News brief: KSA council appoints CRO, spends almost $100,000 on Christmas gift baskets and $82,000 on New Year’s Bash

The next KSA council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 7 at noon. (File photo)

The next KSA council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 7 at noon. (File photo)

The Kwantlen Student Association appointed a Chief Returning Officer (CRO) during a council meeting on Jan. 24. The CRO is responsible for overseeing the KSA’s general elections.

Faculty of Arts Representative Jasmine Kaur Kochhar said that Gurinder Gaddu was a ballot official during the provincial elections and has experience working in the election atmosphere. 

The council also introduced the role of an assistant CRO to be appointed at the meeting. Vice-President University Affairs Abhijeet Singh proposed to defer the motion to appoint Amandeep Sahi as the assistant CRO, citing a lack of specifications about the role. 

The motion was revoked and deferred to the next council meeting. 

“[The internal committee] thought they’re the best-suited [candidates] with respect to the atmosphere regarding our elections and [how] KSA elections usually go around,” Kochhar said. “That’s [why] we listed them as the most suitable candidates.”

Policy and Political Affairs Coordinator Diamond Obera said that the council may want to consider outlining and defining the assistant CRO role considering “how busy the past couple of elections have gotten.” 

Associate President Ishant Goyal said the position has been temporarily created for the KSA’s general elections on the recommendation of the student union’s legal counsel. 

“We are confident in the abilities of the selected individual to uphold the integrity of our election process,” the executive committee wrote in a joint report. 

Speaker of Council Sukhdeep Singh announced that Nitin Aggarwal resigned from his position as Richmond campus representative last month. No reason for the resignation was provided.  

During his report, Executive Director Timothii Ragavan said he is in talks with KPU to determine the time and location for the KSA’s general elections. 

As per the KSA’s bylaws, a general election for the faculty, campus, and constituency representatives should be held annually in February. 

Ragavan said the timeline for the elections is still being determined, adding that the association wants to uphold its bylaws and provide sufficient time for candidates to campaign. 

“I’m hoping that with the appointment of the CRO, I’m able to have [that] conversation,” he said.

In her report, Kochhar said she is working on a strategic plan to outline what the KSA wants the upcoming council to “achieve in the next three years.” She wants council members to discuss and reflect upon what the previous council did and how it can be done better to “continue with the legacy.” 

Kochhar also proposed the idea of conducting a student survey to determine how many students are aware of the KSA’s role and services across KPU’s five campuses. 

“People don’t know that KPU and the KSA are two different entities,” she said. “So, when we have a survey, we can get the statistics regarding how many students know, especially with the upcoming elections, we can create awareness regarding what KSA actually is and what it does.” 

On Jan. 15, the social justice and equity committee held its Cup of Social Justice event at Grassroots Cafe on the Surrey campus. The event gave students an opportunity to connect with council members and share their thoughts on KSA initiatives and social justice issues. 

In her emailed report, Faculty of Science and Horticulture Representative Bhoomika Seera wrote that the committee was “deeply inspired by the diverse viewpoints and suggestions offered by students on ways to create a more inclusive and supportive atmosphere at KPU.” 

During an executive committee meeting on Jan. 20, an additional $15,000 was approved in a non-meeting motion for the KSA’s New Year’s Bash event held on Jan. 4, bringing the cost of the event to a total of $82,000. 

The committee also approved $23,430.75 for additional Christmas gift baskets for students, which the association had already spent $72,392.25 on, bringing the total to $95,823. About 1,000 students received the baskets, according to the executives’ joint report. 

The committee is also in talks with Gallivan to initiate improvements to “mylegalplan,” which provides legal resources and protection for students enrolled in the plan through the KSA. 

“We are hopeful that these updates will provide more comprehensive services that align with the evolving needs of our student community.”

The next KSA council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 7 at noon. Interested students can email info@kusa.ca to join the meeting.