, the artist-researchers each prepared and presented works that reflected their own studio research. In the exhibition notes, Sigrid Dahle, Interim Gallerist at Gallery One One One, explained that the exhibition itself is a form of research, and that much was decided before you were born . . . but not everything specifically “proposes that research occurs in the gap between the inherited tradition and ques-
Warm Embrace, 2011 Shawna Munro Cotton floss hand-embroidered on cotton fabric
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tions with which we speak back to this tradition.” The four students are all eight months into the 24-month program, and one of those students, Gurpreet Sehra, remarked that the exhibition was significant because it was the very first year of the program and “it’s the first public and formal showcase of the work we have done since starting the program in September 2010.” Sehra is currently working in painting, video and photography. In her artist statement, she says that her practice is “preoccupied with the complex unveilings of concealed and erased memories and realities as related to Sikh-Punjabi diasporic communities.” She goes on to explain that she examines “the construction of aggression and feminization in Sikh-Punjabi
masculinity and locates herself, as a female, in this picture” to help render those complexities. Another MFA student, Monica Mercedes Martinez, says she has heard positive reactions from the exhibition. “I have received great feedback and questions about my practice from people who attended. They were engaged by the diversity and depth of work in the show,” she said. Ceramics play an important role in Martinez’s practice and she explains that the implied history offered by clay has always fascinated her: “The tension that can occur between the use of this ancient material and non-traditional materials or processes compels me to push it beyond what it has traditionally been asked to do in the past.” She states her current research draws on her exploration of “nationality, colonialism and ethnic identity by drawing on and altering historical, artistic, figural and architectural traditions.” The other two artist-researchers in the exhibit were Shawna Munroe, who “enjoys working with traditional crafts and juxtaposing them with humorous, often sexual content,” as well as Durga de Silva, whose oil painting prac-
tice “investigates the representation of human emotions.” Dahle, of Gallery One One One, observed that there was a good turn out at the opening. “Gallery visitors found it informative and they appreciated how the show contextualized everyone’s work. This was the Winnipeg art community’s first opportunity to check out the School of Art’s new graduate program — they liked what they saw!” These four MFA students will present their Master’s thesis shows in the winter semester as well as provide oral defenses for their theses.
Mimicry Bordering on Mockery (Turban Wrapping), 2011 Gurpreet Sehra Video, 30 min, 11 sec
Sacrifice, 2011 Monica Mercedes Martinez Terracotta, found metal mesh, porcelain casting slip, porcelain, copper and silver
Scarlet Wave, 2011 Durga de Silva Silk thread, Soft material
Photos by Mike Latschislaw, Audio Visual & Classroom Technology Support, University of Manitoba
September 2011
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Finding funding Securing funding crucial to graduate studies by Ashely Gaboury
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s a graduate student, you are likely familiar with the work involved in seeking out and securing funding. For those new to the fund hunt, there are some things to keep in mind along the way. Marcia Yoshida, University of Manitoba graduate awards officer, says graduate students seeking funding for the first time should find out the types of funding available to them. She noted the faculty of graduate studies’ online award database, which lists all funding opportunities as well as details on how to apply. “We also send out a weekly awards email announcement with all current funding opportunities and have a Facebook page listing these opportunities.” Yoshida also mentioned a frequently asked questions page on the faculty of graduate studies website. When filling out award applications, Yoshida encourages students to carefully read all eligibility requirements and instructions, and ensure the application is complete before submitting. The faculty of graduate studies at the University of Manitoba cites three types of funding: internal awards, external awards and need-based funding. Internal awards include U of M Graduate Fellowships (UMGF), departmental funding, and research and teaching assistantships. Students can also apply for external funding through a number of different sources including Manitoba Graduate Scholarships and Manitoba Health Research Council, as well as Tri-Council awards through Canada’s three major research granting agencies: the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Need-based funding includes federal, provincial and territorial government loans and bursaries. Trevor Bekolay, a University of Waterloo student, just completed a two-year master’s program in computer science and will begin his PhD in the same department this September. Bekolay says that as a graduate student he has only applied for external funding, including NSERC and the Ontario Gradu-
ate Scholarship (OGS). He says he has been successful in some applications but not in others. “I received an NSERC award for my master’s and received an OGS for my PhD, but I had no external funding for the second year of my master’s due to NSERC limiting the length of master’s level funding to one year,” says Bekolay. For those applications he hasn’t been successful in, Bekolay says he’s been informed his biggest weakness is a lack of publications. “It’s difficult, though, to have publications before you even start your graduate studies; even two years in now, I only have one minor publication,” says Bekolay. “It’s even more difficult because the applications for these awards are due almost a year before the award is taken up, and journal articles can take a long time to be published, so even if you write an influential paper in your second year, you may not be able to use it to get funding until year three or four, at which point you’re almost done your degree.” Bekolay provided his own advice for fellow graduate students applying for funding the first time. “Get everything that relies on other people out of the way first. That means order transcripts early, and identify who will
Photo by Leif Larsen
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be your referees and contact them well ahead of time. Give them a deadline that is a week earlier than your deadline, just in case they get busy.” For the aspects of the application process that require writing on the applicant’s part — statements, for example — Bekolay emphasizes getting them done early and having as many eyes as possible look over them. “These documents are not long so make them perfect,” he stressed. Bekolay says that if you feel you’ve submitted a great application and still don’t get any external funding, don’t stress about it too much. “Not getting a Tri-Council award doesn’t mean you’re not a good grad student or that you won’t do good research.” Sometimes it could simply be the institution you’re studying at. Peter Nawrot, president of the U of M Graduate Students’ Association, says that graduate students at the University of Manitoba are particularly underfunded. According to Nawrot, approximately 14 per cent of graduate students at the U of M receive funding for their research and studies. The national average is approximately 30 per cent. Yoshida says increasing funding for graduate students is a priority of the U of M. “The funding of graduate students is challenge at all universities,” she says. “A number of provincial governments have been increasing funding for graduate students.” “The last significant increase by a Manitoba government was the introduction of the Manitoba Graduate Scholarship (MGS), which the government invested $2 million.” According to Yoshida, the UMGF budget is approximately $2.3 million, which results in approximately 200 new and continuing UMGF awards. She says this year university administration has provided an additional $1.5 million for graduate student funding. The additional funding will provide approximately 250 awards valued as $5,000 each, with the remainder used to provide bursaries for graduate students. For more information regarding graduate student funding, visit: www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/graduate_studies/funding
Advertise in the Gradzette Cost effective, easy, fun, nice, reach students, young people, budding professionals, travelers, striving for excellence, visiblility, profit, business, expanding, etc. Contact editor@gradzette.com September 2011
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Orientation Week 2011 The quick guide for grad students
by T yler Omichinski
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unning from Monday, September 12th through Friday, Sept.16, the Graduate Students Association will be running their Orientation Week. With several events planned, it is a good opportunity for new students to navigate the “ins and outs” of the University of Manitoba. There are even quite a few free meals available for people just looking to save a few bucks! The main purpose of the events organized are to provide new and returning students a chance to learn about,
If your faculty offers its own individualized orientation, the specialization may be better for addressing your specific needs. or brush up on, a variety of services which are offered by organizations and departments on campus. Peter Nawrot, President of the GSA, says that he hopes “that orientation will build a sense of community within the graduate student population.” In this spirit, there is also a great deal of time set aside for students to network with their new peers, with GSA Lounge open houses Tuesday through Thursday. In addition, the GSA is co-hosting UMSU’s party on Friday, Sept. 16. The highlights you should make sure to pick up from the week include learning about your Health & Dental plan, 10 a.m. Tuesday, and figuring out what you can claim per year on your tax return. This seems like a less important portion of your orientation, and a less then spectacular use of time, but it’s better to know how much of your emergency wisdom tooth removal is covered before you have to re-evaluate your budget to afford it. Later that day, at 1 p.m.
is the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) Financial Aid seminar, which will provide students information about awards, grants and other financial aid provided by the Faculty. Moving into the next day, at 10 a.m. Career Services will give you an opportunity to learn about the career options for during and after your program. This will be followed up by a presentation by CUPE 3909 about working with them as a Teaching Assistant, Grader/Markers and Sessional Instructors. These will give you a chance to learn about jobs and other opportunities to make money during your graduate studies. Finally, there is the presentation by the Office of Fair Practices & Legal Affairs 10 a.m. on Thursday. This presentation will cover the University’s expectations as to research ethics, copyright laws and other expectations. For students more interested in pursuing their graduate studies for especially research-oriented aims, this will likely be a key presentation to attend. The decision as to whether or not to attend orientation week has been made by many students in the past. Dave Bruinsma, for example, has never attended any of the GSA orientation week(s) or events. His faculty, the Natural Resources Institute, holds its own start of term orientation and networking events, leaving him with a lack of need to participate in the GSA’s orientation week. If your faculty offers its own individualized orientation, the specialization may be better for addressing your specific needs. On the other hand, if you want to meet people outside of your faculty or gain a better understanding of how the University of Manitoba functions the GSA orientation week may be worth your time. At the end of the day, Orientation Week, like much of the rest of the education process, will give returns proportional to what the individual hopes to put into it. Photo by Miguel Yetman
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