2012-2013: Difference between revisions

Efforts to address long-standing concerns with the democratic legitimacy and efficiency of the University of Toronto Students' Union (UTSU, formerly SAC) culminated in the Engineering Society holding a referendum concurrent with its Board of Directors elections in April 2013 asking full-time engineering students whether they wished to continue paying fees to the UTSU. EngSoc proposed to take over delivery of UTSU services, including the Health & Dental Insurance Plan, at the same or lower costs. The result was an overwhelming endorsement for the so-called "fee diversion" proposal of 95% in favour with 28% turnout.  

===Elimination of VP External===

President [[User:Eigenvector|Rishi Maharaj]] ran on a platform of completely disengaging from the Engineering Student Societies' Council of Ontario (ESSCO) and the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES) on the grounds that they are useless and wasteful organizations. Previous EngSoc administrations, including those of Presidents [[User:kevinpsiu|Kevin P. Siu]] and David Cheung, respectively had concluded that neither ESSCO or CFES provided substantial benefit to EngSoc or its members in return for the funds spent on membership dues and conference delegations.

In the summer of 2012, the Board of Directors approved withdrawal from ESSCO and non-payment of membership dues to CFES. EngSoc was forced to reverse course on CFES membership after it became known that CFES would block U of T students from attending the Canadian Engineering Competition (CEC) if U of T was not a member in good standing, the Board and Officers continued to maintain that CFES membership itself provided no tangible benefit to the members of EngSoc. By spring 2013 it became evident that VP External, already the smallest Officer portfolio, was going to be left with almost zero responsibilities in the coming year. A motion was approved at the February 2013 meeting of the Board of Directors eliminating the position effective at the 2013 Joint Council Meeting, over the objections of incumbent VP External Anton Klunko. Klunko himself had been discredited after a poor appearance at the November 2012 Accountability Meeting and a subsequent article in ''The Varsity'' that aired concerns that he was unprofessional and incompetent.  

Up for its 15th renewal in the 2013 Officer Elections, the [[Temporary Special Levy Fund|Temporary Special Levy]] was reduced, from $150 to $125, for the first time since its inception. $125 represents $57.86 in 1983 dollars, meaning that the current 2013 Special Levy is only slightly more than half of the original fee as instituted in 1983. The 2013 renewal referendum question also included a provision allowing the Board of Directors to redirect surplus funds from the Special Levy Fund to the permanent Endowment Fund.

The 1T2-1T3 year was marked by several resignations, including VP Student Life Nikola Radovanovic and Hard Hat Cafe Operations Manager Kunal Taneja who both resigned over the summer for personal reasons. Cannon Editor Vijay Unnithan was recalled late in the fall term after failing to produce anything during his seven months in office. Automatic removal from the Board of Directors for absenteeism was instituted midway through the year, leading to the removal of VP External Anton Klunko prior to the final Board meeting of the year.

|vp_finance = Pierre Harfouche

|vp_external = Anton Klunko***

|cannon_ca = ''You wish!''