Departments, Committees, and Working Groups
AGSEM has a number of permanent Departments and Committees. Permanent Departments include Mobilization, Grievance, Communications, and Operations. Committees include the Hours, Audit, Equity & Diversity, External Affairs, and Mutual Aid Fund Committees. Working Groups vary year to year depending on the issues most important to members, and include the Queer Working Group and the Graduate Funding Working Group, for example. Scroll down for a complete list.
The General Assembly and Delegates' Council may also establish Union Departments and Committees and Working Groups. As of May 2024, AGSEM members who serve on a Department or Committee receive an honorarium each term.
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Departments and Committees are typically filled at a Spring General Assembly, but AGSEM members may be appointed to Departments or Committees whenever vacancies arise. If you would like to join a Department or Committee, you can contact us, or run from the floor at a General Assembly.
Mobilization Department
The Mobilization Department is chaired by the Mobilization Officer(s) and is composed of elected or appointed members in good standing. The department has up to twelve members in addition to the Mobilization Chief Delegate and Mobilization Officers (2). The department works on campaigns, organizing events, and engaging membership, as mandated by the General Assembly or Delegates’ Council.
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Current members of the department include:
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Andrew Andersen (Mobilization Officer 1)
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Lauren Mayes (Mobilization Chief Delegate)
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Nicholas Vieria (Unit 1 Bargaining Chair)
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Magnus L'Argent (President)
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B Parazin
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Fiona Madsen
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Zoe Neubauer
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Tara Gold
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Hazem Hassan
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Anna Wang
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Nikaela Lange
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Cal Koger-Pease
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Ari Blondal
Grievance Department
The Grievance Department is chaired by the Grievance Officers and is composed of elected or appointed members in good standing. The department has up to four members in addition to the Officers, who assist with grievance processes across departments, administrative work, and advocacy.
Current members of the department include:
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Kiersten Beszterda van Vliet (Grievance Officer Unit 1)
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Teresa Joseph (Grievance Officer Unit 2)
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Donnie Morad
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Cal Koger-Pease
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Georgi de Rham
Communications Department
The Communications Department is chaired by the Communications Officer and is composed of elected or appointed members in good standing. The department has up to three members in addition to the Officer, and is responsible for all union communications, including email, social media, posters, press releases, and website maintenance.
Current members of the Department include:
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Aiden Mehak (Communications Officer)
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Élise Desbarats
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Ezelbahar Matin
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Georgi de Rham
Operations Department
The Operations Department is chaired by the Secretary Treasurer and is composed of elected or appointed members in good standing. Up to three members may serve on the department in addition to the Treasurer.
Current members of the Department include:
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Loïc Nassif (Secretary Treasurer)
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Juliette Regimbal
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Ari Blondal
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Asa Kohn
Hours Committee
AGSEM's Hours Committee is studying the problems of TA overwork and reductions in contract hours and number of contracts as enrolment rises across the university. In the last round of TA negotiations, AGSEM won the establishment of an AGSEM + McGill Working Group to study these problems and make recommendations by the end of 2025. Our Hours Committee represents AGSEM on this Working Group, which began meeting in August 2024. AGSEM will continue to push for concrete protections of contract hours and TA positions so that we eliminate the problem of TA overwork once and for all and improve quality of education across the university. If you see reductions in TA hours or positions within your department, let us know at: hours.committee1@agsem-aeedem.ca.
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Current members of the committee include:
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Dallas Jokic
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grey lorbetskie
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Lauren Mayes (Mobilization Chief Delegate)
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Nicholas Vieira (Unit 1 Bargaining Chair)
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee is a permanent committee of AGSEM formed by three elected members in good standing. The committee inspects the union's accounts and alerts the Delegates' Council of any discrepancies or concerns.
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Current members of the Audit Committee are:
Mutual Aid Fund Committee
The AGSEM Mutual Aid Fund was established to provide financial aid to members of AGSEM as well as members of the wider McGill or academic community.
A permanent Mutual Aid Fund Committee manages the Fund autonomously and reports to the AGSEM Delegates’ Council. Members include the Secretary-Treasurer (ex officio), the Mobilization Chief Delegate, a member of the Equity & Diversity Committee, and two Members-at-Large.
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Current members of the Mutual Aid Fund Committee are:
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Loïc Nassif (Secretary-Treasurer, ex officio)
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Sarah Rourke (E&D Committee)
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Kit Mitchell
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Mike Avanzato
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Lauren Mayes (Mobilization Chief Delegate)
Equity & Diversity Committee
The Equity & Diversity Committee is a permanent committee of AGSEM formed of three elected members in good standing. The committee receives internal union complaints related to violations of AGSEM's Equity Policy and ensures all AGSEM Executives and Committees integrate, demonstrate, and communicate their commitment to the AGSEM Equity Policy. The committee may also work on projects for the union related to equity and/or diversity.
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Current members of the Equity & Diversity Committee are:
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Aire McCall
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Sarah Rourke
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B Parazin
External Affairs Committee
The External Affairs Committee is a permanent committee of AGSEM formed by elected or appointed members in good standing. The committee has an unfixed number of members. The committee promotes inter-union solidarity at McGill, with our affiliates, and with other associations that share the Union’s objectives.
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The committee participates in the following meetings and groups:
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Federation of University Student Unions (FUSE)
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McGill Communities Council
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McGill Health and Safety Committee
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Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ)
Working Groups
AGSEM’s Working Groups are flexible committees that are associated with the Mobilization Committee.
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Currently, we have the following Working Groups:
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Graduate Funding and Cost-of-Living Working Group
A group that discusses issues of graduate funding at McGill, how graduate funding packages intersect with Teaching Assistant employment, and the current cost-of-living crisis affecting student workers. Ideally also collaborates with the McGill Post Graduate Students' Society (PGSS) Funding Working Group on issues of mutual interest.​
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Queer Working Group
A comfortable, casual, and ✨queer ✨ (as opposed to merely gay) working group. Here to hinder queer suffering, and make queer joy more accessible in our workplace and our union.
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The following Working Groups are currently inactive:
International Students Working Group
Meets to discuss issues affecting international students and international student employees. Aims to inform AGSEM members about their rights and hold events that will help international students navigate their time at McGill and in Canada.
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University Affairs Working Group
Collaborates with other members of the McGill community on policy revisions and other initiatives. It also advocates for an increased student and student employee presence within the university's structures of governance.
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Mental Health Working Group
An inter-union and inter-association group that meets to discuss McGill’s services and policies related to mental health care. Aims to advocate for better mental health support for McGill students and student employees.
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Climate Crisis Working Group
Meets to discuss how AGSEM can educate members on the climate crisis, its intersections with labor, and how we can impact McGill policies.
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If you would like to participate in an existing Working Group or have a project you want to work on in your union, please reach out to us at mail@agsem-aeedem.ca.