Women's collective hopes to appoint rep to KSA

Group pushes for special general meeting to address vacant women’s council seat.

By Matt DiMera
[news editor] 

A group of students has asked the Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) to hold a special general meeting in order to add another member to this year’s elected council.

Arzo Ansary was the KSA’s women’s representative and the director of external affairs during the last term of council. Ansary had intended to run again, but filed her nomination papers late and was disqualified from running in the last election.

Since no one else put their name forward, the KSA’s women’s representative position is currently vacant.

Members of the Kwantlen women’s collective, Women Organizing Opportunities for Women (WooW), were unhappy that women’s interests would no longer be specifically represented on the council, so they had hoped to have Ansary appointed at last month’s annual general meeting.

However, only 55 students showed up by the meeting’s start time, five less than the required minimum of 60. Because the minimum was not met, a motion to have Ansary join the council could not be considered.

After the meeting, WooW collected 178 signatures from Kwantlen students in one afternoon on the Surrey campus, calling for a special meeting to be held so that Ansary could continue to represent the women’s constituency at council meetings.

KSA spokesperson Christopher Girodat said the student association isn’t opposing or supporting the bid to add Ansary as a representative to the board of directors.

“The KSA takes no position on the SGM, we’re waiting to see the will of our members,” said Girodat.

However, he explained this would not be the first time that council members have been appointed at a general meeting.

“Our membership did appoint five directors near the end of 2011, in the wake of the impeachment of most of our board.”

The meeting is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 11 in Fir 128 on the Surrey campus.