Approved by the Board of Trustees - December 4, 2020
Preamble
The process for introducing and modifying ancillary fees charged to students for non-tuition related items, programs or services is guided by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU). Each Ontario postsecondary educational institution is required to develop an ancillary fee protocol, which is a formal agreement between the institution’s administration and student association representatives which sets out the means by which students will be involved in decisions to introduce a new, or modify an existing, compulsory ancillary fee. The protocol must be approved by the University’s Board of Trustees. Queen’s University and its student associations have followed an ancillary fee protocol for a number of years. In the interest of transparency and good governance, the protocol will encompass all ancillary fees.
- Definitions
- Compulsory Ancillary Fees
- Non-Compulsory Ancillary Fees
- Approval by the Board of Trustees
- Realignment of a Faculty-Level Student Association
- Consistency
- Revisions to Protocol
1. Definitions
1.1. Ancillary Fee: These are fees paid by students and the subject of the Ministry’s Guidelines. They are fees charged in addition to tuition fees for products and services and are administered by a student association or the University. Could, also be referred to as Student Activity Fees.
1.2. Compulsory Ancillary Fee: An ancillary fee which is levied to cover the costs of items which are not normally paid for out of operating or capital revenue. These fees are administered by a student association or the University, in addition to tuition, and which a student may be required to pay in order to enroll in, or successfully complete, any credit course.
1.3. Program- or Course-Related Fee: A compulsory non-tuition related ancillary fee (not a student association fee) charged to students in specific programs or courses. These are fees that cover the costs of items not normally paid for out of operating or capital revenue.
1.4. University Level Student Associations: University-level student associations are the two senior student organizations that represent or provide services to all Queen’s University students, namely the Alma Mater Society (AMS) and the Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SGPS).
1.5 Faculty Level Student Associations: Faculty-Level Student Associations are student organizations that represent or provide services to students of a corresponding faculty or department. These student organizations must be affiliated with either the AMS or SGPS. Otherwise known as Faculty or Departmental Societies.
1.6. Student Association Fee: Any ancillary fee charged to students on behalf of the university-level student associations and collected from students by the University.
2. Compulsory Ancillary Fees
2.1. Compulsory student association fees and compulsory ancillary fees shall only be introduced, or increased, by referendum of one or more of the university-level student associations, as appropriate.
2.1.1 Any question proposed for the establishment or change of such fees shall provide a description of the compulsory fee, the purpose(s) for which the revenue will be used, whether the fee is to be collected for a designated period or until a monetary value is reached, and whether the fee is subject to annual increases.
2.1.2 Compulsory ancillary fees may be established for a designated number of years or until an identified monetary target has been reached where such a condition is specified in the referendum. Any such designation does not remove the requirement for regular review.
2.1.3 Any individual or group of individuals who wishes to place a question on a referendum ballot asking for the creation or increase of a compulsory student association fee or compulsory ancillary fee funded by undergraduate, graduate, or professional students must adhere to all relevant policies and procedures as set out by, a university-level student association, a faculty-level association, the administration of Queen's University, or a faculty or service of the University
2.2. The referendum shall be held in accordance with the relevant constitution/bylaws/policies of the relevant student association. 2.3. Changes to a university-level student association’s by-laws, policies, or constitution which may affect the process for voting for the introduction of or change to such fees shall be communicated in writing to the University’s Division of Student Affairs in a timely fashion. 2.4. Ancillary fees that are exempt from this protocol under the Ministry’s Guidelines are not subject to the requirements set out in this protocol.
2.5. Compulsory ancillary fees that are related to programs or courses, but not exempt from this protocol by Ministry regulations, and are applicable to only a small subset of the student body may be approved summarily (without the requirement to hold a referendum) by following the process described in section 2.6.
2.6 The University may present the details concerning program- or course-related fees to a meeting with representation from the relevant student association and such fees may be approved by a simple majority of the voting members present.
2.7. Reviewable compulsory fees are compulsory student association fees that are subject to review, in accordance with the policy defined by the relevant association.
2.8. Non-reviewable compulsory fees are compulsory fees that are not subject to review, in accordance with the policy defined by the relevant student association. This designation is only to be made if the fee has extensive oversight from elected student representatives or if the fee represents a contribution to an essential University-run service or capital project that requires a designated commitment from the student body to fulfill its mandate.
2.9. Compulsory ancillary fees may be subject to automatic annual adjustments in accordance with the Canadian Consumer Price Index, or other relevant index as required, where such a condition is specified in the referendum.
3. Non-Compulsory Ancillary Fees
3.1. Non-compulsory student association fees and non-compulsory ancillary fees may only be introduced, or increased, by referendum of one or more of the university-level student associations, as appropriate
3.1.1 Any question proposed for the establishment or change of such fees shall provide a description of the non-compulsory fee, the purpose(s) for which the revenue will be used, whether the fee is to be collected for a designated period or until a monetary value is reached, and whether the fee is subject to annual increases.
3.1.2 Non-compulsory ancillary fees may be established for a designated number of years or until an identified monetary target has been reached where such a condition is specified in the referendum. Any such designation does not remove the requirement for regular review.
3.1.3 Any individual or group of individuals who wishes to place a question on a referendum ballot asking for the creation or increase of a non-compulsory student association fee or noncompulsory ancillary fee funded by undergraduate, graduate, or professional students must adhere to all relevant policies and procedures as set out by, a university-level student association, a faculty-level association, the administration of Queen's University, or a faculty or service of the University.
3.2. The referendum shall be held in accordance with the relevant constitution/bylaws/policies of the relevant university-level student association.
3.3. Changes to a university-level student association’s by-laws, policies, or constitution which may affect the process for voting for the introduction of or change to such fees shall be communicated in writing to the University’s Division of Student Affairs in a timely fashion.
3.4. Non-compulsory ancillary fees may be subject to automatic annual adjustments in accordance with the Canadian Consumer Price Index, or other relevant index as required where such a condition is specified in the referendum.
4. Approval by the Board of Trustees
4.1. Ancillary fees shall be subject to annual approval by the Queen’s University Board of Trustees or its designates.
5. Realignment of a Faculty-Level Student Association
5.1. Each faculty-level student association on a Queen’s campus shall be formally affiliated with one of the two university-level student associations, namely the AMS or the SGPS. And each faculty-level student association shall have the right to formally affiliate as it sees fit.
5.2. In principle, the rationale for realignment of a faculty-level student association should be based on the attempt to fit with a university-level student association which would provide for a better alignment of academic, representational, and social interests, more appropriate services and programming, or other such relevant matters. It is assumed that faculty-level student associations would not seek realignment for the sole or primary purpose of acquiring a more advantageous student association or ancillary fee slate.
5.3. The University shall only recognize two distinct ancillary fee schedules, one for AMS and one for SGPS. Any intent by a faculty-level student association to hold a vote to shift alignment from one university-level student association to another shall require advance notice, normally not less than three months, to all affected parties and an advance discussion/negotiation on the potential impact such realignment may have on student association and ancillary fees.
5.4. Where a vote results in a change in alignment from one university-level student association to another, the faculty-level student association making the transition shall be bound by the fees of the former University-level student association for no less than one year.
5.5. Where a faculty-level student association has changed its formal affiliation with one of the two university-level student associations that results in a different student association or ancillary fee assessment; the University shall only recognize and assess such fee changes where it has determined that the changes in affiliation transpired with full adherence to applicable student association constitutional and policy requirements.
6. Consistency
6.1. This protocol is intended to be consistent with the Ministry regulations. Where this protocol and the Ministry regulations are in conflict, the Ministry regulations will prevail.
7. Revisions to Protocol
7.1. This agreement shall be reviewed every three years, commencing in 2022, or at any time as a result of changes made to relevant MCU regulations or other relevant University policies.