The annual Student Budget Consultation is a critical part of how the Students’ Union works to ensure students have a voice in shaping our university.
University budgeting and planning is how improvements to your experience can be made most effectively. Every two years, your budget priorities and service expectations are gathered through a two-stage consultation. A comprehensive survey records your opinions of and priorities from a wide range of your experiences, and a Town Hall let us ask you about key priorities in depth.
These priorities are compiled in a report on the Student Budget Consultation and presented to university administration. The administration reviews the recommendations and distributes them to the responsible departments. Those departments must consider those recommendations when developing their annual budget requests and service plans. That means that your concerns are built into budget development – right from the start!
Beyond the formal budget, your opinions also guide the work of the Students’ Union as we develop campaigns and partnerships with TRU departments to make the changes you’re looking for into a reality.
Current Recommendations
The following chart represents the recommendations made by students in the 2020/21 Student Budget Consultation and the progress that has been made in addressing these recommendations by Thompson Rivers University.
Students request and look forward to service plans and the allocation of resources that:
Investigate and include students in addressing perceived course gaps in established programs
Investigate and include students in addressing perceived gaps in and demand for new or expanded programs
Investigate and include students in addressing perceived gaps in and demand for instructional content
Improve course delivery in terms of frequency, scheduling, and cancellations/ changes to facilitate timely paths to graduation
Improve course registration in terms of information, user-friendly processes, and waitlisting
Prior Year Recommendations
The following chart represents the recommendations made by students in the 2019/20 Student Budget Consultation and the progress that has been made in addressing these recommendations by Thompson Rivers University.
1. Adopt a consultative approach to campus commuting to constructively realign needs, realities, expectations, and possibilities, including any response to the following recommendations;
Response Received
2. Improve monitoring and public reporting on the implementation of the Sustainable Parking Framework and pricing rates and structures in terms of the effect on total single-occupancy vehicle use, demand management, and shifts to use of alternative transportation options;
3. Investigate pricing rate, structure, and augmentation options that improve demand management, are more flexible to needs and use, and are sensitive to affordability and fairness;
4. Actively promote and publicly report on the use of the 20% discount on passes for those living outside the transit service area;
5. Expand efforts, in coordination with campus stakeholders, to work with the City of Kamloops and BC Transit to improve service and infrastructure connecting campus by transit, cycling, and walking; and
6. Continue to promote and incentivize the Rideshare and Zip Car to achieve target utilization
Food Services
Response Status
1. Expand the permitting of food trucks on campus to provide greater availability and greater variety; and
2. Carry out the pending full and meaningful campus consultation to shape any new or renewed campus food service contract(s) and implement resulting recommendations
Study Space
Response Status
1. Establish space usage intentions and related space management practices, particularly for designated quiet study space;
Response Received
2. Consider interim renovations of existing study space to better reflect students’ need, such as electrical outlets, natural light, improved seating, etc.;
3. Ensure future development of study space in classroom buildings reflects students’ needs; and
4. Continue to consult students in the planning of a ‘collegium’ as part of the 5-Year Capital Plan to ensure it meets needs at the time of development
Academic Advising
Response Status
1. Ensure the full implementation of Degree Works, including use by students, for all programs by the Fall 2020 semester or earlier; and
Response Received
2. Ensure, through the Service Excellence Initiative or otherwise, that all advising staff are provided appropriate working conditions, training, support, and community of practice to maintain consistent service standards.
Course Materials
Response Status
1. Expand and make permanent the Open Educational Resource Development Grants Program as demonstrated by demand; and
Response Received
2. Complete the environmental scan of current practices related to University ‘textbook on reserve’ programs, and develop an informed plan to implement such practices as deemed feasible and effective
3. FOR INSTRUCTORS: Identify open educational resources applicable to a course, and create, adapt, and supplement such resources as necessary, making use of supports available through the Library and other departments;
Not applicable
4. FOR INSTRUCTORS: Identify and adopt other low and no cost course materials applicable to a course, including but not limited to course packs, book chapters, and journal articles, making use of supports available through the Library;
Not applicable
5. FOR INSTRUCTORS: Make effective use and reuse of any commercial course material to maximize the value to students; and
Not applicable
6. FOR INSTRUCTORS: Place copies of any commercial course material in the Library reserve system for those students who cannot afford to purchase a copy
1. Monitor and report on the implementation of the Sustainable Parking Framework and pricing rates and structures in terms of the effect on total single-occupancy vehicle use, demand management, and shifts to use of alternative transportation options;
3. Reconsider rate increases and investigate pricing rate, structure, and augmentation options that are more flexible to needs and sensitive to affordability and fairness;
1. Monitor and report on the implementation of the actions identified in the Food Services Response to TRUSU in terms of the effect on the expansion of food options in the form of food trucks and the redevelopment of existing outlets, on the provision of dietary accommodation and nutritional information, on the extension of hours of operation, and on the promptness of food service; and
1. Increase awareness and use of financial supports through both advertising and integrated communications and administration in related departments and processes;
4. Continue and report on the audit of financial aid offerings, and maintain a partnership with the Students’ Union to undertake a study of financial need amongst potential students in the region that TRU serves
1. Establish a comprehensive system of textbooks on reserve in the Library with sufficient copies to meet demand by investigating alternative funding arrangements such as Faculty or departmental budgets;
2. Establish an Open Textbook Grants Program, in development by a multi-stakeholder group, for instructors to create and adapt open educational resources for use in courses
2. Audit current food service offerings and develop plans to address nutritional deficiencies and establish a minimal standard for accommodation of dietary restrictions, traditions, and choices;
1. Increase awareness and use of financial supports through both advertising and integrated communications and administration in related departments and processes;
2. Create a multi-year classroom maintenance and upgrade plan that prioritizes classrooms and buildings to be addressed in order to ensure a comparable quality of learning environments for all students;
3. Audit the current stock of classroom equipment and technology for comparison against usage and needs and develops a management plan(s) for distribution, removal, and procurement;
4. Audit the current stock of classroom seating and develops a management plan(s) for distribution and replacement and immediately replaces any seating that fails to meet a minimal standard of quality for health and safety; and
The following chart represents the recommendations made by students in the 2016/17 Student Budget Consultation and the progress that has been made in addressing these recommendations by Thompson Rivers University.
Course Offerings
Commitment
Action
1. Offer courses in a transparent, sufficiently frequent, and reliable manner throughout all three semesters; that is coherent with program progression; and that facilitates effective student course planning
No Response
No Action
Academic Advising
Commitment
Action
1. Comprehensively and fundamentally review the provision of academic advising services
