TRUSU budget stays in the office

January 28,2010 at 11am TRUSU held it's Annual General Meeting. I was highly anticipating the AGM for several reasons: the first being that I predicted this would be the only opportunity this year to sit in a room full of students who would pose questions about the student unions' activities and spending.

And...no one showed up.

The second reason I was looking forward to it: receiving the budget. I was looking forward to having this small, relatively vague document, in my filing cabinet, so that I would freely be able to reference the TRUSU budget at any time.

And...they collected the budget back. I only had it in my possession for a few minutes and was madly chicken scratching down as much as I could.

I asked Nathan Lane, TRUSU executive director, after the meeting if I could please have a budget document to keep. He told me that any time I would like to see the budget I can schedule an appointment and sit down with him and he can explain it to me.

But that's not what I was looking for.

The budget is a very simple document that sets out a rough estimate of what TRUSU predicts it will collect and spend over the next year. I don't need a TRUSU executive to explain to me that they collect $850,000 in Membership Fees. I just thought that if I went to the meeting I was allowed to take a copy of the budget, and obviously if I had any questions I would be sure to call him up.

The reason I thought the budgets were handed out openly is because I have a copy of last years budget and I did not attend last years AGM. Where I got it? I have no idea. But obviously it should be treasured.

My two biggest questions that I wanted to ask TRUSU this year:
1) Has TRUSU discussed putting the CFS fees through TRUSU, so that the fees can appear on their yearly audit?
"Yes we've discussed it. We don't get to classify what fees go in our budget," Nathan Lane said.

It should be noted that Kwantlen Student Association asked permission at their school to have the CFS fees go through their audit this year and were successful in doing so.

2) Has TRUSU discussed posting their meeting minutes online like many other student societies do in British Columbia?
Again they've discussed it, but they have decided not to.