By Farnia Fekri
The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) Board of Directors voted in their Sept. 30 meeting to amend RSU bylaws to establish a Ryerson Student Representative Bodies Council.
The “honorary” group — which will have no voting power on the board — will bring together representatives from the RSU, the Ryerson Commerce Society (RCS), the Ryerson Communication and Design Society, the Ryerson Engineering Students’ Society, the Ryerson Science Society and the Ryerson Arts Society.
Citing historical hostility between the union and other student associations, RSU President Andrea Bartlett said the council would be to “ensure that in the future, we’re working with each other and not against.”
“I think that it’s something that’s important to make sure that a friendly working relationship exists … regardless of any political views or issues that may arise in the future,” she said. “Hopefully going forward we can work to empower our student leaders on campus through a council like this.”
RESS president Harrsan Parameswaran, whose group will join the meetings, said it will help student leaders “work toward a common goal.”
“Of course I’m happy to be on board [with the council],” Parameswaran said. “The idea was something we’d had before.”
He said the creation of the council is influenced by the connection of the current RSU executives to student associations — such as vice-president education Cormac Mcgee and the RCDS, or president Andrea Bartlett and the RCS.
Kiran Singh, the president of the RCS, said she is glad this project is being implemented.
“It shows unity on campus and ultimately it’s just better for everyone to come together so that our resources are better pooled together,” she said. “I’m all for it.”
At the board meeting, RSU vice-president finance Obaid Ullah added that participation in the council will be optional for the student associations.
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