At its Board of Directors (BOD) meeting on June 13, the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) discussed the union’s financial responsibility to students and protecting students involved in the encampment at King’s College Circle. Executive members were also appointed to committees focusing on food, housing, and mental health.

Appointing new committees 

During the meeting, UTGSU executives were appointed to three committees for the 2024–2025 academic year. 

The union’s president, Mohammadamir Moghaddam, was appointed Chair of the Food Security Committee — which focuses on implementing campaigns and programs to address food security, nutrition, and the cost of living at U of T. With food costs continuously rising, Moghaddam discussed his commitment to leveraging financial resources and working with local partners to provide food services that benefit students. 

Moghaddam was also appointed Chair of the Housing Committee — which focuses on implementing strategies related to housing, tenants’ rights, and the cost of living at the university. In the short term, the committee plans to research how they can develop a strategy to address rising housing costs for both domestic and international students. 

Vice-President External Jady Liang was appointed Chair of the Mental Health Committee to address the lack of mental health services for graduate students. The committee seeks to advocate for graduate students’ mental health and create a mental health initiative by the end of the term.

UTGSU’s finances and investments

The union also passed a motion to ensure student funds are being used effectively. The motion aims to ensure transparency and accountability in the union’s financial management to maintain students’ “trust and confidence” in the UTGSU. 

Until September 1, the union’s Finance Committee must report UTGSU’s current investments to the BOD, including details about their bank accounts and other assets. 

Moghaddam noted that the union also plans to research U of T’s investments and make recommendations on how students’ money can be put into different investment avenues that are “arms-free, socially responsible, and environmentally friendly.” 

Protecting students’ rights 

In light of recent negotiations between the encampment protesters and the U of T administration, the union passed a motion condemning “any attempt by the university to curtail the freedom of speech or the freedom of assembly of UTGSU Members involved” in the encampment. 

The union noted that this includes the university’s attempts to “involve the police or other security forces to violently remove the encampment, and threats of expulsion and termination, either as students or employees of the university, of UTGSU members.”

The board emphasized the long-standing importance of political protest at U of T, referencing students’ collective action in the past to address South African apartheid.