CSU postpones JMSB seat ratification, faces questions on staff member barred from campus
Councillors also discussed low election turnout and faculty job cuts
The Concordia Student Union (CSU) council has voted to delay ratifying the newly elected John Molson School of Business (JMSB) seat until the winter semester, following a lengthy procedural debate at a Nov. 26 meeting.
The regular council meeting (RCM) also saw councillors and members of the public question the executive team about the employment status of campaigns coordinator Julianna Smith, who was barred from campus by Concordia University last month.
Council defers JMSB seat ratification
Council spent more than an hour debating whether to ratify JMSB councillor-elect Michael Eshayek’s seat, who ran unopposed in this month’s by-election.
Although Eshayek received 87.7 per cent of the votes, councillors said the seat could not be confirmed until the current JMSB representative’s term officially ends.
Councillor Dave Plant was the first to raise the issue, asking whether ratifying the result would create an extra seat.
Chairperson Angelica Antonakopoulos called the matter “a bit of a procedural pickle,” after councillor Marwan Shalby noted that the CSU’s bylaws and policies appear to contradict one another on the timing of by-election mandates.
Councillor Noah Hunt read directly from the CSU’s bylaws.
“The term of office of a representative shall start June 1, following ratification of by-election results,” Hunt read from part 6.2.4 of the policy. “That’s not the state we’re in, obviously.”
Hunt argued that immediate ratification could breach faculty representation rules.
Councillor Liora Hechel disagreed, saying, “Policies clearly state ratify election results. Ratify first meeting after election.”
After a lengthy debate, councillors voted unanimously to amend the motion and ratify all fall by-election results except the JMSB seat. The seat will take effect once the current councillor’s term ends at the close of the fall semester, and is now scheduled for ratification in January 2026.
Ryan Michon, who won the Arts and Science Federation of Associations seat, was officially welcomed to council following the vote.
Turnout for the by-election remained low, with 11.2 per cent of undergraduates casting ballots.
Questions over banned staff member turn heated
The meeting’s question period quickly escalated as councillors and attendees questioned the executive about campaigns coordinator Smith, a full-time CSU staff member who Concordia barred from campus on Oct. 29.
The university accused Smith of assisting student protesters during the Oct. 6 pro-Palestine strike by allegedly “preparing and equipping persons who then engaged in aggressive harassment of students and others.”
Smith has denied the allegations and is contesting the ban through legal counsel.
Councillor Anastasia Zorchinsky asked about Smith’s current employment status within the CSU, following the university’s allegations.
General coordinator Vanessa Massot said they preferred not to answer the question, stating that following the last RCM, there was a National Post article that they alleged led to CSU staff being harassed by the public.
“This National Post article has resulted in some of our staff getting harassed online,” Massot said.
“If I’m paying my fee levies towards this individual, I feel like we should know whether or not that money is going towards paying someone’s salary who allegedly participated in harassing a great amount of my personal friends,” said Drew Sylver, member of the public and former CSU councillor.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate to give that information in this setting,” Massot responded, citing employee privacy obligations under the Concordia University Professional Employee Union collective agreement.
In response to a question about whether Smith had possessed an incendiary device during the October protest, Massot responded, “Juliana was absolutely not in possession of an incendiary device. Hard no.”
Low voter turnout and technical issues
Earlier in the meeting, CSU chief electoral officer Callum Ellis-Mennie reported that the fall by-election saw "particularly low” participation and technical difficulties.
He said a technical issue prevented audio from broadcasting during the CUTV-streamed debate.
Callum told councillors he hopes improved promotion and the hiring of two deputy electoral officers will increase turnout in next semester’s general election.
Student life coordinator Arevig Nahabedian noted that small incentives helped drive turnout.
“The tables, even if they were grey and had nothing else, the moment they had merch on them, people were coming and lining up to vote,” Nahabedian said.
LTA town hall planned
Plant announced a town hall on limited-term appointments (LTAs) for Dec. 3 at the CSU Lounge (H-701).
The event follows Concordia’s decision earlier this month not to renew any limited-term teaching contracts next year, a move that has drawn strong criticism from faculty and students.
By hosting the town hall, councillors said they hope to create space for students and professors to discuss how the cancellations will affect course availability, class sizes and the overall teaching environment in the coming academic year.
“This is to bring attention to the issue, to invite speakers who invite professors that are affected, to invite students to learn more,” Plant said. “This is an issue that’s going to affect a lot of us.”
The meeting adjourned around 9:00 p.m. after more than two hours of debate. The next RCM will take place on Dec. 10.
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