What is the BSA?

A sub-group of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, our goal is to provide a bridge between Concordia's Biology department and other Arts and Science departments, and to provide Biology students with the resources to make student life an enjoyable and academically successful experience. In the past, the BSA has organized many trips and other social events, hosted guest speakers, and provided information sessions for career opportunities in the field of Biology.  The Galapagos Project is currently the BSA president's main responsibility. (Click on title for more info)

The BSA also keeps a database of notes and past exams for courses in both Biology and Biochemistry and is the place to go if you're looking for a tutor or tips for academic success. We are THE information bank for Biology students, so please take advantage of this great resource!

Interested in being active in the BSA? Want to be a member of the BSA executive committee? Read more here.

Thanks,

Alysa


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This page was put together by the current BSA. We are:

Michael Iro (President)
Alysa Pompeo (V.P. Communications)
Julian Egery (V.P. Social)

Thank you so much to those of you who went out and voted! Allow me to officially present to you this year's committee:


The President - Michael Iro

About Michael from Michael:


VP Social - Julian Egery

About Julian from Julian:

VP Communications - Alysa Pompeo

About Alysa from Alysa:

I have a tendency to be long winded (I know, I know, that much was obvious just looking at this website) so I'll try to keep this short. Let's see.

It was around the time of February last that I decided I simply must get involved with the elusive "BSA" that seemed to pop up now and again in the lobby of the SP building to sell cookies and other such delights to sleep-deprived bio students, and then disappear into oblivion for indefinite periods of time, leaving us feeling empty, alone, and strangely cookie-deprived. "What was this magical organization?" I wondered, and a trail of rainbow-coloured wine gummies eventually led me to SP-375.12, the lair of the BSA. I promptly signed my name on their membership list, received and couple of e-mails about possible future events, and never heard from them again.

Fast-foward to this september. Hoping to find a more active BSA this year, I contacted former BSA President Adam Beach about the upcoming elections and was truly happy to find that he was very dedicated and supportive, adamantly encouraging me to run for an executive position, although I have virtually no experience under my belt. Thanks to him, I discovered many things about the past accomplishments of the BSA and hope to revive certain aspects of it that seem to have fallen apart in recent years. One thing it certainly seems to be lacking is something crucial to any student association; a connection with its students. If you're here now, I'll hazard a guess you had virtually no idea what the BSA was until now, and I don't blame you. One of my main goals this semester is to re-establish the relationship between Biology students and the BSA - to shout and "Hey, we're here. And we exist for you." I really believe in the idea underlying the BSA and want to reinforce the role it has in every biology studen'ts school life. My role in the BSA in essentially the link between you and the BSA, and your wish is our command. Tell me what you think enriches you academic experience and I'll make sure that we do our best to bring it to you. Of course, we have a few ideas of our own, but I won't ruin the suprise. Look foward to this year's changes!

There are many ways you can participate in the BSA.

1) Volunteer.
The BSA organizes many events throughout the year, and we need people to help fund-raise for them, and of course, to participate in the actual event. Whether it's a party, an outing, a study session, or a guest speaker, if you want to know what the BSA is planning, sign up for our mailing list outside the BSA office or send an e-mail to concordiaBSA@hotmail.com.

2) Become a member of the executive committee.
As of now, the deadline to become a candidate in the 2009 elections has passed. However.

The executive committee consists of 5 members and only 3 candidates signed up. This means, even if we reach quorum, two positions will be empty. If you're interested in filling these position, send us an e-mail, because there is the possibility of holding a by-election in November in order to fill the vacant positions if people are interested. These positions are:

VP Academic: "Plans academic events (guest speakers, conferences, etc.), keeps course info/notes for a variety of BIOL & CHEM courses, can arrange for a tutor at a student's request."

VP Finance: "Responsible for planning out the BSA's budget, keeping track of expenditures and seeing what money is available for various events."

Of course, experience with the BSA is not necessary.

The main goal this year is to promote the BSA; I, for one, want to make sure everyone knows that it exists, and that it is there to provide students with many, many different opportunities.

Thanks for reading,

Alysa

Contact: ConcordiaBSA@hotmail.com

Election Day:

Wednesday, September 13th, from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M.

Loyola: In the Lobby of the SP Building & lobby of the library.

Downtown: Lobby of Hall Building

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Ok guys, the annual ASFA elections are coming up, and the BSA needs everyone's help! Concordia has a law that requires "quorum" to be reached in order to have new members elected into any executive committee. What is quorum? In short, a quota. If less than 10% of Biology students turn up for elections, no new members can fill positions in the BSA. If last year's members are unable to fill the same positions there is essentially no BSA. In the past (ex. last year), BSA candidates have not received enough votes to have the executive positions filled. What does this mean for Biology students?

THE MONEY WE HAVE ALL PAID to ASFA, as a part of our tuition, is being put into a giant vat of funds which either other organizations will use, or will not be used at all. Why are others taking advantage of the funds that we could be using to organize parties, tutorials or other events of OUR choosing? Or, alternatively, why are our funds simply wasting away?

Because not enough of us are getting out and voting.

Not enough of us know that elections are going on.

Not enough of us know that the BSA exists.

So, this is a shout out to all Biology students: ASFA and the BSA exist, and are here to serve us - me and you - as long as we take part in the elections.


-Alysa Pompeo
Candidate VP Communications 2009