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CESAR AGM sees election of new board

Sean Wetselaar
News Editor

The Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson (CESAR) will have a largely new board of directors next semester as CESAR United, a newly formed slate, won three of the five executive positions at Wednesday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The meeting saw the election of Matthew Cwihun to Campaigns and Equity, Annie Hyder to Membership and Communications, the re-election of Shinae Kim to Finance and Services from the CESAR United slate, and the re-election of Vernal Banton to Events and Workshops.

Director of Academics and Policy remained undecided in a tied vote between Ugochukwu Asagwara and Harmonie Wong.

“I am running to defend equity on campus,” said Cwihun, in his speech.  “As a student who has been through … what they call invisible marginalization, I understand what students go through and [that] they have various obstacles that they have to carry in addition to their studies.”

Candidates from CESAR United ran largely on a platform pledging an increase in transparency, accountability and democracy to the conflict-prone organization.

Returning candidates largely cited their experience and desire to support CESAR students in their speeches.

The meeting also saw some conflict following a motion to disqualify Hyder based on the stance that she had served on the board for a period of three years, without hiatus, which is not permitted according to a CESAR bylaw.

The Chief Returning Officer (CRO) maintained that Hyder had served just under a year and a half on CESAR’s executive, but not as a board member.  The chair agreed with the CRO’s statement and, after a vote, the motion was overturned.

There will be a re-election for the remaining position between April 10 and April 16, with results to be announced April 17.

More information to come.

10 Comments

  1. wow

    Matthew kicks ass! Yay!

    Hopefully, Harmonie will win! Go Harmonie!

    Vote 4 Harmonie Wong.

  2. I'm all for Harmonie Wong.

    I’m all for Harmonie.

    Ugo Asagwara was given a one year warning from the board for inappropriate conduct. How does he plan to represent students when he didn’t do that this year?

    http://theeyeopener.com/2012/03/internal-conflict-plagues-cesar/

    • RIDICULOUS

      I just read that article and this is really crazy. Asagwara and Kim were both told by the board to go to training and neither of them did. How is this even possible?!
      Amd now they’re both up to be elected again!

  3. Act!

    Yeah, the CRO did not “maintain” that Hyder had only served for 1.5 years – the CRO didn’t even speak to the motion. The chair opted to approve the CRO’s PREVIOUS decision that Hyder was eligible, a decision that was made before Hyder, by her own admission in her platform garble revealed that she had served for over 3 years without the minimum hiatus.

  4. Annie Hyder Won - the students chose her!

    Act, you sound like RB or another board member. Stop hating! Just get over it! Annie Hyder WON! It was petty to watch the cesar board try to do everything in their power to stop her from running in the election. Get over it! She won! and She was chosen by the students!

    • Annie is illegitimate - a blatant violation of CESAR bylaws!

      “Annie Hyder Won” – you sound a lot like Shinae Kim.

      Annie Hyder is blatantly violating the CESAR bylaws by running for for a fourth term. Bylaws that Annie herself recommended and voted for in March 2011. Some people are just addicted to the power and don’t know when to give this organization a much needed breath of fresh air. CESAR members get involved, run against these people, and rid this organization of its evils!

  5. Rob

    Well that’s good. Now can CESAR change it’s ridiculous constitution and give its entire membership the right to vote automatically rather than require prior attendance at “political meetings”. Having only 40 people allowed to vote out of a student body of 16,000 is absurd and completely undemocratic and requiring part-time students to attend several meetings before they can vote is absurd when most of them have part time or full time jobs and/or families to raise and thus are the least likely students to have free time. You’d think a student union for part-time students would have some understanding of the challenges part-time students face and try to make it easier for them to participate in elections rather than harder.

  6. Helen C

    Congrats on everyone who got elected – Matthew, Vernal, Annie, and Shinae – whoever gets elected next week (be it Ugo or Harmonie..?) Hopefully the newly elected executive/directors will bring positive changes and work hard together in better servicing and advocating for part-time, continuing and distance education students. I want to hope for the best and remain positive (always) that good will come out. CESAR is a very special organization that deserves care and its membership nurtured. I hope that single moms, students with disabilities, members living below the poverty line (possibly on welfare), people working 2 jobs, or going through depression/mental health issues and/or taking a break from school…etc. all of their needs will be well taken care of and everyone focuses on creating a safe space for all to come together and supported in their various struggles in life in order to get an education at Ryerson…Better Accommodations? Creating inclusive atmospheres? 🙂 Anyway, best of luck and congrats again to all.

  7. Ugo Asagwara

    Let’s correct your mis reporting on this matter. I choose not to reveal the details of my Squamish with my Board because of Personnels Privacy. A HR liaison does not reveal the details of his interaction to persons not privy by the rules of the organization. A Board room is a place for candid relevant conversation on portfolio mandate and the integrity of my Office. I guess, you will never know what happened. That said, I have minimal qualms with raising my voice to defend the Procedural Rights of persons, whom I am charged to protect. Members have a Right to be informed about new procurements. The Right to be heard is a core value of procedural rights. It is a shame, you bought into the “Politik” and damaged my reputation. Well, that is sometimes the price of service. Thanks!

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