Board of Directors member who violated RSU bylaws files formal resignation

By Kosalan Kathiramalanathan

A Ryerson University graduate who was working as a board member on the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) while enrolled at another university—a violation of RSU bylaws—has filed an official resignation from his position.

The Eye previously reported that Ali Mulji gave an oral resignation to the RSU after The Eye discovered he wasn’t enrolled at Ryerson and was studying law at Thompson Rivers University in B.C.

He has since filed an official letter of resignation.

Mulji won a position in the RSU elections last spring when he was enrolled in commerce at Ryerson. He became commissioner of the Student Groups Committee and Course Union Committee. Additionally, Mulji was a student director for the Ted Rogers School of Management.

“It is with heavy heart that I tender my resignation as an elected member,” Mulji wrote in his letter of resignation, which was sent to RSU president Ram Ganesh and the BoD on Sept. 28.

In the letter, Mulji states he intended to return to Ryerson in the fall but changed his mind when he got an acceptance into study law. At that point, he said he raised concerns of a potential bylaw violation.

“It was then that I brought the concerns I had about the bylaw implications of attending another university whilst serving on the board to the executive. I was told that based on their interpretations of RSU bylaws 1.1, 2.1 and 2.2 and based on past precedent I should not resign and continue serving,” Mulji states in the letter.

The Board of Directors (BoD) is the representative body for students at Ryerson. Each director is elected annually to serve a term between May 1 and April 30. For their work, directors receive a maximum of $1,000 per semester for the summer, fall and winter semester.

Mulji said he requested he does not receive the BoD honorarium for his service so far. He also states he has recommended the executive review the situation so the same mistake isn’t made in the future.

The Eye previously reported that Edmund Sofo, vice president student life and events, said Mulji’s position did not break any bylaws. This was before The Eye presented him with evidence of the violations.

More to come.