John Mather
Editor-in-Chief
If you read all of this, I promise to tell you how to get free food from the university at the end.
Meet Ryerson’s Board of Governors — a collection of mostly rich, yet remarkably diverse adults who essentially control the university.
For people with so much power, they remain rather faceless on campus.
So it is about time we all get acquainted. I would prefer that they introduce themselves, but the governors have already spent $35,000 to advertise in the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail and National Post.
And so they’re weary from celebrating their awesomeness.
Now, before the formal individual introductions, one question has to be answered: What, exactly, does the board do?
The answer: A whole lot of shit.
Like the federal government, the board has little effect on the day-to-day lives of students. However, they do approve the school’s operating budget, appoint presidents and determine policy initiatives.
The board is also a lobbying tool used to squeeze funds from the government. Hence, some really, super powerful people sit on it — like Phyllis Yaffe, the CEO of Alliance Atlantis; Jack Cockwell, group chairman of Brookfield Asset Management and director at the C.D. Howe Institute; or Janice Fukakusa, chief financial officer of RBC Financial Group.
And of course there is everyone’s favourite: suit-meister Harry Rosen.
So, yes, the board’s recent national ad was right: We are special.
But does that mean we should go out and show off to the country? Wouldn’t it be better to focus resources on getting the board out to meet students?
After all, this group of near-superhumans is supposedly acting in our best interest.
Which brings me to the formal introduction. Every month, the board gathers to discuss master plans and such.
I’ve been a couple times — and the catered spread is delicious and often under-gorged by the governors.
So I formally invite you to meet the board on Nov. 26. Head to the 14th floor of the Jorgensen Ivory Tower (yes, there are 14 floors).
You can get your free food and meet the real power brokers on campus.
So bring friends, family, randoms and pets to the next meeting.
If they don’t want to meet us, we’ll meet them.
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