News Brief: KSA council reappoints VP university affairs, hires new speaker, organizes events and discounts for students

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The Kwantlen Student Association passed a motion to remove Vice-President (VP) University Affairs Yugveer Gill from the executive committee during a council meeting on Oct. 11.

Civic Plaza Campus Representative Abhijeet Singh was appointed to the position. Abhijeet said the reason for removing Gill was internal.

Executive Director Timothii Ragavan said Abhjieet will be eligible to receive the executive tuition benefit at the end of the semester, which reimburses the cost of six credits, but Gill won’t. 

A disciplinary warning was issued for Richmond Campus Representative Nitin Aggarwal for packing food at an event “witnessed by all the councillors.” This is Aggarwal’s third disciplinary warning. 

“Fake allegation, no hard proof,” Aggarwal wrote in the meeting chat. “They just want to target me because I am standing up against them.” 

Council said Aggarwal placed an additional food order after the event. According to a receipt The Runner received, the additional order was $72.36, which Aggarwal denied spending. 

“Why did the organizer pay, if the order was noticed at the time?” Advocacy Coordinator John O’Brian asked during a governance committee meeting on Oct. 8, according to the meeting’s minutes. “That seems to be a violation of the event/finance regs. How did this come up now, when the event was months ago?” 

Council also appointed Sukhdeep Singh as the new speaker of council. Sukhdeep was not present to chair the meeting. Associate President Ishant Goyal was appointed as the temporary chair. 

Students with Disabilities Representative Lesli Sangha was removed as the chairperson for the social justice and equity committee, and Faculty of Business Representative Yuvraj Bains was appointed as the chair effective immediately. 

Bains said meetings for the committee were never held, which led him to propose removing Sangha as the chair. Since Aug. 19, the committee had scheduled seven meetings, according to the KSA’s website.  

“I’m more actively engaged in that committee and I can do a good job,” Bains said.

Due to technical difficulties, KPU students were unable to join the council meeting online.

Executive committee meeting

The executive committee emailed a joint report to The Runner before its meeting, which was also on Oct. 11, stating students can now access Student Price Card memberships through the KSA’s member services. The membership will provide discounts on retail, dining, and other essential services, offering financial relief to students. 

The executive committee is also planning to reschedule its special general meeting (SGM) and working to ensure a “smooth, transparent, and legally compliant process.” The report noted the committee is finalizing logistics to make sure the meeting adheres to protocols. 

“This SGM will serve as a crucial platform for student voices, and we are focused on fostering participation and clarity throughout the process,” the report reads. 

The committee is also planning events for students, including a fall-themed trip to either Maan Farms or Fright Nights at Playland and Grouse Mountain come winter.  

During the meeting, the committee approved $560 for a “human rights complaint invoice” and $123.20 for a “judicial review of grade appeals invoice,” both of which are to be paid to Moore Edgar Lyster LLP.  

The executive committee approved $390 in funding to attend a Diwali gala event at Simon Fraser University (SFU) on Oct. 22. Goyal said the funding will be for two or three individuals to attend the gala.

“It is basically to enhance relationships and then get some strategic planning understanding that would help the KSA to see how SFU operates and then network there,” Goyal added.

The committee also approved $2,000 for a meetup and training session for members of the KPU Badminton Club, as well as $1,016 for the Kwantlen Gaming Guild’s “Revengeance of the Gaming Dead” event, $678 for the KPU Dance Club’s “First Moves, First Meets,” and $180 for the Kwantlen Sikh Student Association’s “Asa Ki Vaar Kirtan.” A total of $500 was approved for a “Times of Canada” event.

KSA executives approved the roster and constitution for the KPU Political Science, KPU Brew, and KPU Pinoy clubs.

Executives also presented seven non-meeting motions so they could be added to the draft meeting minutes. The motions included approving $19,849.22 for the KSA’s Alliance of BC Students (ABCS) 2024-25 membership and $1,200 towards the ABCS’s skills and training conference, which the association attended during the summer semester.

The Hindu Student Association received $2,800 in funding for its “Navratri Pooja” event, and the weekly student breakfasts held at Grassroots Cafe and run by the KSA Cares program was allocated $15,000 through the non-meeting motions.

The committee had also approved $2,000 for a KSA pumpkin carving contest, $4,000 for ordering swag for a “Get Out the Vote” campaign, and $800 for representation at a Drishti event.

The next KSA council meeting is scheduled for Oct. 25 at 11:00 am with the executive meeting set to follow it at 1:00 pm. Interested students can email info@kusa.ca to join.