Thread by @emmarosesandri

Tonight @theeyeopener news team is at the Board of Directors (BoD) meeting and we are ready to give you all the tea! Follow this thread to find out what motions pass and which are ruled out of order.

The Eyeopener reported this week that RSU execs had issued themselves credit cards. Student group director Maklane Dewever is supposed to bring forth a motion tonight which would require the union's financial controller to sit down with the board
theeyeopener.com/2019/01/rsu-ex…

We are waiting for quorum, in the meantime everyone is listening to Cruise by Florida Georgia Line ...

Currently, the BoD is ratifying student groups. The Ryerson Society for Technical Analysts is present and ready to officially become a part of the RSU!

The group wants to plan a joint-event with other Ryerson finance groups, which would have a panel of five industry experts.

The other groups who want to be ratified are the Italian Student Society, Thaqalayn Muslim Association and the Poker Club - all of which used to be student groups, but "fell by the wayside," according to campus group coordinator Dawn Murray.

The BoD is discussing the agenda for the night while awaiting quorum. If it is not reached by the end of the night, no motions will be voted upon.

One motion on the agenda concerns the creation of an RSU sexual assault and harassment policy. RSU president Ram Ganesh says that the union already has a policy - which was not added to the policy manual, but presented to the board.

James Fotak, the faculty of arts director who brought forward the motion, says that it is a "little concerning" that adding the policy to the manual was not a priority. Ganesh did not respond to Fotak.

The Graduate Representative Committee wants to change their name to the Graduate Executive Committee.

Karolina Surowiec, the vice-president equity, put forward a motion to instate a Trans Awareness Month. Surowiec is not present at the BoD meeting tonight.

@maklanedewever is bringing forth a motion asking for more transparency around Loud Fest. Dewever wants to know more about the finances for the concert, specifically how much profit the RSU made. He also wants to know more about Sesxions, the company who put on the concert.

According to Dewever, he could not find anything on the company who put the event on.

Ganesh says that hopefully the numbers could be brought forward in a couple of weeks. BoD members also want to know about how many tickets were sold. Ganesh said he does not have the exact numbers.

Dewever also brought forward another motion to meet with the financial controller in "good faith." The controller, Dharshini Jay, would present the union's finances to the board.

"As per bylaws, every quarter we are supposed to see financial statements," said Dewever. "It's extremely alarming that the board does not see the finances...[we are] legally liable [to oversee the union]...our asses are on the line."

"This week Ram let me meet with Dharshini," said Dewever. He wants to pull up notes about the credit card statements he has seen.

"If you want to share that with the board that's fine," said Salman Faruqi, RSU executive. He says Dewever would not be allowed to read them aloud today the meeting.

"Unless there is a particular reason why [they can't be disclosed]...I think we should disclose it publicly," said Cristal Hines, a faculty of community services director.

Ganesh said that the statements are not reconciled and that it would be out of context for students to see.

"Unless you are saying that... the public could sue you for [them]...I don't understand [why we can't see them]," said former RSU Executive Lauren Emberson. She said students should be able to see where their money has been spent.

A BoD member is asking why the RSU hasn't reconciled their finances since September. According to Hines, it is common practice to do this. Ganesh said there has been a lot of turnover at the union, delaying the process.

Jay says she is waiting on the RSU to provide documents in order to reconcile the statements. She has given the union a timeline until Feb 1.

Ganesh said that Maklane is not allowed to release any information regarding the statements to the public. "You have a credit card with your name on it, how much was spent and what did you spend it on," said Emberson.

Past RSU president Susanne Nyaga is present. "If you've made expenses you should have receipts on deck, so it should be easy," said Nyaga on reconciling statements.

According to Dewever, there has been $250,000 spent collectively on the credit cards. He said he wants to know how much was spent by executives in the past years.

Ganesh said it does not say anywhere in the bylaws that the executives are allowed to have credit cards.

According to Hines, any expenses over $1,500 should be brought before the board. Jay, the financial controller, said that there were expenses over this amount.

"Let's pull it up," said Hines. "Only the financial controller and the general manager have access to credit cards. Yes? Yes or no?"

Ram said yes.

"I am circling back to the same point," said Ganesh. "We didn't purchase a new credit. We stayed at that same credit."

Jay has confirmed that executives are not allowed to have cards,"I informed them that it has to go to the board."

"I didn't ignore [Jay], it was just a difference of opinion," said Ganesh.

"On Sept. 28 ... there was $3,000 to a credit risk management in Stratford," said Dewever. "Can you tell us what that is and why that purchase was made?"

Ganesh said he cannot.

"If they were improper, how would the money be given back to the RSU?" said Dewever. "I don't know how to answer that question," said Ganesh.

Nick's Limited Sports Shop Toronto, was an expense over $1,000 on the credit cards said Dewever. "They sell guns too," he added.

"You need to understand there is no context to this," said Ganesh. "You have an opportunity right now ... so provide context," said Emberson.

"You haven't had time to literally hand them to Dharshini whose office is across the hall?" asked Emberson.

According to Nyaga, there is a form to reconcile finances online - they are supposed to be done every month.

"Bylaws isn't about opinions," said a BoD member Chelsea Davenport. "As a board we are concerned because you made a change to the bylaws...we want to know why you don't respect our position."

"The board is above the executive...you owe us answers," said Hines.

According to Dewever, the emergency grant money has been drained. "There was just an influx," said vice-president of operations Savreen Gosal on the number of people applying for grants.

"What did you think was going to happen. Do you think we were just going to sit here and let you break financial policies," said Dewever. "I email you every month...it's really not that hard if we just follow the rules and we show up to meetings."

According to Jay, from May onwards the RSU is behind on reconciling their financial statements. "What are you doing?" asked one board member.

I know this is not news, but I am absolutely shaking.

"It is almost February 1... I understand things get busy, however, it is a form, it takes 10 seconds to fill out," said Emberson on the reconciliation.

Emberson says it is the board's decision to decide what happens next, not the executives. "It's a quarter of a million dollars that they cannot explain."

"From what I saw there was a number of food purchases at events...where I could find no record of the RSU having events," said Dewever.

"I saw alcohol [purchases on the statements], I don't know - is that allowed?" asked Dewever. Jay shook her head no at the question.

"If it's a 19+ event and it's open to students, I believe so," said Ganesh.

"I know it's illegal to sell alcohol in Ontario without a liquor license," said Dewever. "So what events are you having where you are giving away liquor to students for free?"

"This is not a meeting, this is a discussion," said Edmund Sofo, vice-president student life and events. "At this point, I am going to be leaving the discussion."

"We are not satisfied," said Hines. "Are you all satisfied with [their] answers?" Several BoD members responded no.

"We have to give you the answer. Just give us to Feb. 1 so we can give you the right answer," said Ganesh.

The board is discussing having their own separate board meeting. Ganesh is asking they wait until Feb. 2.

"Pretty much any staff member that needs to make a purchase...for an event, an initiative...they come, they grab the card, they make the purchase," said Ganesh.

"I'm going to tell you right now, that the way I see it, in my unprofessional opinion...is that not following the bylaws, they are not spending responsibly," said Dewever. "Either you don't know, or you're not telling us."

"I've seen a lot of boards...over the years," said Murray. "The executive team, minus one, has made a commitment to submit it by Feb. 1."

Murray is recommending that the BoD allows the execs until the first to reconcile their statements. She suggests they host an emergency meeting after that.

A member from the faculty of Ted Rogers School of Management, Niall Hickey, has formally resigned from his position on the board.

Now that Hickey resigned, Dewever is asking if they have quorum. They do not.

"Most of the purchases were from part-time staff or staff that ran an event or ran an initiative," said Ganesh on those who used the credit cards.

"Maklane, I verbatim said I am not [threatening you]," said Ganesh. Dewever said Ganesh told him he might bring forth legal action if he reads the statements allowed.

Dewever said that what he saw was "not O.K." and the statements made him "sad."

A BoD member is asking if the election can be delayed since students do not know where their money has been spent.

Hokat says that he was also in the meeting with Dewever and that what he saw was "disappointing."

The discussion has been adjourned, members are leaving. I'm signing off - wow, it's been a wild ride.

@theeyeopener put out a quick story on the BoD meeting, recapping the whole event. There will be more to come. theeyeopener.com/2019/01/board-…

Here is the finished piece @sherinaharris @r_alozzi and I wrote about the RSU credit card statements. I have been working on this story since Nov., and while I'm slightly disappointed the Rhino party scooped some of our photos, I am overall very proud. theeyeopener.com/2019/01/eye-co…