By The News Team
Here’s what went down over the holidays while you argued with your racist uncle.
Rye prof dies in fatal stabbing near campus
On Dec. 15, Mark Ernsting, a Ryerson professor and cancer researcher, was fatally stabbed on an evening walk down McGill Street. Police described the stabbing as a “random attack” and “a crime of opportunity.” Ernsting worked in the faculty of engineering and architectural science. The accused, 21-year-old Calvin Michael Nimoh, faces first-degree murder charges.
Wendy Cukier to be president of the badgers
Wendy Cukier, Ryerson’s vice-president research and innovation, will be taking over as president of Brock University effective Sept. 1, 2016. Cukier has accomplished a lot during her three decades at Ryerson. She was influential in helping the school transition from a polytechnic to a university. She also founded the Diversity Institute and, most recently, was a founding member of Lifeline Syria.
Presidential search, to be continued…
On Dec. 1, Sheldon Levy left Ryerson after 10 years as university president. There’s still uncertainty over who will be his permanent replacement, but in a Jan. 11 update, the Presidential Search Committee said they’re making “good progress.” For now, former provost and vice-president academic Mohamed Lachemi has taken over. The university expects to have a new president before summer 2016.
RSU takes heat over layoffs and restructuring
When the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) eliminated its Executive Director of Communications and Outreach position on Dec. 1, they let go of two employees and pissed a lot of people off in the process. A long list of groups released public statements in response to the restructuring. Highlights include:
The Continuing Education Students’ Association of Ryerson (CESAR)
CESAR didn’t want to financially contribute to an “irresponsible and anti-union student executive,” so the Board of Directors passed a motion to boycott the RSU-run printing service, CopyRITE.
The Ryerson Feminist Collective
After the layoffs, the Ryerson Feminist Collective withdrew its application to become an RSU student group, announcing that they “do not support an RSU that values ‘saving money’ over two people’s livelihoods for no tangible reason besides ‘restructuring.’”
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 1281
CUPE made a Facebook post urging readers to contact RSU President Andrea Bartlett to protest the move. “We are not going to let members be attacked like this,” read the statement. “Bartlett is now attacking a woman’s legal right to take approved pregnancy leave without fear of termination.”
Anti-Racism Coalition
Ryerson’s Anti-Racism Coalition urged Bartlett to reinstate the two employees due to “serious equity issues” surrounding the layoffs. According to the coalition, the restructuring is “a cloak for unjust dismissal.”
University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU)
On Jan. 14, UTSU said in a public statement that their willingness to engage with the RSU has been “severely undermined.” When the RSU “demonstrates an institutional commitment to the principles of equity and good allyship,” the UTSU said the two student unions could resume working together as they have in the past.
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