October 2025 students’ council meeting

This month’s meeting marked the end of term for councillors

At October’s students’ council meeting, councillors sought answers from the executive committee about increased demands for exam accommodations, the lack of space on campus, and concerns over the digital ID. The meeting also marked the end of the current iteration of the council as their term came to a close.

Both councillors Layal Zidan and Joehn Torres voiced their concerns about the lack of space on campus and larger class sizes, as a result of the influx of students. Vice-president (academic) Chioma Uzor said the new business building, set to open in 2027, may alleviate the issue, and MacEwan has plans to clear reserved spots for students enrolling in out of faculty courses.

Vice-president (governance and finance) Andrei Santiago said MacEwan is in discussions to create study pods in the library with funding from the technology and services fee.

Councillor Olad Ayodeji asked vice-president (student life) Alem Tesfay if more students are using exam accommodations because of rising stress levels. Tesfay said that accommodations, particularly for online exams, are due to a rise in AI-use. However, Tesfay did note in his report this month that psychological and wellness services have significantly risen due to distress.

Andrei Santiago, vice-president (governance and finance) confirmed students can still receive physical ID from technology services even with the university switching to digital IDs. Councillor Torres voiced concerns about ensuring physical IDs are a back up option in case technology fails. Torres also pointed out that returning students who are used to physical cards may not switch to digital IDs.

After deliberation from last month, councillor Vincent Trinh was recognized with the 2024-2025 councillor of the year award. Trinh, who was in his first-year at MacEwan, was elected to council last year.