Hiring committee troubles, and new business woes
On March 23, 2016, the CSA held a regularly scheduled board meeting. This was the first meeting following the 2016 general elections. The meeting was chaired by former human resources and operations commissioner (HRO) Joshua Ofori-Darko. Current HRO Matthew Campbell was once again absent.
The subject of the failed referendum questions was on the minds of several directors. College of Biological Sciences at-large representative Nicholas Kowaleski not only proposed a new action item aimed at addressing the failed referendum questions, director Kowaleski also challenged the chair’s ruling on not moving new business up to the top of the agenda.
Director Kowaleski’s challenge failed, and the evening’s agenda was soon approved.
During executive commissioner reports, all three current commissioners addressed CSA hiring for next year’s full-time and part-time positions. Additionally, communications and corporate affairs commissioner Sonia Chwalek discussed standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Toronto movement.
However, board directors were once again more interested in finding out what the executive commissioners hoped to do about the failed referendum.
“Results are unofficial, so whenever results are unofficial, we stick to the posting—that’s standard,” explained local affairs commissioner Scarlett Raczycki, when asked about the results of the 2016 general elections.
When asked about the Graduate Student Association’s (GSA) bus pass referendum, commissioner Raczycki explained that 75 per cent of GSA members voted in favour of the increase.
In an attempt to rein in the meeting, Ofori-Darko suggested that directors be mindful of the fact that three commissioners are currently attempting to carry out the portfolios of five people.
In policy and transition manager Sarah Cooper’s report, she explained that this might be her final board meeting in her current role.
Following brief director reports, the CSA moved in-camera at 7:07 p.m., to discuss an item titled “Legal Update.” The board moved out of camera at 7:42 p.m.
After a brief discussion regarding the role and budget of thecannon.ca, the board moved to discussing a policy change to the general manager role. Finances and operations commissioner-elect Ryan Shoot suggested amending part of the role to work more closely with the finances and operations commissioner position. The board voted in favour of this amendment.
Communications and corporate affairs commissioner-elect Zoey Ross next motivated a motion aiming to establish a manner by which the board could do more to de-ratify directors acting against the interests of the CSA.
“This is a twin motion with the executive one,” said Ross, in reference to a successful motion that allows for the de-ratification of executive commissioners in the case that the board unanimously agrees on the de-ratification. “If something happens that we need to rapidly de-ratify a director, we can do so by unanimous decision.”
Following extensive discussion regarding the nature of the motion, the board almost unanimously agreed to pass the motion.
The winter hiring committee report was of interest to members of the board. Discussion began with College of Physical and Engineering Sciences Student Council president Ellen Song’s request to distribute copies of the CSA budget for 2016-2017.
Though chair Ofori-Darko questioned the need to consult the budget at that time, he could provide no reason to prevent its distribution. Following the budget’s distribution, members of the board were forced to confront a possibly litigious issue regarding the hiring of current commissioner Chwalek for a future paid CSA position.
Ofori-Darko suggested consulting legal counsel following the ratification or de-ratification of Chwalek’s potential position. Cooper, policy and transition manager, advised the board against possibly putting the CSA in a difficult legal position. When asked whether the board’s decision could go against CSA policy, however, Cooper stated that the CSA’s hiring practices were completely within policy guidelines.
Commissioner-elect Ross expressed concern over the discussion.
“I don’t want anybody [in the room] that can report on something that can harm the corporation,” said Ross, while motioning in the general position of The Ontarion reporter in the room.
Chwalek’s presence in the room, however, proved to be a point of contention. However, the commissioner was allowed to remain in the room during discussion, after a vote on whether her presence constituted a conflict of interest narrowly failed to pass, with less than two-thirds of the board voting that there was a conflict.
Chwalek repeatedly abstained from voting on ratifying her potential position. Ultimately, the board voted to ratify Chwalek’s future position at the CSA.
The board later moved in-camera at 11:13 p.m. to discuss an item titled “Cannon Decisions.” The board moved out of camera at 11:30 p.m.
The board soon voted to ratify David Eaton as the CSA’s first general manager.
Following Eaton’s ratification, the board moved in-camera at 11:38 p.m. to discuss the student pass referendum. The board moved out of camera at 12:30 p.m., at which point the meeting was adjourned.