University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) members have successfully staved off a vote to dissolve the organization – for now. During a tumultuous two-hour long meeting over Microsoft Teams, the chairman of the meeting made the decision to adjourn – after facing fierce criticism from attending students. Approximately 450 attendees joined the virtual meeting at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The move to a virtual option followed two other changes of venue. “This is unparliamentary. You are not allowing students their democratic right,” voiced one student during the meeting. Frustrated with the process of trying to join remotely, Amanda Leader was one of hundreds of students who were not able to access the online gathering. “I was able to listen to a friend’s live feed from them being in the meeting, but that was it. I wasn’t able to participate and vote or voice my concerns or anything like that,” she shared. The concerns raised in the meeting layered on top of existing issues with the wording of the dissolution – which some students feel would unfairly absolve URSU leadership of any accountability over what has happened to the organization in recent years. Those running the meeting heard several demands from students – who called for a physical ballot and for the meeting to be adjourned. “I don’t think that they were planning this meeting or running this meeting in good faith. I think they really were just trying to gloss over what students concerns were, and we heard that a lot,” Leader said. “Students really standing up for themselves and being like, ‘No you are going to hear what I’m saying today.’” The meeting comes after the university evicted URSU from campus last month and as the organization remains under investigation for allegations of the misappropriation of funds. A new meeting date has not yet been set. Although registered as a student at the First Nations University of Canada, Leader remains a member of URSU through her student fees. At the upcoming meeting, she said she is certain how she will place her vote. “I know myself personally I will be voting no. I think URSU needs to be held accountable and the members that were responsible for the mismanagement of funds and everything else that was going on,” she expressed. “I do think that they need to be held responsible for what they’ve done and not just dissolve and liquidate, and nobody be held accountable.” In a statement to CTV News, the University of Regina said its aware of the meeting’s outcome not leading to a proposed vote. “This is understandably disappointing for students who showed up in impressive numbers and made their voices heard. We encourage students to continue to engage in this process and to shape the future of student representation at the university,” read the statement.
