What does voting yes or no on their proposed resolution mean?
On Wednesday, September 24 during a Special General Meeting (SGM) held over zoom, the University of Regina students will decide the fate of the University of Regina Students’ Union(URSU). After a year of turmoil during which the university won a lawsuit against URSU, froze its assets and evicted its employees, the unions’ fate has become a little more clear.
In the agenda for the SGM shared by the union with the students it is mentioned that the sole purpose of this meeting is to consider and vote on the following resolution of dissolving the union in accordance with section 16 of The Non-Profit Corporations Act, 2022 (Saskatchewan).
More interestingly the agenda states that, “by approving this resolution, the members release the URSU Board of Directors, executives, management, and staff from liability relating to URSU’s operations and dissolution, provided actions are taken in good faith, reliance on this resolution, and legal advice.”
All students of the UofR can attend the SGM but will have to pre-register themself if they want to attend. The link for pre registration was shared in the same email. The students in attendance will get to vote for or against the proposed resolution.
URSU relayed information about the voting procedures on its social media accounts and their website. On their Instagram page, URSU wrote that “Members may vote Yes (in favour), No (opposed), or Abstain.The resolution requires approval by at least two-thirds (2/3) of votes cast in order to pass. No amendments, substitutions, or additional motions will be accepted from the floor.”
Now the question is, what exactly will happen if you vote yes for their proposed resolution? What if you vote no?
Voting yes or no is eventually a decision that students can make based on their own discretion. The Carillon only hopes that no one who acts dishonestly gets to walk away from the consequences of their actions without being held accountable. –the Carillon
Voting yes
According to URSU, voting yes would result in the following steps:
- Engaging a liquidator to oversee the dissolution process, for a final review, and
- Initiating the wind-up of URSU’s operations within 90 days of the vote, with all URSU records and data remaining URSU property and not shared with any third party except the liquidator.
They also propose to transfer to the University of Regina Board of Governors to be held in trust until another student union is formed.
If the resolution is approved, the URSU Board of Directors, executives, management, and staff will be released from any liabilities with respect to the union’s operation.
Voting no
Voting no does not necessarily mean a vote in favour of URSU. Voting no can be a way for students to fix the student union within the system, as well as make sure no parties are absolved of any possible wrongdoings.
URSU wrote on Instagram that “If the resolution does not pass, the matter of dissolution (or any substantially similar proposal) cannot be reconsidered for six (6) months following this meeting.”
Accountability matters
Over the years as news about mismanagement of funds, operational fallacies, corruption, and misuse of students’ money broke about the union, many students have called for increased accountability and transparency on the unions’ end. With this new resolution, it appears that the union attempts to once again get away with their actions without being held accountable. Voting yes or no is eventually a decision that students can make based on their own discretion. The Carillon only hopes that no one who acts dishonestly gets to walk away from the consequences of their actions without being held accountable.
Students looking for the link to register, can also find it here.
