CMSA Meeting Minutes Jan 28, 2026
CMSA Council Meeting Minutes — January 28, 2026
Attendance
Present: Ryan, Noam, Nicole, Antonio, Ore, Eliana, Ijun, Jaspreet, Duaa, Sara, Rica
Absent: Catherine
1) Minutes
1.1 Updates (Portfolio Reports)
VP Communications — Eliana
Working on Mailchimp.
VP Academics — Jaspreet & Nicole
Working on the Student Research Committee Representatives application.
Developing an application for “quality money” to support transportation during clerkship (e.g., taxi vouchers).
Assessment team working with UME Exams to create a new blueprint layout based on a presentation.
Question raised re: email policy (e.g., more than one email per event) and concerns about email fatigue/spam.
Plan: send information to class; clarify and try to enforce (Eliana).
VP Finance — Antonio
Budget process & timeline
Outline of building the budget and setting a timeline for VPs to complete portfolio budgets for the upcoming year.
VP Finance and Operations to give a general overview presentation next meeting; portfolio budgets due the following meeting.
Final budget approval targeted for the first meeting in March.
Proposed delay to March 11 (instead of March 1) — see motion below.
Request: if council wants specific statistics included in the presentation, email Antonio.
Note: the current budget is available on the CMSA drive for board reference.
Student engagement
Plan to send an engagement survey before next meeting covering:
Funding priorities (e.g., clubs)
General fiscal policy (e.g., increasing fees for the next class)
Plan for an in-person event after initial budgets are submitted and a draft budget is available.
Banking
New bank signing officers
Potential branch move: North Hill → University District branch
VP Events — Catherine & Ijun
Winter Formal (Feb 28): increase promotion now.
Option: send another interest poll 1–2 weeks before the event, or use an Excel sign-up similar to Med Gala.
MMI video production funding: exploring options, including potential external sponsorship.
Jersey production: underway.
VP Global Health — Sara
Hosted first Global Health Town Hall (Monday).
Discussed collaboration among student groups.
Planning to provide Global Health top-up funding to select groups.
Discussed health literacy workshops in equity-deserving communities.
Discussed hosting a skill carousel night for Global Health Week (October).
VP External (Provincial) — Noam
AMA Spring RF (Edmonton): March 13–14; bringing ~7 UofC student observers.
AMA Committee on Student Affairs: meeting Feb 10.
Scholarships/funding: invited concerns/questions from students.
Planning PDoA with GAAC and UofA:
Topic: Reducing ER wait times (student survey result)
Date: March 14–15
Starting research/collaboration with AMA
Funding question: ~$2000 from CMSA? (similar to last year)
Question raised: absence request conflicts with UME for CMSA duties?
VP External (National) — Ore
CFMS Spring General Meeting / ICAM (Ottawa): April 2026
Needs:
Rooms
Travel equity fund approval to determine budget
VP SAW — Ryan
Jan/Feb events
Dr. Kilam: “how to get where you want to go” (Part 2) — early Feb
Review session on student supports — late Jan/early Feb
Letter to Future Self (WeCare) — Feb 5, 2026
CFMS weekly challenges & skating event — Feb 13, 2026 (awaiting risk management approval)
Mistreatment in medicine event — Feb 24 (online; email sent)
Review of available supports for students — Feb (Shada, PFSP)
UME purchasing a well-being index (burnout study).
Student Groups representation: additional rep needed; workload is too high for one person (could add two more).
WeCare birthday celebrations are running again.
SU Main Campus Wellness team planning initiatives—discussion re: volume of events.
CFMS budget: $1500 to budget.
Reference document provided: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Lratnsq3lPLXNtF1OtNQV_jkVk34SPZf-mcje2zgOhc/edit?tab=t.0
SGM mentioned.
VP EDIIA — Rica
Admissions Committee Student Representative elected.
Providing financial/logistical support to:
Black Medical Students Association (Black History Month)
Muslim Medical Association of Canada (Calgary) (Ramadan events)
Also supported equity-deserving groups under the portfolio, including: CAMSA, DIAG, GSD, CALMS.
President — Duaa
SU Rep updates (Nikhil/Hannah)
Student-focused events confirmed/in progress:
Pet therapy and low-barrier creative activities (plant potting / tote bag decorating)
Partnerships with Kinetix (free gym entry days)
WOWW fitness classes tailored for students during Wellness Week
Coordination with SAW Hub re: guest speaker on wellness/mental health
Exploring more direct medical student involvement (promotion/volunteering/co-hosting).
Secured annual student rep seats on the WOWW committee to support scheduling and engagement.
Presenter Policy update
Confirmed by UME leadership: does not conflict with accreditation processes.
Connected with Shivji Financial Services; event upcoming to help with deficit financing.
Policy expected to generate revenue in future years.
May reach out to Budgetyourmd.ca if more funding needed.
Patagonia order mishaps
Contacted vendor; plans to rectify:
2 students: jackets returned for requested personalization; coordinator will ship to home addresses
2 students: orders revised and shipped to home addresses
1 student: requested refund due to wrong colour/no personalization; refund advocated for
Next steps: pack jackets, share dimensions/weight for labels, return to coordinator
Blackbook representative
Potoo reps: black books ready for distribution Feb or March.
Tactile toolkit
Connected with Alex Paquette to discuss scaling tactile toolkits for UME learner engagement.
Budget needed to continue planning.
SGM updates
From prior communications: funding for the following roles is through the CMSA VP External budget:
Global Health
VP External (Provincial/National)
VP EDIA
Non-executive: GAAC
Note: Round tables are mandatory for all voting medical students from medical societies; updates to come closer to SGM.
Executive Faculty Council Meetings: to be added under President’s portfolio.
Cindy to update Elections Manual; constitution tracked changes to be maintained for ratification later.
Unselected jersey logos
Discussed ways to celebrate peers (e.g., stickers/pins on graduation or jersey day).
Need to connect with Clubs Rep re: overlap between events/clubs.
2) Agenda
2.1 Previous Meeting Minutes Approval (2 min — Eliana)
Mover: Noam
Seconder: Jaspreet
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_G5UkpQcu8P7qJstPUgBntRxk3MWb_ad/edit
2.2 Voting on Motions (10 min — Duaa)
Motion: Executive Faculty Council Meetings
THAT attendance and representation at Executive Faculty Council Meetings be formally included within the duties and responsibilities of the President’s portfolio.
Rationale: Ensures the President maintains direct engagement with faculty-level governance and can communicate student perspectives to the Executive Faculty Council.
Moved by: Nicole
Seconded by: Sara
Result: Motion carried
Motion: External Presenter Policy
THAT the CMSA adopt the following policy to be added to the bylaws under Article XIII – Finance.
Section 20: External Presenter Policy
CMSA shall permit for-profit organizations to deliver informational/promotional presentations (e.g., lunch talks) to students, subject to Executive Board approval.
Only for-profit entities promoting commercial offers/services shall be charged a participation fee.
Fee structure:
In-person: $1,000 per session, plus lunch cost if provided by the sponsor
Virtual (Zoom): $500 per session
Funds raised go to the general CMSA budget to support clubs, events, and initiatives per Executive Board decisions.
Executive Board may adjust/waive fees in special circumstances by majority vote.
CMSA Council will try to ensure presentations do not conflict with other CMSA executive-led events/initiatives.
Prior to each presentation, CMSA Council will share a written disclaimer outlining how any collected contact information may be used/stored and retention duration.
Presenters may use contact information only for professional follow-up related to the presentation; must avoid excessive/unsolicited communication (email fatigue/nuisance outreach).
Presenters must retain contact information no longer than 3 years, then securely delete it.
Policy effective immediately upon adoption unless amended/repealed per bylaws.
Moved by: Jaspreet
Seconded by: Ryan
Result: Motion carried
Motion: Budget Approval Extension
THAT the governing body extend the deadline for approval/adoption of the annual operating budget to March 11, 2026, to allow sufficient time for review, consultation, and finalization.
Moved by: Noam
Seconded by: Eliana
Result: Motion carried
Motion: Additional Clubs Representatives
THAT two additional Clubs Representative positions be established effective immediately; due to time constraints for the 2026 cycle, positions will be filled via an application-based process.
Moved by: Sara
Seconded by: Antonio
Result: Motion carried
3) Action Items
Eliana: send email about one-email-per-event policy and speak with UME.
Review bylaws regarding clubs funding (VP EDIIA, VP SAW, VP Finance).
Ryan: touch base with Shannon to revise room booking.
Ryan: create Clubs Rep application (1–2 questions; 200 words max) and share with Cindy; Cindy to anonymize responses for fair assessment by VP SAWH.
Duaa: reach out to Cindy to revise the Elections Manual.
Duaa: update constitution with External Presenter Policy.
Duaa: update constitution replacing “Director of Student Groups” with “Student Groups Committee.”
Duaa: touch base with Ryan re: overlapping student groups and research institute events.
Duaa: consult past presidents re: funding approvals for overlapping groups and approach to students holding more than allowable leadership roles.
Duaa: organize Patagonia returns with sales coordinator.
Duaa: send VP IT and CMSA Social Media Manager council headshots.
Ore: review SGM accommodations budget (supported by Ryan) and share with council if budget is tight.
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