The Arts & Science Student Union (ASSU) was scheduled to hold a byelection on October 1 for three vacant spots on its executive. The election has now been postponed until November because of a lack of valid nominations The two candidates who submitted their nomination forms on time claimed two executive spots. The third position is to remain vacant until the next byelection is held in November.
ASSU president Shawn Tian told The Varsity that while interest was high when the election was announced, only two students managed to submit valid nomination forms by the September 23 deadline. The two new executives are expected to join the ASSU team on Wednesday when the ASSU holds its first executive meeting.
In an email to The Varsity, Branden Rizzuto, one of the new executives, stated that his interest in the ASSU was a natural progression from his previous involvement with the Anthropology Students’ Association (ASA), where he is currently serving his second term as co-president. Rizzuto wants to use his new position on the ASSU executive to “develop the communication infrastructures between ASSU course unions and their associated undergraduate students.” He said he will focus on developing new strategies for student outreach and organizational growth.
The ASSU is one of the largest student unions in Canada, representing 23,000 full-time undergraduate students on the St. George campus in the Faculty of Arts & Science. The ASSU provides a number of services to the student body, including: providing help with academic grievances, modifying and improving programs offered by the university, administering grants, and offering past tests for a variety of courses. The ASSU office is located in Sidney Smith Hall, and is accessible during office hours Monday to Friday.
