Торонто университеті студенттік одағының тарихы мен құрылымы

Student union at the University of Toronto

The University of Toronto Students' Union (UTSU), officially named the Students' Administrative Council of the University of Toronto, Inc., serves as the elected representative body for full time undergraduate students at the University of Toronto's St. George campus. It holds the distinction of being the second largest student union in Canada and the third largest in North America.

The student government at the University of Toronto has undergone several transformations throughout its history. It originated as the University of Toronto Union in 1901 and later became the Parliament of the Undergraduates in 1907. However, low attendance from elected members, particularly from the medical school, led to the executive assuming more responsibilities over time. In 1913, the Parliament was replaced by the Students' Administrative Council, initially composed of male students. In 1916, the Women's Students' Administrative Council was established, and in 1919, the two councils merged to form a Joint Executive. In 1931, the separate councils were abolished, and the Joint Executive became the primary governing body. The name was later simplified to "Students' Administrative Council" in 1935–1936. On November 16, 2006, a general meeting of University of Toronto students resulted in a name change to the University of Toronto Students' Union. The UTSU's authority and responsibilities were defined by Section 34 of the University of Toronto Act, 1947, until 1971. Initially, the offices of the Students' Administrative Council were located in Hart House. They later moved to the Louis B. Stewart Observatory at the heart of Hart House Circle, adjacent to the Hart House building. Currently, the UTSU's offices are situated at the Student Commons, located at 230 College Street. The Student Commons, which opened in 2021, serves as the new student center for the union.

The union operates under the governance of a Board of Directors, which consists of elected representatives from the federated and constituent colleges, as well as professional faculties within the university. The number of directors representing each division is determined based on the population of the respective college or faculty. The Board of Directors delegated many of its responsibilities to various committees, each focusing on specific areas of concern. These committees include Equity and Accessibility, Campaigns and Outreach, Clubs, Elections and Referenda, Finance, Governance, Services, Student Aid, and the Executive Committee. Composed of board members, these committees address operational, service related, and campaign specific matters. The outcomes of committee work are presented to the entire Board of Directors for final approval. Full time undergraduate students enrolled at the St. George campus have the opportunity to seek funding from the UTSU for grassroots oriented advocacy initiatives taking place on campus. This funding is made available through UTSU's Campus Initiatives Policy, allowing students to drive and support initiatives that align with their interests.

In April 2013, the Engineering Society (EngSoc), a federated body of UTSU, held a student vote to pursue separation from UTSU. This decision followed a period of tension between EngSoc and UTSU. After several years of negotiations, UTSU and EngSoc reached an agreement. As part of the agreement, UTSU recognized EngSoc as the primary student government representing engineering students. Additionally, UTSU ensured that half of all UTSU levies would be allocated to EngSoc, and EngSoc became the primary provider of student services for engineering students. In return, EngSoc agreed not to pursue defederation.

Historically, voter turnout in UTSU elections has been consistently low for several years. More recently, there was a slight increase in turnout, reaching approximately 15%. However, due to the controversy surrounding the 2010 elections, the turnout dropped back down to 6%. In the 2020 elections, there was a notable increase in voter turnout, with 12.7% of eligible students participating, which marked a significant improvement compared to the 4.2% turnout in the 2019 elections.

The UTSU offers a range of student services aimed at supporting student needs. These services include affordable in office printing, the UTSU Food Bank, funding and resources for UTSU recognized clubs, as well as a Student Aid Program that provides bursaries to cover various expenses such as transit, accessibility related costs, and textbooks. Additionally, UTSU administers a Health and Dental Plan, which provides health and dental insurance to UTSU members.

In November 2002, UTSU members participated in a vote regarding their membership in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). The outcome of the vote indicated that 65% of the participating members supported becoming members of the CFS. In 2016, a movement known as You Decide UofT initiated a petition to hold a referendum on the UTSU's membership in the CFS. A few months later, four out of the seven UTSU executives publicly endorsed the campaign and called for the termination of UTSU's CFS membership. During the 2017 UTSU elections, the Demand Better slate, which advocated for leaving the CFS, achieved victory in most of the executive positions, including the presidency.