In search of a Graduate Student Society President
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007
by Colleen Tang
News Editor
The Graduate Student Society (GSS) is hanging by a thread. After delaying the GSS nominations period for a week and completing the voting period, there is still no president in sight.
The nomination period was extended a week because of the low number of candidates for each position, said Chief Elections Officer Ed Durgan.
At the beginning of the campaign, there were two presidential candidates but both withdrew once the voting period began. The four remaining VP positions had only one person running in each race.
According to the GSS constitution, there can’t be any new nominations during the voting period, said Durgan.
“The end result is that we won’t be able to elect a president in this election,” said Durgan.
The open seat for GSS president would not pose huge problems under normal circumstances but the resignation of president Triny Chen with only six weeks left in her term left council tattered.
According to Durgan, Chen needed more time to concentrate on finishing her thesis as well as other personal reasons.
Durgan also said there may have been internal conflicts that arose between the executive which may have contributed to her departure.
“The feeling though is that the execs just aren’t getting along,” he said. “As a group they’re dysfunctional, I think. There’s a lot of tension.”
David Noshad, incumbent GSS VP Student Services, wasn’t pleased to start a new executive without a president.
Because all the VP executive positions ran uncontested, there was the option to re-open the elections. All the nominees that ran were elected.
Durgan proposed to follow the AMS hybrid model—webvote in addition to paper ballots— that would cost approximately $2000, but council voted the motion down.
“The speaker asked well what if it was say $500 and they voted again no and then he asked what about $300 and they voted yes,” said Durgan, stating that they only used Webvote. “It’s totally absurd.”
More money needs to be put into the elections, said Noshad, adding they have more money to spend this year. “The financial situation of the society is better.”
The election results will be ratified during the February 15 GSS council meeting. It will also decide the fate of the vacant presidency.
According to the constitution, the VP finance should automatically fill the position until a decision is made unless someone else is appointed to the position. This would make current VP Finance Ali Khalili acting president until it is resolved.
“It’s a temporary thing right now,” said Khalili. “We miss our president and I’m the acting president until the next council so basically I’m under two portfolios right now.”
There is also the option of voting for a president in an upcoming bielection.
Durgan is worried that council may not be able to reach quorum to have this crucial motion passed Thursday because this also coincides with the AMS lobbying day in Victoria—the lobbying day that GSS executives and councillors were encouraged to go to.
“Whether we are going to be able decide what to do in terms of the president position on the fifteenth is going to be questionable,” he said.
Noshad said otherwise. “They are coming back for council.”
(No Ratings Yet)
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Lauren Hunter Feb 22
Colleen, this is an extremely irresponsible article, and I’m surprised you didn’t do more homework given your usual record of checking sources. Comments such as “hanging on by a thread” and “left council tattered” are inflammatory, sensationalized, and completely the opposite of what is going on at the GSS these days. Triny’s decision to resign was supported by the entire executive after she had served many years in student government – something few others can say they have given to the student body at UBC. The executive team this year has been extremely successful, offering students more services, more lobbying, a better budget and more administrative support than graduate students have seen in years at UBC. More to the point, the GSS team has continued to work solidly and seamlessly on our portfolios through these changes. Ed Durgan is very new to the scene, and he is not a member of our executive team, therefore he is not in a position to speculate on the internal dynamics of the executive. Your article takes a year of huge success for the GSS and makes it look as though the society is falling apart. It’s damaging, and it’s irresponsible journalism.
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Ed Durgan Feb 27
Irresponsible? No, no, no – I disagree sharply with outgoing GSS VP external and academic Lauren Hunter’s assessment of your article.
I think this was a well written article based on excellent journalistic practice of interviewing and research. The first press GSS gets all year and they need to protest? In this case the truth hurts, and egos were bruised by the article. However, I believe it is in the best interest of the GSS to face the fact that GSS council and the exec are in a crisis. They’ve lost contact with the grad student community with less than a third of grad departments represented on council, and approximately 3% voter participation in the most recent election. GSS council seems to be dominated by a hardcore group of keeners who intimidate others through obtuse criticism, a cliquish comraderie, and familiarity with Robert’s Rules of Order. Councilors have been dropping like flies under these conditions. The outgoing execs have one foot out the door, and although
they did a lot of great work over the past year their job will not be done until they’ve successfully passed the baton on to the new exec. The major tasks of the next exec will include the establishment of a dynamic working relationship and the revitalization of council.
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anon Feb 27
here here
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