SFSS Hires Catalyst Creative to Survey SFU Students re: Undergraduate Health Plan

Undergraduate students of Simon Fraser University are some of the last remaining university students in Canada not to have a student health plan. Starting in 2005, SFU graduate students obtained a health and dental plan following a student referendum, through Gallivan and Associates. And so, this past summer the Simon Fraser Student Society formed an "Undergrad Health Plan Negotiating Committee" to look into the possibility of obtaining a health plan for undergraduate students.

Interestingly enough, however, the Executive Committee of the SFSS just today approved a motion assigning to Catalyst Creative, Inc. the task of conducting a survey of SFU undergraduate students relating to a possible health plan. [Note: See update below for correction.]

Now Catalyst Creative is an interesting firm. Their Vice-President (also known as the "Strategic Director") is none other than Michael Gardiner, who also works (or at least was recently employed) as Organiser of the Canadian Federation of Students-BC. This article (PDF, p. 8), published by CCEC Credit Union, indicates that Catalyst Creative was founded in 2005 by just two individuals: Michael Gardiner and David Launainen.

Catalyst Creative's website does not indicate that they have any expertise conducting surveys or soliciting opinion. Their services (according to their webstie) are Merchandising, Print Media, Broadcast Media, Publicity and Earned Media, Events, Training, Positioning, Identity, Packaging, Web Technologies, e-Collateral, and Print Collateral. Their list of clients is interesting, however, as it includes the National Student Health Network (NSHN), owned and operated by the Canadian Federation of Students-Services. And, indeed, CIRA records show that the Administrative Contact for the NSHN is none other than Michael Gardiner.

SFSS records also indicate that the Catalyst Creative staffer responsible for conducting the survey is the same Mr. Gardiner. External Relations Officer Margo Dunnet's August work report states:

"The Undergrad Health Plan Negotiating Committee met with Michael Gardiner from Catalyst Creative to discuss what should be included in the survey to undergraduates. We mapped out the questions and he will get back to us with the format in early Sept. I talked to Ron Heath, Office of the Registrar, and he agreed to supply us with the e-mail addresses we need to administer the survey."

SFSS executives may wish to consider a historical perspective in this matter. In an article written in 1996 entitled "SFSS, This is Your Life," Peak writer Patrick Kolby wrote:

After the summer hiatus, Forum members decided to begin steps to hold a referendum on SFSS membership in CFS. The move was sparked by problems with the CFS' handling of SFU's health care plan broker, and an apparent conflict of interest between the plan's organizer, Joey Hansen, and the CFS. Hansen held positions both on the SFSS and on the CFS. Although not a concern of most students, the SFSS dissatisfaction with the CFS grew as they were blamed for the problems of the health plan. Adding to the push to leave the CFS was the creation of a new student organization, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. This new option has made the move possible for SFU out of the CFS and into CASA more likely than ever. How the implementation of the CFS-backed health care plan in May affects the proposed referendum is anyone's guess. It is also anyone's guess whether or not the plan will actually be implemented by May, if the past is any indication. In their final act of 1995, Forum voted to decide to consider one of the many options to increase efficiency after the $25,000 Ernst & Young accounting report was tabled. Good work.

Another article in 1997, entitled "Students axe health plan," provide a short summary of what happened to our previous health plan:

Although Simon Fraser students decided to remain in the Canadian Federation of Students in last week's referendum, they axed the federation's health plan.
....
The plan, implemented in January of this year, was the target of attack from a number of extremely vocal groups on campus. Aspects under fire included the inability of students with only basic provincial health care to opt-out, as well as concerns that the CFS was receiving a large commission from student fees.
....
Respresentatives of the federation deny allegations that it is profiting from the National Student Health Network.
"It's a break-even operation," said Michael Gardiner, provincial chair of the Federation. "The only reason the CFS operates the health plan is so that individual student associations don't get ripped off by local brokers. The National Student Health Network has brought prices down for everyone. Because of this, students across the country get their health care cheaper."

(The aforementioned Margo Dunnet is a member of the Executive Commitee of the Canadian Federation of Students - British Columbia.)
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UPDATE (2006-09-23): I have been informed that the Executive Committee of the SFSS merely received a report from the Undergrad Health Plan Negotiating Committee regarding the retention of Catalyst Creative; it did not actually pass any motion. The Undergrad Health Plan Negotiating Committee was struck by the Board of Directors on July 27, with a mandate to spend up to $6000 on a contractor to create a survey for the undergraduate health plan.