On May 22, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) held its first Board of Directors meeting of the 2024–25 school year. 

During the meeting, executives approved a fee increase for the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) — a national union representing university and college students’ unions across Canada — by 3.4 per cent and appointed members to the UTSU’s 10 board committees.

Introductions

The meeting began with executive members giving introductions following their victory in the 2024–2025 UTSU elections. UTSU President Shehab Mansour expressed his excitement for the upcoming year. 

When discussing his portfolio and platform, Mansour highlighted his plan to focus on affordability for students. “We want to make sure that we’re trying to improve the campus community and the sense of belonging that the students have here,” he said.

During his campaign, Mansour emphasized student representation, food affordability, revitalizing the UTSU student club membership, and improving U of T’s food services and student safety. 

CFS fee increase

Established in 1981, the CFS is an organization that represents 530,000 students from over 60 student unions across Canada, including the UTSU. The CFS provides various services and advocates for free and accessible postsecondary education. Each year, the UTSU pays fees to the CFS to continue being its member.

At the meeting, the board voted to raise the CFS fee by 3.4 per cent, meaning undergraduate students will now pay a fee of $9.16 per semester, to align with Canada’s Consumer Price Index: changes in the general price level of consumer goods and services over a period of time. This decision to increase the fee was informed by the most recent data from U of T’s 2024–2025 budget report, which shows a 3.4 per cent increase in inflation in December 2023.

UTSU board committees

The board members and executives also joined the UTSU’s 2024–2025 academic year’s committees at the meeting. 

The union’s committees make recommendations to the board and the executives. Each of them has a specific mission, ranging from allocating funding to clubs and providing financial aid to students in need, to addressing issues of equity and inclusivity. 

There are eight standing committees in total: Clubs and Societies Committee, Elections and Referenda Committee, Finance Committee, Governance Committee, Member Services Committee, People and Culture Committee, Student Aid and Scholarships Committee, and the Student Commons Committee.

In the meeting, Mansour was appointed to the chair of the Elections and Referenda Committee; Shechtman was appointed to the chair of the Finance, Governance, Services, and Student Aid Committee; and vice-president, Student Life Tala Mehdi was appointed to the chair of the Clubs Committee.

 Disclosure: Elizabeth Shechtman was an associate news editor for The Varsity in the 2021–2022 school year.