The university will appoint an external chief process officer and create a committee to oversee a vote on the structure of the new student government
Ryerson University announced Wednesday that it will appoint an external chief process officer (CPO) to facilitate the process of creating a new student government.
In February 2020, full-time undergraduate and graduate students “will begin to determine the structure” of the government, according to an email sent to students by Jen McMillen, Ryerson’s vice-provost, students.
In March, students will vote for the student government’s structure. The CPO will establish the rules of the process and determine the eligibility of groups who are candidates.
According to the email, the CPO will work alongside a student government process selection committee including a process manager, three to five students and a recent Ryerson graduate. The committee will support the CPO, who will have “complete independence,” to establish the process and rules for the vote, determine the eligibility of groups, explain the voting procedure and provide resources for the election.
General elections will take place after the structure has been voted on. After these elections, Ryerson says it will negotiate an agreement with the new student government.
Ryerson wants this student government to have a commitment to public financial accountability, transparent governance, sound human resource management and timely and transparent communication with the university and its students.
This comes one day after the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) announced it is taking legal action against Ryerson in response to the university terminating their operating agreement.
The RSU has said they do not accept Ryerson’s termination of the agreement as valid.
The RSU has said that it plans for February elections to proceed — the nomination period for candidates opened on Jan. 28. However, in the statement of claim obtained by the Ryersonian, the union says that with Ryerson having terminated the agreement, the RSU risks being unable to hold their 2020-21 elections.
More to come.
With files from Katie Swyers.