CSN-REC Annual General Meeting

Held at Glendon College, York University, Toronto

12:15 to 1:30

October 1, 2011

Present : Geoffrey Ewen (York; Glendon); Jon Sufrin (York, Keele); Tanja Collet (Windsor); William Westfall (York); Taranum Khan( Independent); Meaghan Beaton (Trent); Christl Verduyn (Mount Allison); Mela Sarkar (McGill); James Trepanier (York, Keele); Andrew Nurse (Mount Allison); Jenny Ellison (Mount Allison); Matthew Evenden (UBC); Itesh Sacdev (SOAS); Colin Coates (York, Glendon); Donna Patrick (Carleton); Julia Harrison (Trent).

Adoption of the agenda: Moved by Meaghan Beaton; seconded by Andrew Nurse
Adoption of the 2010 AGM minutes: moved by Christl Verduyn; seconded by Taranum Kahn
Business Arising: none
President's Report: (Colin Coates)
The CSN-REC executive has been busy.
Have made significant accomplishments/successes. These include:
i. The desire for a Canadian presence at ICCS was a driving force behind CSN. We wanted a scholarly association for those who study Canada within Canadian Studies programs and those who wish to advance the multidisciplinary study of Canada.
ii. ICCS membership approved in May, 2011. CSN-REC was welcomed warmly. CSN-REC is now an associate member in the ICCS. This was an important moment for us and ICCS. Now CSN-REC members can ICCS programs. Also members of CSN can apply for International Linkages Funds and can benefit from other programs of the ICCS.
We also created an Advisory board. Role defined as time passes. Offer advice to the executive. Asked 10 people/got 10 positive responses. Have representation from across the country. These members include:
· Satwinder Bains University Fraser Valley
· Ian Angus Simon Fraser University
· Roberta Lexier Mount Royal University
· Raymond Blake University of Regina
· Jeff Ruhl (Grad) Carleton
· Yves Frenette Ottawa
· Rinaldo Walcott OISE, University of Toronto
· Will Straw McGill
· Michele Dagenais Montreal
· Claire Campbell Dalhousie

Holding our executive meetings held as conference calls which seemed to work well.
iii. DFAIT has been very supportive of the founding of CSN-REC. DFAIT wants us to link to international partners. The funds we got allowed us to bring international speakers; support graduate students to attend international Canadian Studies conferences. We look to the membership for more possibilities about how we can support our members with these funds.
iv. Exploring how to establish Canadian Studies as a teachable subject was another issue we wanted to pursue to determine what role the CSN-REC could have in promoting Canadian Studies as a teachable. Determined that this is difficult with many stages in each province. However did determine that in Ontario students (at least) can get a teachable through Canadian Studies as teachables are defined on the basis of specific courses rather than majors. It will be, however, a long process to get Canadian Studies established as a teachable broadly.

Discussion (Executive comments are in italics)
Does the advisory board have international members? We would need constitutional change to do this. Possibly need to bring this to the AGM next year. The executive should discuss this point.
Can the CSN-REC have international members? Yes, anyone who can join but do not want to poach members from other associations.
Is it possible to offer to support members to travel to Canadian Studies conferences within Canada/outside Canada., other than students? We can discuss this at the executive.
Does the CSN-REC want to join the Federation and meet at Congress? ACS is still a member of the Federation. We would need to negotiate with the Federation to see if we could join while the ACS is remains a member, even if the ACS does not attend Congress. Our membership in the Federation is a goal for the future.
Is it possible to offer non-credit courses through the CSN-REC for those who want to learn more about Canadian Studies? Or about other areas of Canadian Studies? It could generate revenue for the CSN-REC. At the moment we are not in position to do it.
What is the role of the CSN-REC in promoting programs of institutional members? The CSN-REC could do it. It could be included in the newsletter. And possibly a listserv would do this as well. Various programs can link to the CSN-REC website.

Secretary's Report (Julia Harrison): from Executive minutes. We need to work on recruitment.
Treasurer's Report (Julia Harrison): Andrew Nurse moved; Meaghan Beaton seconded the acceptance of the Reader's Report as presented. The updated income statement was distributed and discussed.
Discussion: At our meeting next year possibly we could put forward a budget for the next year at the AGM.

ICCS liaison for the CSN-REC Christl Verduyn reported on joining the ICCS relationship. We are now an associate membership in ICCS and as such we have responsibilities to the ICCS. We are sponsoring two graduate students to go to the Groningen Graduate Student conference in November, 2011. ICCS has a wide array of programs that we can now access. These focus on building relationships with the international Canadian Studies community. Encouraged those in attendance to visit the ICCS website to see what programs are available. We are thankful to DFAIT for their support of international speakers.
Discussion: We should send Canadian students to the South American and Pacific Canadian Studies networks to the student conferences held by these groups. This is a good idea and something we should follow up on. Is there Canadian Studies in Quebec? Do we have members in Quebec? We want them. What are the politics of the accepting money from DFAIT? Can we lobby on the apparent restrictions placed on international Canadian Studies initiatives?? The executive needs to develop policies in this regard.
Student Representative Report (Meaghan Beaton): We can now interact across the international and national community. Students want to build the CSN-REC student caucus. Student support policy on the website. The student caucus meeting this morning and more informal requests for input recommended:
The development of sessions for professional workshops aimed at developing skills and linkages outside the academy
Promotion of more international conferences by CSN-REC members and facilitating attendance at the same.
Meaghan will take all the comments received this morning and from colleagues previously and present them to the executive.
Conference reports:
Glendon conference: well supported by Robarts Centre, Prinicipal's office at Glendon, Canadian Studies program at York. Geoffrey Ewen and Colin Coates would like to thank the conference participants, session chairs and student and administrative support. The theme of seeing Canadian Studies through language has raised many issues at this event.
Matthew Evenden (UBC) is the head of Canadian Studies at UBC. He reported on the planned conference in the fall of 2012 that will bring together Canadian Studies and Environmental Studies in an effort to examine the relationship of these two groups today. It will be titled: Beyond the Culture of Nature? Pleased to host the AGM for the CSN-REC next year. May partner with Satwinder Bains at University of Fraser Valley for programming at the conference.
Discussion: Try to make the call for papers broad enough to include the breadth of interests of faculty and students, specifically PhD students. Include art history, geography, cultural studies themes.

Dalhousie/Mt. Allison (2013): Will be at the end of September as it is timed for international participation. Will be themed around the idea of "meeting place". Will be divided during Halifax and Mount Allison. Call for papers almost ready to go out.

AOB: Colin reported that we are working on translation the website.
Adjournment: Moved by Geoffrey Ewen.