Executives!

At last night's Board meeting, the SCSU very unceremoniously got executives for next year. Here's how:

At the beginning of the meeting, there was an item entitled "New Business - Issues Regarding Elections: Logistics and Rulings." During this item we were first directed to a section in the VP Human Resource's report where he discussed hiring for a new elections committee. On Monday the 19th the current Elections Committee informed Mike that they did not want to extend their contracts and run the re-election. So, Mike put out the advertisement and set a deadline of Wednesday 21 March, intending to announce the results at an emergency Board meeting set for that night, which was subsequently cancelled. Due to the cancellation, Mike e-mailed the Board stating that he had reviewed the applicants and there were not enough qualified candidates to form an elections team. Without an elections committee, we can't run an election.

Next, the Vice-Chair, Jemy Joseph, made a ruling on the re-election in terms of the nomination packages' availability. Elections Policy section 2.01.08 - Duties of the Chief Returning Officer states: Establish a minimum of seven (7) working days for the filling of nominations; nominations will close at least ten (10) working days before the first voting day of the election; Working days does not include Reading Week. (emphasis mine).

Now, considering that we did not have a CRO for the re-election at this time, the responsibility should have been delegated by the Board to someone else. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Nominations, according to the advertisement in the Varsity (the legal one) were to open on Thursday 15 March, and close yesterday (23 March). However, the nomination packages were not publicly available until Tuesday 20 March. While the nomination period was technically open for 7 days, the Vice-Chair ruled that without the packages being available until Tuesday, potential candidates could only file nominations for four days (20, 21, 22, 23 March). Extending the nomination period another three working days to 28 March would not be feasable, as the closing date of nominations must be at least 10 days before voting. It would push the voting day into study break, when even fewer people are on campus than on a UTSC Friday as was originally planned. Because of this, the Vice-Chair ruled the re-election illegal.

Thirdly! The Chair did some investigating into Robert's Rules of Order. At the 9 March Board Meeting, the ratification failed during the Division of the Assembly. The initial vote actually passed. After looking into Robert's Rules, Susie found that the Division of the Assembly was, in fact, illegal. While she was explaining this people were getting confused and I wanted to have a whiteboard so I could draw a flow chart. Here's basically how things went and why they were illegal:

- Vote called on motion to ratify.
- Vote passes.
- Marc Kilchling moves to recess.
- Some kerfluffle, but a recess held.
- Return from recess.
- Request for a Division of the Assembly.
- Chair denies, says it's against Robert's Rules, which state:

A Division of the Assembly may be called for, without obtaining the floor, at any time after the question has been put, even after the vote has been announced and another has the floor, provided the vote was taken viva voce, or by show of hands, and it is called for before another motion has been made.

(Emphasis mine)
Because Marc made a motion to recess, a Division of the Assembly is impossible under Robert's Rules. Some people objected because there were objections to the motion to recess, however, the motion doesn't have to pass - someone just has to say it. Which they did.
- Appeal to the Chair's decision.
- Susie tries to explain that she didn't actually make a decision, she's just following Robert's Rules, therefore there is nothing for them to appeal.
- Certain Group of People force a vote on Appealing the Chair's decision, which passes.
- Division of the Assembly takes place, motion fails.

According to Robert's Rules, this appeal, and subsequently the Division of the Assembly, is illegal. This Certain Group of People who were dead set on having a Division of the Assembly would have had to move to suspend the rules, which requires 2/3 majority (see Robert's Rules, Article IV. Incidental Motions, Sections 21 and 22, for Appeals From The Chair and Suspension of the Rules). Susie did not make a ruling, she stated the rules. In finding this she ruled the Division of the Assembly from 9 March illegal, therefore the initial vote to ratify stands.

So after all that, really it means that a) a re-election is illegal and impractical, and b) the original report was ratified. People went on and on about these things but of course it was going nowhere, and the topic was not a Discussion Item, so Rob called for Orders of the Day and we moved on. Since that means we have Executives, Director Arjune Selvarajan, who had put the Motion to Rescind and the Renewal of a Motion on the table, withdrew them. And we merrily went on our way to the 07-08 budgets.

Of course, because people are stupid, they can't leave things be. Later, we were hearing reports from SCOSE and SCOE (Standing Committees on Students & Equity and External, respectively). A couple of people had left the room and we were in the middle of discussing a motion coming from SCOE on the $10 minimum wage campaign, when these people return. Out of nowhere, Senthooran, the VP External, starts going on about something related to Robert's Rules. I believe he was trying to get Rob's earlier insistence on calling Orders of the Day (which is non-debatable) ruled dilatory. Whatever it was, he interrupted his own committee chair with bullshit that's already been ruled on. God that pissed me off. We were in the middle of something and he just barges into the conversation with something COMPLETELY off-topic. ARGH.

In any case, for what it's worth, congratulations to Rob, Jemy, Chris, and Ahmad. Hopefully it lasts this time.

In other, happier news, I served on the SCSU Awards Committee, which reported to the Board last night, so I'd like to congratulate the winners of those awards:
President's Award - Chris Van Abbema
Vice-President's Award - Lynn Zhu
Clubs' Awards - Maple Chong (Life Science Students' Union) and Charissa Jattan (Model United Nations)
Faculty/Staff Award - Lesley Mak
Teaching Award - Dr. Stephen Reid

Aaaand I'm out. Back to work.