A five-line memo from the director of U of Ts Academic Bridging program has caused a stir at the Arts and Science Students’ Union, which accused him last week of interfering with a student election.

“It is highly inappropriate for a member of the University administration to support a candidate for Governing Council,” ASSU wrote in a letter to Dr. Nimmo dated March 11. “It is fine to encourage student participation, however it is unacceptable for any administrator to endorse a student candidate [emphasis in original].”

Dr. Nimmo says his March 5 memo was not an endorsement of any candidate, but that he was merely providing information on the election.

“If I was a politician,” said Nimmo, “I would be unhappy with such an endorsement-it’s just facts.”

The memo, which was sent to Academic Bridging instructors asking them to remind students of the ongoing Governing Council elections, mentioned Holly Andrews-Taylor, who ran in the part-time undergraduate constituency and attached a leaflet for her campaign. The memo read: “Please make available to any interested students the enclosed flyer featuring one of the candidates. Holly is an Academic Bridging Graduate from 2002/3 and is pursuing her B.A. at Woodsworth College on a part-time basis.”

“There’s no endorsement here,” said Nimmo.

“I don’t know anything about a memo,” said Andrews-Taylor, who said she had not been aware of any problem. “[Nimmo] told me he would not support me, he doesn’t support any student candidates for anything.”

Terry Buckland, executive assistant at ASSU, wrote to Nimmo informing him of the student union’s anger about the memo.

“By mentioning one student’s name and one candidate, it seemed inappropriate,” he said. “If he had mentioned all of the candidates, that would have been acceptable. If he had mentioned none of the candidates, that would have been acceptable.”

“I think it’s probably something that’s been misrepresented or misinterpreted,” said Andrews-Taylor.

Cristina Oke, Chief Returning Officer of the Governing Council elections, says she has reviewed the situation and found no rules broken.

“The election guidelines are [there should be] silence on such matters,” Oke said. “I did speak with Dr. Nimmo and felt comfortable that he was providing information on a candidate. There was no endorsement.

“I didn’t feel any of the rules had been broken.”

Buckland says that should change in future, and that ASSU will be recommending that regulations be changed to explicitly forbid members of the University administration from endorsing student candidates.

“There are no rules that say you [administration figures] can’t do it,” he said, “but maybe there should be in future.”

Nimmo sent a response to ASSU on March 15 which stated “neither I nor any other member of the Woodsworth administration endorsed any candidate…I was simply disseminating information in the usual way, and would have done so for any candidates had they asked, and will do so in future.”

Oke has received no formal complaints from any other GC candidates, but Buckland says they may wait until after the election is over.

“I know some of them are upset about it.”

Andrews-Taylor was elected to GC by a 20-vote margin.