University of Toronto Students' Union

Infobox Canadian Student Association
name = University of Toronto Students' Union


motto =
established = 1901
institution = University of Toronto
president = Sandy Hudson
vice president = Adnan Najmi, Binish Ahmed, Dave Scrivener, Koat Aleer, Athmika Punja
location = Greater Toronto Area
members = 41,000
affiliated = CFS
free_label =
free =
homepage = [http://www.utsu.ca utsu.ca] The University of Toronto Students' Union (formally the Students' Administrative Council of the University of Toronto, Inc.) is the main student union of the University of Toronto, representing the university's 41,000 fulltime undergraduate students. It is Canada's largest student union and the second largest in North America.

History

The council evolved from the University of Toronto Union, which was founded in 1901, which was replaced by the Students' Parliament in 1907. The Students' Parliament suffered from low attendance from its elected members, especially representatives of the medical school. As the years progressed its Executive shouldered much of the work. In 1913, the parliament was replaced by a Students' Administrative Council composed of solely male students. The Women's Students' Administrative Council was formed in 1916, and in 1919 the two councils formed a Joint Executive. In 1931 the separate councils were abolished and the Joint Executive became the main body, and during 1935-1936 the unwieldy name "Joint Executive Students' Administrative Council" was simplified to its current form. At an annual general meeting on 16th November 2006 University of Toronto students voted to change the name to University of Toronto Students' Union.

The mandate of UTSU until 1971 can be found in section 34 of the University of Toronto Act, 1947. SAC's original offices were located in Hart House but today it is based in the Louis B. Stewart Observatory at the centre of Hart House Circle, just south of the Hart House building itself.

Current

UTSU provides a variety of student services, including a Used Textbook Exchange, the U of T Food and Clothing Bank, Convocation Hood and Gown rentals. UTSU also administers the student Health and Dental Plan and Student Discount Metropass sales, a program that was recently made permanent after lobbying from student unions throughout the Toronto area.

Voter turnout in UTSU elections was very low for several years, but recently turnouts began reaching the 15% mark, which is average for most student unions.

In November 2002 UTSU members voted in favour of becoming members of the Canadian Federation of Students, with 65% of those who voted supporting this decision.

The council is governed by a Board of Directors which includes elected representatives from each of the school's federated colleges and professional faculties. The number of directors from each division is proportional to the population of that college or faculty.

The union runs through commissions and its board. Generally, Equity, University Affairs, External and UTM each have commissions. Commissions meetings are held at least twice a month. Members of the Commissions are simply fulltime undergraduate students who would wish to attend. Projects and budgets move up through the commissions, making the union more in touch with its membership.

Criticisms

UTSU, and its predecessor body SAC, have long been the target of criticism. The earliest manifestations of this were in response to SAC's policy, established in 1926, of not interfering in political issues for fear this would impede campus unity. This policy extended to the Varsity, which was published by SAC. In 1929 and 1931, SAC dismissed editors who published unpopular opinions. In the mid-1930s, SAC was criticized for failing to support efforts by anti-war and pro-peace advocates on campus, groups which SAC declared were of limited interest. [ Charles Levi "The SAC Historical Project 1930-1950", self-published, 1992, pp. 24-27 ] In 1946, SAC's decision not to endorse efforts to prevent deportation of Japanese Canadians was also the brunt of campus criticism. [ Levi, "SAC Historical Project", 209-216 ] Anti-racist advocates also derided SAC's inability to embrace this cause in the 1940s. [ Levi, "SAC Historical Project", 120-140 ]

This criticism began to shift in the 1960s when the student council embarked on a more activist agenda. On of the more concrete manifestations of this was in 1972, when the Medical Society held a successful referendum calling for their withdrawal from SAC. Administrative hesitation was the only factor which prevented this withdrawal from becoming effective. [ C. Sajani, President, Medical Society to J.H. Sword, Acting President U of T, February 25, 1972 University of Toronto Archives [UTA] , A78-0028/29; John Evans, President of U of T to Robin Ross, Registrar, October 12, 1972, in University of Toronto Archives A78-0028/64 ]

More recently the UTSU has been heavily criticized by students for their left-wing agenda and stance on a number of social issues which many students claim is non-representative of the greater student body and divides student groups [http://cannon.skule.ca/2007-2008%20Issues/the%20Cannon%20Issue%204%20November.pdf] . The UTSU has recently been involved in a number of scandals in which they have been accused of silencing students who disagree with the ideas of the union [http://thevarsity.ca/article/1010 theVARSITY.ca - UTSU undermining democracy - Comment ] ] . In a recent referendum regarding the construction a Student Commons Building that was to be completely funded and run by students (as opposed to funded by private donations and run in part by the administration and by students Fact|date=July 2008) the UTSU was accused of actively pursuing students who it felt were campaigning against the union. The then president of the union went so far as to threaten legal action against a student who was putting up posters questioning the UTSU's approach to the student commons. [ [http://thevarsity.ca/article/1107 theVARSITY.ca - Editorial: U of T’s democratic sham - Comment ] ]

The UTSU found itself at odds with the student body again when a non-recognized militant organization known as AlwaysQuestion (AQ) held a protest on campus with support from the UTSU. AQ's protest outside of the president's office escalated into a sit-in where the group was accused of barricading office workers in their offices. This sit in was met with much distaste by many students, staff and administrators. [http://www.thevarsity.ca/article/2845 theVARSITY.ca - Occupation Is a Crime? - News ] ] The UTSU continues to push an openly left-wing agenda on the student body which includes demands for "free education" (i.e. funded 100% by the government) and an end to war, poverty, inequality and the commercialization of campus. Many students openly disagree with and speak up against the UTSU but are largely ignored by union officials. As a result, the UTSU is now considered by many to be made up of a small group of individuals with radical political views who stay in power as a result of low voter turn out. [ [http://www.thevarsity.ca/article/2332 theVARSITY.ca - UTSU breaks the public trust - Comment ] ]

References

ee also

*List of Ontario students' associations

External links

* [http://www.utsu.ca/ Official Site]
* [http://www.utoronto.ca/ University Site]