2. Message from President and CEO
As CEO/President of the University Students’
Council (USC) I have the privilege of viewing
the organization through the lens of its long term
strategic objectives and values. These strategic
objectives and values guide the work that we do
on behalf of our student constituents and define the
past, present and future of the organization. The
process of compiling this Annual Report has allowed
all of us to reflect on where the USC stands in the
current moment and to consider the way forward.
It demonstrates the USC’s continued and growing
commitment to being an open, accountable and
transparent student government. The publication of
an Annual Report is another step in our growth as
an organization that values engagement with our
stakeholders and is well positioned to deliver upon
the changing directives of our constituents.
One of the most significant signs of the USC’s
development is our growing commitment to long
term strategic planning. The 2012 Long Term Plan, drafted under the guidance of President/CEO
Andrew Forgione, provides the USC with a meaningful, constituent driven guiding document that allows
us to chart our course through time. The publication of this Annual Report brings us in line with yet
another commitment made within the 2012 Long Term Plan and continued adherence to its principles
will allow us to grow into an increasingly ethical, value based organization.
This past year has seen the USC grow in many ways—the most significant growth has been in our
commitment to values. Guided by the 2012 Long Term Plan, the USC has continued on a lengthy
process of placing students and student values at critical decision making points within our governance
structure. A major success was the progressive step of
adding students at large to our corporate board. The USC has committed to raising our accountability
standard to reflect the value we place upon constituent outreach and engagement. The 2013/14 budget
raised the standard for openness and transparency and marks the first step in the development of a fully
consultative budget process. The organization has begun to implement the practice of program and
service level review into our services and operations to ensure that students continue to receive value
from our offerings. The level of debate and discussion about the need for constant review and change,
even when difficult, demonstrates the organization’s growing commitment to treating our students with
the respect that they deserve as taxpayers. In time we will be able to model the accountability standards
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3. that we expect others in the Western community to achieve and will have a base from which we can
begin to educate those around us about the importance of treating students as something more than
consumers.
Perhaps most importantly, the USC has continued to hold itself to an exceedingly high ethical standard.
We strive to be fair, open and compassionate at all levels of our interface with staff, volunteers, elected
officials, partners and students at large. Above all else we value the story of each individual—the
defining characteristics and human qualities that make people both heroic and flawed yet altogether
real. This commitment to people will continue to define who we are and always guide us when we are
tempted by the desire to be expedient instead of diligent in our decision making.
As we move beyond 2012/13 into the future the USC will continue to live in a state of constant
growth—yet that growth will come in many shapes and sizes. Growth will not be confused with
addition; growth will be characterized by how able we are to stand by our values and the value of what
we offer to students. In fact, sometimes growth may necessitate subtraction and a refocusing upon our
core mission.
We will act without fear or favour by constantly questioning the status quo so that the USC remains
representative of and aligned with the needs of students. We will maintain the belief that the ‘mission is
bigger than the man’ and that our responsibility to serve the Western community and the organization is
larger than the individual. And most of all, we will believe in the importance of humility—the necessity
of avoiding the growth of our own celebrity. I hope that you take this Annual Report as an opportunity
to discover what you don’t know about the USC and to see that we have much to be proud of and much
to look forward to.
Adam Fearnall, CEO/President University Students’ Council
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4. Our Mission
“To enhance the educational experience and
quality of life for all undergraduates at Western
University”
Our Vision
• Every program, event
and service must
advance the Mission
• We represent a diverse
community for which we
must provide leadership,
skill development
and personal growth
opportunities that
reach most students
using tools that
maximize accessibility
to those opportunities
• We are stewards of
democracy
• We seek constructive
change
Our Pillars of Principle
• Talking and sharing
with students and
listening and learning
from students
• Open and effective
student government
• Responsible student
advocacy that delivers
• Programming and
resources that reflect
students’ needs and
priorities
• Empower our people to
succeed
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5. Our Executive Council
Adam Fearnall – President
Tony Ayala – Vice President Finance
Jeremy Santucci – Vice President Communications
Myuri Komaragiri – Vice President Campus Issues
Erin Uberig – Vice President Student Events
Alysha Li – Vice President University Affairs
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6. Executive Summary
2012-2013: A Year in Review
This annual report—part of the Students’
Council’s framework for remaining accountable to
students— is intended to provide students with an
overview of the activities of the Students’ Council
over the 2012–2013 fiscal year.
Its been a big year at the USC. Throughout the
year we have had many successes and have set
out to overcome some of our weaknesses as well.
The USC is an organization of change and we
are constantly evolving. Sometimes the changes
that we make are for the greater good and the
longevity of the organization and other times we
change because we have to. If we don’t evolve
we become redundant.
Some of the successes that we have had during the
year are:
• We have successfully overhauled the
governance structure of the USC.
• Our food and beverage department
continues to have record breaking sales and
are poised to have an above average finish
to the year
• We have recommended a budget to Council
that provides for an expanded student
incubator space.
• We saw record breaking ticket sales for
Charity Ball making it a huge success for
the year
• The Peer Support Network continued
to grow and successfully completed their
first student survey for feedback
• Completion of a visual identity guide
for the USC which will provide consistency
in branding of the USC
• Successfully completed the renovation for
the USC conference centre
We began the year well aware that the USC had
some departments that were going to require some
degree of overhaul in order to position them for
the long term. We combined this information
with the feedback from students and came up
with the development of a Creative Services
Department. This department will be a one-stop
shop for printing, graphic design, web design,
printing and file management; self serve printing
and promotional materials creation. This new
department represents a large investment in
service by the USC but we believe that it will
be worth it for the students in the end. Not only
does the creation of this department streamline
the processes involved for obtaining the services
provided but it also creates a more streamlined
experience for the students using the services.
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7. Contents
• Letter from the President ……………….1
• Our Exec …………………………..........4
• Who we are …………………………..…6
• Strategic Directions ………………….....7
• Student Dollars in Action ………….…..8
• USC by the Numbers ……………….....12
• Message from VP Finance ………...…..13
• Statement of Financial Highlights ….....15
Introduction:
About the USC
Who We Are:
In 1965 the students of Western University
came together to create the University Students’
Council. They had a vision for an organization
that could effectively represent students’ interests
to the university and governments, and could
offer services and other opportunities for students
to foster an excellent academic experience and
quality of life at Western and within the London
community.
What We Do:
The students who founded the USC almost 50
years ago would be very impressed with what
preceding generations of student leaders have
built here at Western. Since 1965, the USC has
grown into one of the largest and most respected
student councils in Canada. The USC is a leading
voice within its federal and provincial advocacy
groups, and has developed effective partnerships
within the Western and London communities
that help advance the interests of students. The
organization offers a wide range of programming
and services that meet the diverse interests and
needs of students, and helps support an excellent
academic experience and quality of life.
Why We Do It:
The organization is built to respond to the
changing needs of the students it represents,
and will continue serving and advocating for
Western’s undergraduate students into the future.
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8. Strategic Directions
Every year at budget time the USC looks for
themes that should frame the budget and the
decisions made within it. The themes arise from
our need to adapt and/or change in order to remain
competitive and relevant within our marketplace
but they also arise from the guiding principles of
the strategic plan.
Key Directives:
• Clean Slate – developing departments and
arranging the USC in a way that is relevant
to students and that is set up to support the
needs and wants of students.
• PILLAR: Talking and sharing with
students and listening and learning
from students
• PILLAR: Programming and resources
that reflect students’ needs and priorities
• VISION: We seek constructive change
• Service stabilization – creating and
focusing on providing services that are
available to all users and that are easy to
identify. Aiming to maintain and grow
the overall level of service at the USC
without significant student fee increases.
Goal is to provide consistency and growth
in service levels overall.
• PILLAR: Programming and resources
that reflect students’ needs and priorities
• VISION: We represent a diverse
community for which we must provide
leadership, skill development and personal
growth opportunities that reach most
students using tools that maximize
accessibility to those opportunities
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9. Key Factors of Success
for the USC
• Stability
• Growth
• Focus on service provision
• Communication
• BALANCE
Student Dollars
in Action
• Investment in Creative Spaces
• Creative Services Department
The USC has begun to develop spaces with a
goal of organizing departments in a way that
best meets the needs of the end users – students.
Creative Services is a perfect example of
this. Not only will it provide a one stop shop
for students creative needs but it provides an
environment that allows a two way learning
momentum. Students learning from staff and staff
learning from students. This type of environment
will allow for the USC to create positions for
students that provide real experience to better
prepare them for what they may encounter once
in the workplace.
“Letting students
know what we are
doing is critical to
our success”
“We seek constructive
change”
“We wanted to
create a space where
students could
earn valuable and
meaningful work
experience”
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10. Student Dollars
in Action
• Investment in Creative Spaces
• Growth of student incubator
The expansion of the student incubator at the
USC is an opportunity to get more students
involved with the USC in an effort to enhance
their undergraduate experience. Students working
with students and students serving students is a
key element in the USC philosophy. We want the
student experience at the USC to be a continuation
of learning rather than be seen as a pause in their
learning.
• Investment in Creative Spaces
• Biz Inc funding
Biz Inc was an idea that was formulated by the
USC and has been nurtured by the USC since its
inception. This organization provides students
with help to develop business plans for their ideas
and helps to develop relationships with potential
outside investors and also provides a “biz front”
to allow students to “test drive” their ideas.
• Investment in Creative Spaces
• Purple Bikes funding
Purple Bikes provides a low cost, environmentally
friendly transportation option on campus.
“We want the
student experience
at the USC to be
a continuation of
learning rather than
a pause in their
learning”
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11. Student Dollars
in Action
• Governance Restructuring
The goals of the governance overhaul were as
follows:
• Increase the focus on relevant student
issues during elections by putting forward a
slate of advocates for students to elect
• Clarify the lines of accountability between
Council and the Executive
• Create an independent Board of Directors
which will de-politicize the Board which
in turn will ensure provision of good
corporate governance
• Expand the opportunities for students to get
involved in governing the USC
“We are stewards
of democracy. We
believe that students
have the right to
govern themselves
through an active,
accountable,
collaborative and
principled democratic
process.”
• Revitalization of the UCC
The USC and the executive have worked hard
to develop a capital plan and a capital budget to
allow for the revitalization of the UCC. During
the year we have successfully completed the
following renovations:
• USC Conference Centre
• New PA equipment in Mustang Lounge
• New furniture for Mustang Lounge
• New lounge furniture on 2nd and 3rd floors
of UCC
• Creation of Mustang Central
• New Purple Store in the Atrium
• New location for Western Connections in
lower level mall
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12. Student Dollars in
Action
• Revitalization of the UCC
The USC is currently working on plans for the
next phase of the revitalization plans:
• New railings on 2nd and 3rd floors of UCC
• New study desks along railings on 2nd and
3rd floors in UCC
• Creation of creative services space
• Creation of Governance Support Centre
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13. USC by the Numbers
• 200 = total number of clubs ratified under
the USC
• 6,881 = total number of Twitter followers
for the USC
• 13,496 CLT’s sold at the Spoke
• 1,000 = total number of bagels sold a day
at Spoke Café
• 30,000 total full time equivalent students
served by the USC
• 20,000,000 in student fees expected for
2013/2014
• 2,200 = total number of tickets sold for
Charity Ball
• 95,000 = total square footage of space
occupied by the USC within the UCC
• $1,519,603 = total amount of occupancy
paid by USC to UWO in 2013/2014
• $6,129,149 = value paid to LTC for
universal student bus pass
• 10% of student fees after transfers out
spent on Programming and Events
• 74% of student fees collected get
transferred directly out to outside
organizations such as LTC, health plan,
CASA, OUSA, etc
• 10 = total number of USC affiliated
tenants located in the lower level mall area
• 2,400 = total number of Facebook
followers for the USC
• 8.2% of student fees after transfers out
spent on Advocacy
“Surpluses from
operations and
departments go
directly to offset the
cost of our advocacy,
student services and
programming”
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14. Message from the Vice President Finance
As the 2012-2013 Vice-President Finance of the University Students’
Council (USC), I have been fortunate to see our organization continue
to grow to meet the needs of our students. I am proud to report that we
have had yet another strong year in 2012/2013.
The USC is dedicated to ensuring the appropriate spending of student
dollars, thus enhancing the student experience. We are consistently
finding efficiencies within the corporation in an effort to continue to
do more with student dollars. We are uniquely positioned in the UCC
as well as in the lives of students hence; we are compelled to ensure
our operations deliver a service that students are proud of.
Our commitment is to be as honest and open as possible when
working through our budget process. Our goal is to communicate to our USC Councillors and students
and maintain due diligence throughout the entire process. This year has seen impressive engagements
from our Councillors to ensure the well-being of their constituents are being reflected in the actions of
our organization.
Know that not only did your USC Councillors evaluate the budget, but they assisted in the creation.
I trust you share our excitement about your Council and the way in which the USC is building on our
past to promise an even brighter future.
Tony Ayala,Vice President Finance University Students’ Council
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15. Finances
We are audited annually by an external Auditor,
and work with our leadership team of Executive
Council members and our Managing Directors on
our financial statements. PwC has approved the
financial statements as a fair representation of the
University Students’ Council’s finances.
We have included the statement of financial
highlights in this report. This document provides
a general overview of the financial position of the
USC as at the year ended May 31, 2012. The full
audited Financial Statements including the notes
to the financial statements can be found on the
USC website.
For the non-accountants among our members,
it is important to note that the Net Revenue
listed on the Statement of Operations does not
represent the annual surplus or cash flow available
to general operations and services of the USC.
Due to the way amortization, renovation loans,
restricted fund allocations, and capital purchases
are accounted for; the actual increase in the
accumulated surplus is much smaller than implied
by the Statement of Operations.
“In our opinion, the
financial statements
present fairly, in all
material respects, the
financial position of
University Students’
Council of The
University of Western
Ontario as at May 31,
2012 and the results
of its operations and
its cash flows for
the year then ended
in accordance with
Canadian generally
accepted accounting
principles.”
- PwC, Chartered
Accountants, Licensed
Public Accountants
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