Board Structure & Committees

The UTSU is the primary student government for over 38,000 undergraduate students at the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus.

The UTSU is governed by a Board of Directors and Executive Committee of elected student representatives. The current Board of Directors, including the President and Vice President Finance and Operations serve on the Board. It is important that all students have a voice in the governance of their student union.

The University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA) and operates independently from the University of Toronto.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is responsible for providing advocacy and organizational direction of your student union each year. It consists of a President and five Vice-Presidents who are elected annual in the spring to represent the interests of the U of T undergraduate community. The positions of the Executive Committee are as follows:

The President and the Vice-President Operations serve as members of the Management Committee of the UTSU along with the General Manager. These three positions are responsible for leading and organizing the rest of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, and the staff team of the UTSU each year.

  • President
  • Vice-President Operations
  • Vice-President Public & University Affairs
  • Vice-President Student Life
  • Vice-President Equity
  • Vice-President Professional Faculties
  • General Manager (ex-officio)

Board of Directors

Following the adoption of the UTSU’s revised By-Laws during the October 2022 Annual General Meeting, the structure of the UTSU Board of Directors was modified and took effect on May 1, 2023.  The previous UTSU Board of Directors composition was downsized from forty-three (43) members to twelve (12) members. The new composition of the Board of Directors is: ten (10) at-large members, meaning students elected from the students at-large; and two (2) ex-officio members, the President and the Vice-President Finance & Operations. In place of the seats being lost on the Board, there will be the creation of a representative Student Senate. This Senate will not be larger than seventy-five (75) members in size, and would act as the UTSU’s representative organ, advising the Board on academic and campus issues. 

Board members are volunteers who serve as fiduciaries of the organization. By becoming a fiduciary of the UTSU, directors assume certain responsibilities that ordinary students do not share. This includes assuming some liability for decisions the UTSU makes, including its financial decisions and any legal proceedings it enters. The board shares a responsibility for the organization’s financial and legal affairs, and votes at board meetings to steer the organization towards a certain direction. The day-to-day operations are then delegated to executives and staff, who are the employees tasked with moving things in the direction desired by the board and the members.  

The By-Laws revision provides for two types of board meetings: regular and special meetings. Regular meetings require fourteen (14) days’ notice to schedule, and are required to happen every month. Special meetings, which can only be called for a time-sensitive and specific purpose, require 24 hours notice. This allows the UTSU to act when it needs to, while also ensuring that directors can plan for monthly meetings.

Committees

The UTSU’s ten committees assume responsibility for seeking and reviewing information, forming positions, and making recommendations to the Board and the Executive. Committee members are elected by the Board and meet in-between Board meetings. Each committee has a specific mandate, and all decisions made at the committee level are then sent to the Board of Directors for approval. The committees are listed below.

Executive Committee The Executive Committee is the chief decision-making committee of the UTSU, and oversees the day-to-day activities of the UTSU.

The Chair of the Executive Committee is Elizabeth Shechtman, President.

 

Elizabeth can be reached at: president@utsu.ca
Campaigns and Outreach Committee The Campaigns and Outreach Committee organizes the UTSU’s various campaigns and outreach initiatives.

The Chair of the Campaigns & Outreach Committee is Aidan Thomspon, Vice-President Public & University Affairs.

Aidan can be reached at: vppua@utsu.ca
Clubs Committee The Clubs Committee allocates funding to student clubs, and discusses the UTSU’s policies surrounding student groups.

The Chair of the Clubs Committee is Fiona Hewes, Vice-President Student Life.

 

Fiona can be reached at: vpstudentlife@utsu.ca.
Elections and Referenda Committee The Elections and Referenda Committee oversees and administers all elections and referenda held by the UTSU.

The Chair of the Elections and Referenda Committee is Elizabeth Shechtman, President.

 

Elizabeth can be reached at: president@utsu.ca
Performance Review Committee The Performance Review Committee investigates complaints against members of the Executive Committee, and when required, makes recommendations for disciplinary action.

The Chair of the Performance Review Committee is Noa Sabbah.

 

Noa can be reached at: noa.sabbah@utsu.ca
Finance Committee The Finance Committee oversees all the financial operations of the UTSU, including the budgeting process.

The Chair of the Finance Committee is Samir Mechel, Vice-President Finance & Operations.

 

Samir can be reached at: vpoperations@utsu.ca.
Services Committee The Services Committee reviews and recommends changes to the services provided by the UTSU.

The Chair of the Services Committee is Samir Mechel , Vice-President Finance & Operations.

 

Samir can be reached at: vpoperations@utsu.ca.
Student Aid Committee The Student Aid Committee provides financial aid to students in need. A visit ca/financial-assistance for more information.

The Chair of the Student Aid Committee is Samir Mechel, Vice-President Finance & Operations.

 

Samir can be reached at: vpoperations@utsu.ca
Governance Committee The Governance Committee is tasked with providing good governance, maintaining the Bylaws and Policies, and other governance aspects of UTSU.

The Chair of the Governance Committee is Samir Mechel, Vice-President Finance & Operations.

 

Samir can be reached at: vpoperations@utsu.ca
Equity and Accessibility Committee The Equity and Accessibility Committee advises the UTSU on matters of equity and inclusivity and ensures that the UTSU is acting equitably. This committee also oversees all operations related to the Equity Collectives and their leadership.

The Chair of the Equity and Accessibility Committee is Fatima Sohail, Vice-President Equity.

 

Fatima can be reached at: vpequity@utsu.ca.