By Ben Macintosh
Photo credits: Ben Macintosh
The last UPEISU Council meeting of the decade ended with the largest council of this school year.
Three new councillors were sworn in at the Dec. 1 council meeting, all appointed to fill seats left empty after the Fall Council elections.
Board of Governors Rep. Kari Kruse, Engineering Rep. Stirling MacPherson and Residence Rep. Godwin Okojie all joined council Sunday night. All of these positions saw no candidate come forward during the Fall Council elections and the new representatives were chosen through an internal SU appointment process.
The night also saw seats becoming empty as two Councillors offered their resignations. Arts Rep. Henry Orford resigned due to the fact he has no classes next semester and councillors must be students for their entire term.
Orford could not attend the Dec. 1 council meeting, but in a letter to council he expressed his appreciation to his time on council.
“I am glad to have finished my degree, exploring what that new territory was for me and I am thoroughly impressed with many of the wonderful people the UPEISU has introduced to me,†Orford said in his letter to Council.
Senate Rep. Keyshawn Bonamy is also finished this semester which heralds the end of his time on Council.
“I have been here for two years and this has been the most traumatic experience of my life,†Bonamy said jokingly.
The vacant Arts and Senate Rep. positions will be filled by appointment.
The majority of the Council meeting was spent in camera while the councillors conducted evaluations of the executives. These evaluations are conducted internally and results are not available to the public.
Following the evaluations, Council voted unanimously to have governance committee review the executive evaluations for possible changes.
Council also voted unanimously to ratify a society, Presents for Peds, which will work to give presents to kids in the pediatric units of PEI hospitals and the IWK in Halifax.
The first council meeting of the new decade will take place on Jan. 12, 2020 at 6 P.M. in room 328 of MacDougall Hall.
