Vacant VP Position Opens Up

Following the recent resignation of Lucia Gallardo, the position of VP Academic and Advocacy is vacant, and will be up for grabs in the upcoming Concordia Student Union byelections.

That decision to leave the position vacant, however, was preceded by much dispute at last Wednesday’s council meeting.

Since Gallardo’s resignation, members of the current executive have absorbed her various responsibilities. Concordia Student Union President Schubert Laforest said that his executive would prefer to keep it this way—or, as a next-best alternative, appoint a new member to fill to void.

The remaining CSU Council members voiced concerns that the workload left by the vacancy would overwhelm the already extremely busy executive, and potentially hinder their ability to do their own jobs to the fullness of their abilities.

“Splitting the portfolios harms you,” said Senator Chuck Wilson. “[The executive] can’t do that; it isn’t reasonable.”

VP External Simon Pierre Lauzon voiced concerns that if the position were open to a vote, the executive would risk being stuck with a new person who might not jive with the rest of the team, while other executives took issue with the possibility that someone lacking experience would be joining the team too late in the semester.