LSU calls for emergency Special General Meeting to change student union bylaws

Reported by Tanner Bokor

The Langara Students’ Union quietly called a Special General Meeting to radically change the student union’s bylaws. The meeting will take place in the middle of exams.

“I think it is weird,” said first year nursing student, Matt Sawatzky when he heard about the meeting.

LSU bylaw 4.3 states, “council shall give no fewer than 14 days’ notice of an annual general meeting, special general meeting or referendum.”

It is unclear if the LSU respected their own bylaw in their decision because posters promoting the special meeting were abruptly taken down. The posters, usually time stamped, were not in this case and therefore students are questioning if 14-day notice was actually given.

Sawatzky said that he thinks it was suspicious how the posters mysteriously disappeared.

“If they had posters up why would they take them down? Especially if they wanted to promote something, why wouldn’t they want students to know?”

Meeting planned after new general manager fired

Following immediately on the termination of LSU General Manager Desmond Rodenbour, the newly-elected board of directors set the meeting date for Dec. 7.

Three changes to the union’s bylaws

It’s slated to be held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the student union building’s upper lounge to make three major changes to the union’s bylaws:

First, the union is presenting a motion to include Langara’s over 4,400 continuing studies students as members of the LSU.

This move will give these students access to the U-Pass B.C. program and the LSU Health and Dental plan, but it’s also charging these students the LSU’s full gamut of student fees.

Second, the group is putting forward a motion to alter the election cycle of the union to change the date that new directors would take office using the calendar year.

Such a change would prevent students enrolled in a one-year program from running for the board of directors. In the process, the change will extend current board member’s terms to December 31, 2017.

Third, the union wants to change the way newly elected directors are trained, including providing elected officers and advisors of the society a four-week stipend of an undisclosed amount before they take office.

Rodenbour, in Wednesday’s edition of The Voice said he had no part in drafting the proposed changes, saying that they were written after his termination from his post at the LSU.

The Voice reached out for comment from LSU, which did not respond.