On October 20, approximately 60 students attended the online meeting for the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) Annual General Meeting (AGM). The union was able to meet quorum after failing to do so last year and pushing the AGM to November. 

During the AGM, the union discussed its financial statements and gave executive reports with only four of the six executive members present. Students questioned the absence of the UTSU Vice-President (VP) Student Life and concerns about UTSU President Shehab Mansour’s summer job. 

Financial statements 

UTSU VP Finance & Operations Elizabeth Shechtman gave an overview of the union’s 2023–2024 financial statements. Shechtman noted that the union is “good to go” and “everything is in order.” 

According to the statements, UTSU’s assets and liabilities increased from roughly $7.9 million to roughly $9.1 million. Following the union changing its mental health coverage and reverting back to the original plan, student insurance expenses for the health and dental plan increased from $13.2 million to roughly $14.5 million. 

The majority of the union’s revenue came from its health and dental plan, generating roughly $16.2 million in 2023–2024 compared to the $15.4 million made in 2022–2023.

Executive reports 

During the AGM, executives gave their reports on their work over the year. Shechtman gave the president’s report, as Mansour was sick and was not able to attend the AGM. 

Shechtman highlighted that the union is in the final stages of implementing the Respect Educate Empower Survivors program — an online platform students can use for reporting sexual harassment, misconduct, and assault. The union has been discussing this since their August Board of Directors meeting. However, there is currently no date for when the pilot will be introduced on campus. 

UTSU VP Public and University Affairs Avreet Jagdev highlighted that the union is still collecting data for the Student Census — a survey that seeks to better understand issues students face in relation to identity factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status. 

Missing VP Student Life

After delivering the executive reports, the union moved onto a question period where one student asked why UTSU VP Student Life Tala Mehdi didn’t submit a report for the AGM. The student added that many other students have complained about being unable to reach Mehdi and asked how the executive plans to ensure that she serves students.

“I am aware that the report was not complete. I will be talking to [Mehdi] in private conversations,” said Shechtman. “I am not sure what’s going on, but I’m sure that if there is something, then we will be able to handle it.”

Mehdi also didn’t attend the AGM. Shechtman added she’s aware of “private matters” going on and students sometimes have personal things that come up. “As of right now, there are no worries,” said Shechtman. 

Another student asked a follow-up question about how long students have been unable to reach Mehdi. Shechtman responded by saying, “I am not sure, since it wasn’t me that said that she hasn’t been responding, so I unfortunately don’t have an answer to that one.”

In an email to The Varsity, Mehdi explained that she wasn’t present because of a personal family emergency. “I am a Lebanese international student and the situation in the country is very unstable at the moment,” she wrote. 

“A very urgent matter came up the day of the AGM and I had to prioritize my family at that time; this was also why I was unable to submit the report,” she added.

Mehdi noted that one of the Student Life executive assistants attended the AGM and gave her details of the meeting and student requests. She also mentioned speaking to Shechtman and that “the executive team has been very supportive regarding the situation.” 

“I always respond to student inquiries via email, and I am always willing to support them,” wrote Mehdi. “I can confirm there is no issue with communication – we have just received a larger influx of requests due to club registration.” 

“I really enjoy working in this position and have put in a lot of work over the past few months to ensure we are supporting student life in all aspects,” she wrote.

Other student questions 

During the question period, Isabella Gallicchio, co-chair of the Revolutionary Communist Party Student Chapter and a Student Strike for Palestine member, asked if the UTSU would support the international university strike for Palestine on November 21. 

“We will definitely have internal conversations about it,” said Jagdev. “This is the first time that I’ve heard about it, but as an [executive], we can definitely discuss it and then decide how we’re able to support the initiative.”

One student raised a question about Mansour’s full-time summer job at Wells Fargo, a financial service company, which Mansour posted about on his LinkedIn. The student questioned how Mansour was able to work there despite the presidency being a full-time job, and found that the requirements for the finance and economics specialist as well as the data science focus at Rotman do not require a professional placement. 

The student also believed that many of the items on the president’s list of accomplishments are unfinished and could have been implemented earlier. The student asked why this was tolerated by the UTSU and what plans they have to ensure he serves students adequately.

“[Mansour] did not break any rules. I can’t comment on the specifics of the program… I’m not in that program, I can’t comment on that,” said Shechtman. 

UTSU President Shehab Mansour did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment in time for publication.