GSA budget approved, safety concerns ahead of meeting

On April 30, the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) Council voted to approve the proposed 2025–26 operating and capital budget. Only two councillors present at the meeting voted against the proposal. 

This comes after extensive debate and discussion around the proposed budget. The GSA was unable to pass the proposed budget at the March 24 GSA Council meeting because the council did not meet quorum. On April 9, the GSA Council voted to send the budget back to the Budget and Finance Committee (BFC). 

Some of the issues raised at previous meetings were addressed in the latest proposal. 

The removal of the Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund was reversed. The passed budget included a budget line of $5,000 for the Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund. 

The other was the reduce to the associate vice-president (labour) (AVPL) position’s stipend by $7,000. In the approved budget, the AVPL stipend was restored to its previous amount. 

At the April 30 meeting, Saad Iqbal, the GSA’s vice-president (student services), said the BFC came to the decision because the reduced stipend was not advertised during the election period. 

BFC also rescinded the use of union dues to pay for part of staff salaries for the staff who are involved in labour-related work. 

The creation of a $27,000 GSA conference was debated at previous meetings. This was kept in the proposed budget.

Budget passed after three meetings

At the April 9 meeting, former President Haseeb Arshad said that if the budget did not pass, it could risk the future of the GSA. The GSA is required to submit its budget to the University of Alberta in order to receive its fees from students.

At the April 9 meeting, no deadline was confirmed for when the U of A required the budget. Speaker Zain Patel confirmed at the April 30 meeting that the deadline was May 5. 

Nathan Lamarche, previously an English departmental councillor and the current AVPL, had spoken against the budget in previous meetings. 

“Some of the issues I had have been fixed. Many have not,” Lamarche said at the April 30 meeting. “And at the very least in the future I think we need profound meaningful change, not just Band-Aids.”

Ibrahim Khodabocus, a councillor-at-large, spoke in favour of approving the budget. He raised concerns about what would happen if the GSA Council did not approve the budget.

“Simply there will be no GSA, no budget equals no fee assessment, equals no fee collected by the GSA equals no money for any operations or services for any of our constituents,” he said.

Khodabocus emphasized that spending could be changed after the budget had been approved, which Arshad confirmed.

“Councillors have expressed that they don’t feel safe in these meetings,” Patel says

On April 29, the meeting was moved online due to safety concerns. Patel said the decision was made per the U of A Protective Services (UAPS) recommendation.

“Councillors have expressed that they don’t feel safe in these meetings,” Patel said during the April 30 meeting.

“There have been incidents outside of the council that have really affected the operation, the well-being, mental health, [and] whatnot of the GSA councillors, staff, and including myself,” Patel said. 

Patel said himself, Cindy Roose, acting executive director, and the GSA Human Resources manager were originally on April 29 advised to possibly have UAPS officers present at the meeting. UAPS offered two officers free of charge. Then later on April 29, UAPS advised them to move the meeting online.

Patel also addressed claims that moving the meeting online without a vote was illegal. 

“There is nothing in our bylaws that precludes this. Historically, we have had council meeting settings change for various reasons.”

Ahead of the meeting, Lamarche sent an email to councillors and others regarding his concerns with moving the meeting online. He stated that moving the meeting online was illegal and raised concerns about being removed from the meeting, as had allegedly happened at two previous GSA meetings. 

Lamarche was able to attend and speak at the meeting. 

Former GSA President suspended, but participated in GSA Council meeting

On April 29, the GSA Appeals and Complaints Board (ACB) ruled on several complaints filed by Lamarche against Arshad. Two complaints were dismissed, but the ACB moved to suspend Arshad as a result of the first complaint Lamarche had filed. 

The complaint alleged that Arshad had made personal attacks against Lamarche. The two other complaints were regarding the alleged removal of Lamarche from two GSA Board meetings he attended online. 

An email provided to The Gateway also showed that the ACB moved to suspend Lamarche based on the same complaint. Lamarche argued that he could not be suspended as the ACB only has jurisdiction over officers. 

According to the GSA Bylaws and Policy, officers do not include departmental councillors. Lamarche began his term as AVPL on May 1, two days after the ruling.

Both Arshad and Lamarche were present at the April 30 meeting. Arshad presented multiple motions, spoke, and voted. Lamarche also spoke and voted during the meeting.

Lamarche asked the speaker about this during the meeting. Patel said his knowledge of the ACB’s rulings are limited.

The deputy speaker, Amirah Nazir, said this could be further discussed if councillors chose to during question period. The meeting ended before question period could happen.

The Gateway contacted the acting chair of the ACB for clarification on the ruling but did not receive a response before publication.