Petition calls for dissolution and new bylaws allowing student executives to sit on board of paper’s publisher
For now.
The petition had put a deadline of “after Sept. 15 immediately, for the PIPS to hold its special general meeting,” but as of Wednesday afternoon there were no repercussions after no meeting was held.
The Kwantlen Student Association also had its own scheduled special general meeting for Thursday postponed after the school withdrew permission to use KPU space. The student association’s bylaws prevent it from meeting outside school property.
“The safety and security of KPU students is the university’s top priority and we were very concerned about the safety of students attending the KSA’s special general meeting scheduled for Sept. 26,” Joshua Mitchell, associate vice-president of student affairs, said in a statement.
“The KSA had requested KPU provide 18 additional security staff to supervise the meeting.”
Mitchell also expressed “serious concerns” related to proposed constitutional and bylaw changes that were being sought by the student association.
Among the proposed changes, the KSA wanted to severely restrict the amount of time the media and public may be present during meetings, and to increase the terms of student association executives from one year to two.
Mitchell said the university was concerned students were not properly consulted about the proposed changes and that the “changes would restrict the rights of students to exercise control of their society and influence how their money is spent.”
Student elections are held in February.
A lot of Kwantlen’s students are taking two-year diplomas, meaning if the motion were to pass a student enrolling for the fall of 2025 could have the same student association executives throughout their time at the university with no say about who is on the board of directors.
Both are funded by student fees, which Kwantlen collects (along with tuition) and passes on.
It began, “In solidarity as the Kwantlen Student Association council board of directors 2024 … we assert that The Runner has consistently neglected to highlight the positive contributions and initiatives undertaken by the KSA, instead focusing on controversies and criticisms without adequate context or balance.”
No one knows who is behind the petition.
“I don’t know that the KSA is,” Culley said. “I don’t want to say that they’re behind it because I don’t have any proof of it, but I do know there are motions on that petition that are specifically, directly related to them.”
“So I like them and stuff,” said Skelton, an award-winning data journalist and one-time Vancouver Sun reporter. “But when I read the articles, I feel like they’re very fair.
“They try to give the student association their due, but to be honest I think some of the stuff that the student association is doing is in the interest of the people on the student association, and not really in the interests of the students at Kwantlen.
“When The Runner reports on that, people get upset.”