Graduate students will be represented by the Ryerson Graduate Students’ Union (RGSU) starting in September 2021 after the Board of Governors’ referendum on the RGSU’s independence passed Friday.
According to an email sent by the board secretariat, 310 people voted yes in the referendum while 211 voted no.
That means the RGSU will operate independently of the Ryerson Students’ Union. It currently operates under the RSU umbrella.
The RGSU held its own referendum in April 2020, which asked students if they wanted a separate grad union. Although the majority of voters in that referendum were in favour of the proposal, RSU president Ali Yousaf rejected the results, saying in a July board meeting that the RGSU must go through the Ryerson Board of Governors to run an official referendum.
Full-time graduate students will pay $123.84 annually to fund the union’s operations, with the amount prorated for part-time students. Students can opt in to a health-care plan that will cost up to $650 per year. The fees will also be used to fund services such as the Good Food Centre, the Sexual Assault Survivor Support Line and other equity service centres on campus.
The RGSU is expected to negotiate a new operating agreement with the university in order to finalize its status as a new students’ union.
