On November 26, the Scarborough Student Union (SCSU) held their Annual General Meeting (AGM), now called Annual Members Meeting (AMM). They approved the 2024–2025 audited financial statements, updated the union’s bylaws, heard members’ motions, and presented directors’ reports. The auditors listed two financial risks with SCSU’s restaurant. 

Restaurant risks and uncertainties

As reported in the 2024–2025 audit, SCSU collected $2,521,396 in revenue and $2,055,783 in expenses, not including the revenue or expenses from health and dental plan fees or restricted referendum fees. General and administrative expenses were down by $131,015, and wages and benefits were up by $57,014. Overall, SCSU ended with a net surplus of $476,982. 

The Bistro operated at a loss of $76,603. Between the last two audits of the restaurant, revenue from food sales and rental costs decreased by $4,435 to $237,437, and expenses of sales increased by $19,850 to $97,773. General expenses increased from $180,277 to $216,267, most significantly from the $31,102 increase in wages and benefits and the $11,473 increase in office and general expenses. 

The operating loss of 1260 Bistro in previous years was $16,328 in 2023–2024; $66,423 in 2022–2023; $4,751 in 2021–2022; $37,302 in 2020-2021; and $164,009 in 2019-2020. 

Despite the operating loss, the Bistro broke even thanks to a $68,195 subsidy from SCSU, $3,018 in interest income, and $5,390 in miscellaneous income.

Every year except 2024–2025, the university provided a $127,500 subsidy to “offset the costs of operating SCSU Restaurant.” In 2024–2025, the restaurant received an additional $68,195 operating subsidy from SCSU and the $127,500 subsidy from the university was listed as for “repairs and maintenance of the student centre.” 

As reported by the auditor, the restaurant’s one of two risks and uncertainties was a credit risk from the small number of customers and the nature of point of sale operations. The second was a liquidity risk from the difficulty in meeting obligations of the financial liabilities.

The Bistro’s financial liabilities included $6,366 in accounts payable and accrued liabilities, $5,866 in government remittance payable, and $445,012 owed to SCSU. In 2024–2025, the money owed to SCSU increased because of a $59,305 advance from the SCSU.

SCSU did not respond for comment in time for publication. 

Constitutional and bylaw changes

The few clauses added, subtracted, or reworded in the AMM seem to be designed to address the delayed summer ratification, when the previous council members had to stay on beyond their term limit, while the Board of Directors (BOD) refused to ratify the results.

An exception to what the board can ratify or reject now includes “the ratification of the unofficial election results for either the by-elections or spring elections.” Additionally, directors and executives now cannot remain in office after their term is over unless they have been “duly re-elected or re-appointed by the membership.”

A “Standard of Care” duty was added so directors must act honestly and “exercise the care, diligence and skill a reasonably prudent person would.” Directors must also disclose conflicts of interest and refrain from voting on related contracts, and must now send regrets at least 48 hours in advance before missing a BOD meeting. 

Terminations shall now be “carried out in good faith and in a fair and reasonable manner,” which includes written notice of grounds with ten days to respond and an opportunity to speak to the Board before the decision.

Other notable changes include that the vice president operations no longer administers payroll, and is now responsible for presidential duties when the president is gone. A Financial Aids Office representative was removed from the Bursary Committee, and SCSU commissions like the SCSU Equity Commission are now hosted on a bi-semesterly basis instead of monthly.

Motions

A member tried to add an emergency motion addressing club funding, but the chair clarified it could not be considered an emergency motion.  

Another member submitted a motion for the SCSU to take action to expand the current bookable multi-faith prayer space, add a new space within the student centre, and continue to lobby for more multi-faith prayer spaces outside the student centre. It carried.

Reports

Some highlights from the directors’ and campaign reports include the new study space in the Bladen Wing –– the BV lounge –– which opened September 5. Phase one of the Student Centre Redesign Project is underway, and the SCSU has now finalized the design with U of T architects and construction managers, and construction is projected to begin in the summer. 

The “Put Equity in Academics” campaign lobbied for the second attempts for credit policy to apply towards failed courses, and for courses with 100 or more students to begin recording lectures. The SCSU changed the CGPA requirement from 1.6 to 1.5, successfully completing years’ worth of campaigning. 

For the SCSU dental plan, the user copay for fillings, basic oral surgery, and comprehensive oral surgery was reduced from 30 per cent to 20 per cent, and now bruxism — the grinding of teeth — is covered under the plan.

Throughout the semester, the SCSU food centre provided weekly grocery and hygiene pick-ups and hosted a clothing drive. SCSU’s academic bursary, transit bursary, and Dollar for Daycare grant provided students with financial support this semester as well.