‘It was rigged’: University of Regina students express concerns over URSU dissolution vote

The fate of the University of Regina’s Students’ Union (URSU) was decided today in a special general meeting online vote.

The vote resulted in a majority wanting the union to be dissolved.

But, according to a number of students, many were unable to join the virtual meeting, let alone vote.

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Indika Oberding, an education student at the U of R, went as far as to say she believes that the vote was rigged.

“We want accountability,” she said. “And almost all of us—in the (University of Regina) Discord (platform) at least—have expressed feeling that it was rigged, because what do you mean of the roughly 200 members there, only around 80 voted?”

Oberding said she pre-registered for the meeting as URSU requested and kept her camera on, but was unable to join the meeting to vote.

The vote was held after months of allegations against URSU around how it was interacting with other student groups on campus, allegedly withholding funds, its own finances, and the university itself finally cutting ties and ending its leases with the union.

Many students expressed frustration in the online meeting, as the previous virtual meeting—held on Sept. 24—was adjourned after two hours when students expressed accessibility concerns.

During that meeting, more than five people demanded adjournment and a physical vote, saying the meeting was being held and run improperly. Oberding hoped that URSU would consider those ideas for this meeting, but it, instead, followed the same format.

“We have no trust in the current URSU,” she said. “We have not been shown that they are trustworthy, and we have been shown that they are actively willing to dismiss student concerns.”

Multiple students say around 200 people were let into the virtual meeting and that 70 individuals voted in favour of dissolving URSU, 13 voted no and one abstained.

There is a clause in the resolution that, if it passes, the union’s board members, executives, management and staff would be released from liability related to the union’s operations and dissolution “provided actions are taken in good faith reliance on this resolution, and legal advice.”

Oberding does not want to see URSU dissolved so it can be held accountable.

Third-year student Kendall Ebbett, Laura Cookson, a master’s student in computer science and Abigail Wright, a social work student, all echo Oberding’s comments of wanting to see URSU held accountable and a physical ballot.

Ebbett brought forward accessibility concerns, as the meeting was held at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday, when many students are in class.

“Having a more accessible, more manageable meeting would allow the students to have their voices heard properly, and at the end of the day, that’s what the Students’ Union is for,” Ebbett said.

Cookson feels like the meeting left her with more questions than answers.

“The legitimacy of the vote really doesn’t feel like it was legitimate at all,” she said. “It seems like they only let in people who were going to vote their way.

“It doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense to me why they’re calling the vote valid when people are still sitting in the waiting room when the vote is being held. That’s not right.”

Cookson hopes to see the vote overturned and a third party to host a proper vote.

Wright said it was unfair to the students who were in the waiting room and couldn’t vote. There were reportedly 30 to 40 students in the waiting room.

“It’s disheartening to see that something that a lot of people clearly care about isn’t being put through due process, and that URSU is ignoring the people who are trying to speak out against what they’re looking for in the vote,” she said.

Wright said if the dissolution goes through and URSU can no longer be held accountable by the university, she hopes the investigation by the Regina Police Service will.

The Regina Police Service confirmed in September that it has an ongoing investigation into URSU.

But she hopes URSU will be held accountable for all parties involved.

“The student body are the people that they’ve hurt,” she said, saying students deserve answers.

University of Regina hears students’ frustration

In a statement from the U of R, it said it’s aware of the special general meeting called by URSU.

“We have heard that many students were disappointed that URSU offered only online participation, and in addition, that many students were unable to engage in the meeting,” the university said.

It also acknowledges that the meeting concluded with a vote to agree to dissolve URSU.

“We await communication from URSU or its legal counsel with respect to its proposed next steps,” it said.

It reiterated that the U of R has lost confidence in URSU leadership and understands students’ frustration.

“The University remains committed to working with student leadership who will act in the best interests of students and encourages students to get involved to make the changes necessary to result in an effective and accountable student representative organization,” it said.

URSU did not respond to 980 CJME’s request for comment before publication.

— with files from 980 CJME’s Lisa Schick