GSA GA Fails to Meet Quorum

CLASSE Dominates Agenda Points,  Discussion

NewsGeordon Omand — Published July 16, 2012

“We couldn’t have a legally binding general assembly,” said GSA VP External Nadia Hausfather. “If we’d had quorum we could have voted on the motions.”

Agenda items that could not be dealt with included several motions brought by the Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante dealing with the student movement, negotiations with the government and a motion that would see the GSA formally condemn Bill 78, the law passed in May to respond to the ongoing student strikes.

The GSA is one of the few student associations at the university that remains officially on strike. It has been on strike since March 12.

In lieu of an official general assembly, some graduate students stuck around for an informal discussion.

A presentation was also made by CLASSE Women’s Committee in condemnation of “comedians who bring sexist, racist and homophobic jokes to the “Coalition des humorists indignes.””:

The CHI organized a fundraising event on June 18 against Bill 78 and in support of striking students. Some of the profits were originally destined to go to CLASSE.

After several students asked CLASSE to refuse the profits because they deemed many of the jokes sexist and homophobic, the CHI decided to give all the profits to Juripop, a the legal association involved in fighting Bill 78.

A motion was included on the agenda asking CLASSE to dissociate itself from the event.

Also on the agenda was an update on the recent CLASSE Manifesto.

The time between GSA general meetings has been prolonged repeatedly over the summer months.

“We used to have them every week, then we changed to every two weeks, then we changed to every month,” said Hausfather. “People are working, going home… everything is slower in the summer.”

The GSA last met June 6. The next general assembly will likely be scheduled around mid-August.