The new year has just begun and already students are being bombarded with deadlines left, right and center. For Ram Ganesh, president of the Ryerson Students’ Union, as well as the rest of the RSU executive, a February 1 deadline might have been the most important one of their lives.
Last week, photos swarmed the internet showing questionable credit card statements allegedly belonging to Ganesh and the RSU, courtesy of the Rhinoceros Party, a student group at the university.
These statements showed a history of transactions amounting to almost $250,000 from bars, shisha lounges and even beer and liquor stores in Toronto throughout the past year.
Ganesh began his presidency back in May 2018 and has often worked alongside RSU vice-president Savreen Gosal. They were allegedly both given a credit card despite the Union’s financial policies forbidding this practive, the Eyeopener reported.
The frustrating part of this financial catastrophe is the fact that it has been the tuition dollars of Ryerson students being put forth for use towards all of these “discretionary” funds.
Instead of going to Econ 104, you might as well head over to the Rec Room bar or EFS Social Club in downtown Toronto considering that’s where it seems a handful of your money has gone over the course of the past year.
The Ryerson Students’ Union had until February 1 to reconcile their credit card statements and supply answers to all questions being asked by students, faculty and the public.
Ganesh told the Eyeopener with confidence that the RSU would meet that deadline, although some did not feel it would being possible.
In a board as large as the RSU, it is important to follow strict financial policies to assure that every dime is being spent as effectively as possible and is being used to achieve student goals.
Ganesh claims both credit cards are being cancelled and the only remaining one will be given to the financial controller.
More information is to come once financial statements are shown in full and a forensic auditor has gone through all of the alleged expenses.