On Nov. 22, the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union held their annual general meeting in Arts 143. AGM-goers voted on the USSU’s financial statements, on proposed bylaw amendments and more. Here are the 2018 AGM highlights.

An auditor from KPMG presented the USSU’s financial statement from the previous year, ending on April 30, 2018. The auditor said that the USSU has $6.5 million on hand, which is more than the mandatory $2 million. The financial statement was accepted by the members present at the meeting.

Members of the USSU speak during the Annual General Meeting on Nov. 22.

AGM attendees voted and passed the nine proposed amendments to the USSU Bylaw. The approved amendments are as follows:

1: USSU executive members are now required to take a minimum of three credit units and a maximum of six credit units for the fall and winter terms. This amendment reverses the amendment made during the 2017 AGM, which permitted the USSU executive to take no classes in the fall and winter terms.

2: Executive members can now be removed from their positions if they are not registered in the aforementioned appropriate number of credit units.

3: Colleges, schools or institutions at the U of S are not immediately entitled to membership within the USSU after being ratified with the union.

4: Petitions to remove a USSU executive member or member of council require signatures from 5 per cent of the undergraduate student body, lowering the current requirement from 7.5 per cent.

5: University Students’ Council is not required to meet in April or December, though they can still meet if necessary.

6: As it pertains to the winner of an election, a majority of “yes” votes is understood to mean more “yes” votes than “no” votes.

7: Instead of the president, the Chair of University Students’ Council — or whoever is designated — is the chair of the Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Tribunal.

8: No office holder can attend a meeting under the influence of alcohol, cannabis or any other intoxicating substance. Previous wording limited this to “intoxication.”

9: The USSU executive should have the ability to remove office holders if they have been absent from two consecutive council meetings or absent from any three of five consecutive meetings. Previous wording stated that removal of office was determined by a council vote.

Early on in the meeting, the phone belonging to Brent Kobes — vice-president operations and finance — began to ring, reportedly with Darude’s “Sandstorm” as the ringtone. When contacted by the Sheaf, Kobes neither confirmed nor denied that “Sandstorm” was, in fact, his ringtone.

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Tanner Bayne / News Editor

Photo: Riley Deacon / Photo Editor