How would one go about doing this? Would this impact my role as an incoming exec on one of the MSU funded clubs? Is it too late to opt out of the Health and Dental Plans?

Thanks ahead of time.

Umm...you mean like, the WHOLE MSU? Because if thats what you mean...thats pretty much impossible. Like...no way to do that as far as I know.

Originally Posted by Goce

How would one go about doing this? Would this impact my role as an incoming exec on one of the MSU funded clubs? Is it too late to opt out of the Health and Dental Plans?

Thanks ahead of time.

The online opt out application for health and dental insurance will be avaiable on September 1 and the deadline is September 30.
Heres the link where you can access the opt out application:
https://www.msumcmaster.ca/services/health/overview.htm

Originally Posted by c.erl

Umm...you mean like, the WHOLE MSU? Because if thats what you mean...thats pretty much impossible. Like...no way to do that as far as I know.

Yeah, I meant the whole MSU.

Thank you both for your answers.

Originally Posted by saukalra

The online opt out application for health and dental insurance will be avaiable on September 1 and the deadline is September 30.
Heres the link where you can access the opt out application:
https://www.msumcmaster.ca/services/health/overview.htm

Thanks for the link! Some of my first year friends had no idea about this and missed out on the refund lol. Not this year though!

Originally Posted by Goce

Yeah, I meant the whole MSU.

Thank you both for your answers.

Hi Goce,

Provided that you're an undergraduate student enrolled in at least 18 units of courses, you become a member of the MSU. Like most (if not all) other undergraduate student unions, it is not possible to opt out of the MSU.

Furthermore, you need to be an MSU member in order to hold an Executive position in an MSU club, as per MSU Operating Policy 1.9.9 - MSU Clubs. If it were possible to opt out of the MSU, it would definitely impact this position.

As others have mentioned, it isn't too late to opt out of the MSU Health and Dental plans. So long as your can provide evidence of comparable insurance coverage, you can opt out in September and be reimbursed the $45.00 and $95.00 fees.

Hope this helps!

As an undergraduate student I recognize that the MSU offers A LOT of great services. If you have dental insurance already and want to opt out that's cool. However, the MSU does a lot more than you think it does. It's also kind of rude to want to opt-out of the MSU yet expect that the club you're an exec for to get funding. Yeah, it's a lot of money and I don't utilize all of the services. However, many of the services are of great benefit. Since you can't opt out of it, I'd recommend taking advantage of it because they're there for a reason. I'm pretty sure the MSU doesn't create services just for the sake of it. Think of how many clubs people join that the MSU funds, or the services students utilize or to have our voices heard. If students started opting out of the MSU, which luckily isn't possible, you'd be depriving the students of many great services and experiences.

In addition, you pay like under 100 dollars for dental insurance but get to use over 700 which ultimately saves people, like me who don't have insurance, money.

Originally Posted by Goce

Yeah, I meant the whole MSU.

That would be nice, eh?

Originally Posted by micadjems

That would be nice, eh?

It seems like it would.

Nicole: Don't try and make me into an MSU hater, because I am not overly against what they are trying to do. I just dont feel it is worthwhile financially. No doubt they help many people and can be useful, but I just dont use many of the services myself.

The bus pass is great and The Sil is ok. The rest I am not all that into.

Ultimately I think you should only pay for what you use. The way we are all forced into this union is not something I am fond of. Minimally, they should allow students to pick and choose where they would like their funding to go (this includes not automatically putting you in the Health & Dental plans).

Just my .02 though!

Originally Posted by Goce

It seems like it would.

Nicole: Don't try and make me into an MSU hater, because I am not overly against what they are trying to do. I just dont feel it is worthwhile financially. No doubt they help many people and can be useful, but I just dont use many of the services myself.

The bus pass is great and The Sil is ok. The rest I am not all that into.

Ultimately I think you should only pay for what you use. The way we are all forced into this union is not something I am fond of. Minimally, they should allow students to pick and choose where they would like their funding to go (this includes not automatically putting you in the Health & Dental plans).

Just my .02 though!

That's unfortunately not how government works. The MSU is also about more than just services, since we have connections and advocate for you with the University administration and all three levels of government. We also provide funding for you to have clubs and spaces for you to study and socialize. Let's also not forget about things like EFRT, SHEC, SWHAT, Compass, and other highly used "health & safety" services which make life easier and safer for our fellow students.

It's really not much different than the government of Canada, except instead of paying taxes for the services of education, healthcare, infrastructure, etc., you're paying "taxes" (MSU fees) for everything I've explained already and more.

And let me just make it clear that while "union" is in the name, a student's union is different from a labour union. We're much closer to an actual government than a union.

Ben: some of us want to change where our tax money goes... some of your parents or your tax money is going to the war effort in Afghanistan, and some of us don't like that. Your acting like you or the MSU is powerful or something. Everybody and everything is replacecable, remember that. If someone doesn't want their fees to go towards the renovations happening to Quarters' then so be it.

Originally Posted by tio123

Ben: some of us want to change where our tax money goes... some of your parents or your tax money is going to the war effort in Afghanistan, and some of us don't like that. Your acting like you or the MSU is powerful or something. Everybody and everything is replacecable, remember that. If someone doesn't want their fees to go towards the renovations happening to Quarters' then so be it.

I agree that every single student should have a say in where their MSU funds go. If you have thoughts on what should or should not be funded, let your SRA rep(s) know! I know that most SRA members wish that they heard more from their constituents on matters like this.

The names and contact emails of every caucus leader are available on the MSU website. If you let me know which faculty you're in, I'd be happy to paste that info here for you. Though some SRA members visit MacInsiders regularly, email is the best way to reach them when you've got something to say.

While I get that no-one enjoys paying $100.00+ each year for MSU services, there are very good reasons why the fee is mandatory. If students only paid for services as they used them, the MSU wouldn't be able to keep them open. Furthermore, some services (SHEC and QSCC come to mind) wouldn't make sense to charge for, but that doesn't mean they aren't of value to students.

If people only paid for the services that they wanted to use, no one would pay for EFRT. If you had a medical emergency on campus, however, you'd still want that service to be there.

Beyond the services, the MSU does alot to represent and advocate on behalf of students before the University administration and various levels of government. Alot of people don't realise the good that this does for students. The Ombuds office, for example, which resolves academic disputes and upholds due process for students, wouldn't exist if the MSU hadn't pushed for it. The MSU also works with research-based lobbying organizations OUSA (Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance) and CASA (Canadian Alliance of Student Associations) to improve your access to postsecondary education and to help students be able to afford it.

It takes money to do these things. While I'm all in favour of reducing unnecessary spending, I don't see a better way to address the costs that ultimately serve everyone's benefit, and which have all been ultimately approved by students (either via the SRA or by referendum).

Originally Posted by micadjems

That would be nice, eh?

It would only be nice for the people who pay more to the MSU than the services they get back.

For example, everybody.

Tio here does have a very valid for the SRA and BOD to take notice. He doesn't want 375,000 of his money spent into a service that has already somehow lost 400,000 in the past year and there is no absolute certain guarantee that it would even break even this year! The Renovations do look good(they better be with the ridiculous amount of money!) and the MSU has "promised" that it will change things around internally but that still is an immense risk that a small community(that little club called the SRA/BOD) is making for the rest of the student body. And I say community not because of some personal reason but because of simple facts: Voter turnouts. My faculty elected 5 people to the SRA but I hardly trusted around 2 of them with any degree of competence, the rest of the SRA candidates for my faculty to my horror were standing with utterly ridiculously far fetched platforms; claiming to solve issues that were wayyy beyond their reach. From my creeping around I don't reckon any of them have made any personal initiative(away from their usual duties) or effort to do something about those goals, infact after two of them leaving their seats one of my Faculty Reps actually came 7th in the candidate list 7th! I don't reckon he/she had more then 20 votes.

But all that rant aside I understand and admit that 1280 was a service that is pretty much there in almost every student union across Canada and we simply cannot shut it down if it is a loss. Okay you guys spent a good chunk of money to make it better for us(the US here doesn't exactly include the entire student population since a HUGE number of them will never even go to 1280 for things other then food!). But the issue here is the way the whole issue was dealt with by the MSU leadership, you know very well how badly the Speaker issue was dealt with and the air of mistrust and sketchiness it created regarding the ethics of the BOD. Macinsiders was a good venue to clear accusations of "poisoning the workplace" and unprofessionalism that were oddly thrown by the former speaker on the MSU leadership.

Did the BOD clear things up apart from one miniscule need to know Post from the President and House leader each? NO

I went on and repeatedly asked constructive and simple questions in the Quarters thread, did anyone from the SRA or BOD answer? NO
Infact the SRA members went onto defend the BOD for what they have done instead of answering their constituents who were answering questions.

I read a patronizing post by a SRA member from some other faculty to everyone complaining on Insiders to email my Caucus leader if I have questions(Since I happen to be among the tiny minority of students who will make the effort to type one up, I DID): NO replies for two emails sent both on facebook and at the msu email. I love how all the SRA members keep on insiders keep doing the whole "please contact us, we love to hear from you" but fail to realize that there are 39 SRA members and they are one of the minority who actually make an effort to come on Insiders and post regularly! The rest are apparently just here for resume padding(In reference to my two kinds of SRA members Rant: http://www.macinsiders.com/showthread.php?t=2202 0&. The Jury is still out for me on a number of people in my caucus!

The whole Information disemination system is a bust, the general MSU member doesn't trust the SRA; all he does is have a vague and distrustful view of how they spend money and as I have found out recently do so without properly answering questions properly about "our" money.

My questions still stand on multiple threads(http://www.macinsiders.com/showthrea...2220 6&page=8&
http://www.macinsiders.com/showthread.php?t=2202 0&)

If you guys want everyone to appreciate all the constructive services(student jobs, Student Health Services, Union Market and the clubs!) and overlook the faults and to trust you guys to overcome issues like Quarters there definitely needs to be much better communication by the MSU leadership. As things stand the students don't trust you nor do they want anything to do with the MSU if given a choice.

I did recommend via email to both the VP Admin and President that MSU would be well served by creating a Vp Communications position like the one UWO has(I was highly impressed in my dealings with them) but I got a reply that the MSU does have full time staff who handle communications(I don't know who they are lol, I will ask soon). There is a major need for re-doing the BAD BAD PR that the MSU suffers from. I have only been here a year and have witnessed two badly managed PR fiascos(the 2009 Budget/Quarters Loss and Speaker Resignation) and no action over issues that I as a Socsci am clearly being affected by: Sessionals being layed off and budgets being slashed with imputiny and being transferred over to the Sciences(Atleast that's what I infer with my little knowledge of anaylzing official budget documents, the MSU still hasn't taken up my public request of elaborating the budget document and its implications); who needs CASA and OUSA lobbying when the basic education at Mac locally is in shambles.