The summit that was called to resolve disputes between the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) and other student societies can proceed despite the union’s withdrawal, according to university administration.
The union has faced widespread criticism from its own board of directors — and from nearly every other divisional student leader — for its surprise withdrawal. Yolen Bollo-Kamara, presidential candidate and current vice-president, equity, who was one of two union representitives at the summit, has repeatedly declined to answer questions concerning the withdrawal.
The summit was organized in June 2013 as a way to head off a potential legal battle between the union and divisions that had voted to leave the union, citing a decade of undemocratic and unrepresentative practices. Last week, the union joined the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) in leaving the summit. The two unions were effectively the only summit members still opposed to allowing division to leave.
Despite the withdrawal of the two union’s from the summit, the administration intends to complete the summit process as planned.
Following the final meeting of the summit this past Friday, the professor facilitators will draft a report for the provost, who is scheduled to present the report to Governing Council in May.
Professor Joe Desloges, one of the faculty chairs of the summit, assured The Varsity on Thursday that, though the UTSU’s withdrawal is potentially problematic, he is sure about the stability of the process and its results, which he says are in their final stages. Though the absence of the UTSU is expected to have an adverse effect on the overall representativeness of the discussions, Desloges is optimistic, adding that even the reasons submitted by the UTSU for its withdrawal will contribute to the development of a more constructive final report. “In essence, the submissions themselves contain very useful information about what is agreed and what is disagreed in terms of the discussion. So the decision not to continue to participate actually adds more information to the process,” said Desloges, adding that, in the eyes of the administration, the summit writ large continues to gain information about the needs and ideas of different student organizations.
Desloges expects the report to be based on what the administration refers to as principles of governance, which — despite willingness to debate and wide participation — various student societies differ on. He hopes that though disagreements are common, a resolution of key issues is possible if students continue to engage creatively with the structure of their societies. Although he agrees that the absence of the UTSU from these final stages of the discussion is problematic, Desloges says that the university administration will proceed on track, and that the union’s voice, as well as those of other organizations, will be incorporated in the final report and recommendations to be submitted to the vice-provost.
