| Brandon University Students' Union (BUSU) | |
| Institution: | Brandon University |
| President: | Anugo Okudo |
| Vice Presidents: | Linden Haubrick (VP Engagement) |
| Location: | Brandon, Manitoba |
| Members: | 3,375[1] (2020) |
| Affiliated: | CFS |
| Free Label: | Employees |
| Free: | 9 |
The Brandon University Students' Union (BUSU) represents undergraduate, graduate, and distance students at Brandon University (BU) in Manitoba, Canada. BUSU is a not-for-profit organization that represents 3,375 (2020) students. BUSU was incorporated in 1969, and joined the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) as Local 37 in 1984.
BUSU hosts a variety of events such as speakers, socials, and free food giveaways as well as organizing orientation events at the beginning of each September and January.
BUSU is contracted by the Knowles-Douglas Commission to maintain the day-to-day operations of the Knowles-Douglas Centre, which includes the campus bookstore, Baileys, and The Quill as tenants.
The BUSU office is located on the first floor of the Knowles-Douglas Centre at Brandon University.
The BUSU office functions as the central lost and found for BU. Each year the students' union produces about 3,000 student planners, which are available to students for free. The handbook provides information about the university and the students' union along with a weekly calendar for students to track course assignments and all of their extra curricular activities. BUSU and BU each contribute $15,000 annually to the work study program. The funding is granted to professors and other members of the BU community to hire students to assist in research projects, or in other engagement with the local community.
BUSU and BU each contribute $6,000 annually to the Student Travel & Conference Fund. This service is intended to assist students in covering their travel expenses and conference fees associated with participation in off-campus learning experiences. BUSU works closely with the BU Career Planning office and other employers to provide students with a current website for part-time and summer jobs. In 2015 the Assiniboine Community College Students' Association (ACCSA) and BUSU began a partnership to implement a student discount program with participating businesses throughout Brandon.
Between May 2015 and April 2016 over 300 hampers were distributed helping almost 900 people by the food bank. Every year BUSU hosts the Halloween Food Drive. Student clubs from BU compete to collect the most weight of non-perishable food by trick-or-treating around Brandon. In 2008, Brandon University students voted in favor of creating a Health and Dental Plan for students who do not have alternative coverage. BUSU administers the Health and Dental plan provided by C&C Insurance and Student VIP.
BUSU funds, houses, and helps organize four[2] Collectives on the BU campus. The Collectives have guaranteed funding from BUSU each year and deal primarily with topics of gender, expression, diversity, nationality, and inclusion.
The following are fees collected by BUSU through the Brandon University.
BUSU runs a number of campaigns in conjunction with the CFS on a number of social, economic, and educational issues. On occasion, BUSU decides that larger actions are necessary to spread awareness and lobby the government about pressing issues.
On November 2, 2016, BUSU and the CFS held rallies at Brandon University and the Manitoba Legislature in Support of Bill 15, The Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Act, the creation of an Indigenous course requirement, the removal of mandatory attendance requirements, and halting the increase of differential fees for international students.[7] The Manitoba Government passed Bill 15 in April 2017.[8]
In November 2015 BUSU did not accept the application for Club Status from the Brandon University Students for Life (BUSL).[15] In August 2016 BUSL took legal action against BUSU, suing for reinstatement of Club Status.
At the Fall 2016 Annual General Meeting, the following motion was passed:
During the 2020 BUSU Election the Elections and Referenda Disciplinary Interpretation and Enforcement Board (ERDIE) received multiple reports regarding "intimidation, threat, or undue influence".[16] The ERDIE Board investigation resulted in the candidates for president and Vice President Internal, Olusola Akintola and Janet Akintola respectively, being disqualified from the election. Olusola and Janet filed a legal application calling for the courts to order BUSU to ratify the results of the election[17] and stated that there is "a conspiracy to prevent some of us from taking office". Janet was reinstated on June 3, and Olusola on July 13 after an independent investigation could not substantiate the evidence of the allegations. A notice of abandonment of the lawsuit was also filed on July 13.[18] On August 10, Olusola resigned stating that, "I needed to move on, actually, I just wanted to fight to get my name back. I didn't like the way I was being treated and I fought to get it back. Once I got it back, I just felt ‘well, let me just leave.’"[19] On October 5, 2020, BUSU put out an ad to fill the vacant position of Vice President Internal, indicating that Janet had also resigned.
There were also allegations stating that a candidate mislead students into believing the polls had closed earlier than expected. The other two candidates in the election were Whitney Hodgins, and Zach Roozendaal, nephew of former BUSU President John Roozendaal.
Hodgins was reached for a comment on the controversy by the Brandon Sun, though Roozendaal states he was never approached for a comment or asked to discuss his feelings by BUSU or any media outlets.
The BUSU Council is elected on an annual basis from May 1 to April 30 every year. The General Election takes place around reading week in late February.
The BUSU Council currently has 18 positions:[20]
Executive
Directors
| Year | President | Vice President Internal | Vice President External |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968/69 | David J. Rinn | Rick Marshall | Warren Brown |
| 1969/70 | Clark Fraser | Jim Pringle | Colleen McGuinness |
| Year | President | Vice President Internal | Vice President External | 3rd Vice President |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970/71 | Colleen McGuinness | Beverly Bosniak | Wayne Mclennan | Gordon Hornbeck |
| 1971/72 | Lyle Dick | Bert Robinson | Vacant | George Ulyatt |
| Year | President | Vice President Internal | Vice President External |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972/73 | Doug Fraser | Morrie Kilberg | Dennis Darling |
| 1973/74 | Bob Hunter[21] | Andre Delaurier | Guy Thornton |
| 1974/75 | Dave Wellborn | Barb Daniels | Jim McManes |
| Year | President | Vice President Internal | Vice President External | Vice President Activities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975/76 | Fred Mason | Shannon Bell | Graham Avon | Will Smolkowski | |
| Arnie Francis | |||||
| 1976/77 | Gordon Morrisseau | Bob Hammond | Gordon Malcolm | Lang Mackie | |
| Bill McNaughton | |||||
| 1977/78 | Bill McNaughton | ||||
| 1978/79 | Joe Zdebiak | Rod Foster | |||
| 1979/80 | Keith Poulson | ||||
| 1980/81 | Craig Dutton | Dave Wilke | Stan Struthers | Bill Garratt | |
| Dave Wilkie | |||||
| 1981/82 | Drew Caldwell | Bill Garratt | Charmaine Schenstead | Timothy Conlin | |
| 1982/83 | Charmaine Schenstead | Mark Bonnor | Scott Stewart | Rae Plowman | |
| 1983/84 | Reg Helwer | Tracy Blanchard | Jillian Hicks | Tim McCartney | |
| Ruth Pryzner | |||||
| 1984/85 | Jes Aagaard | Bruce Hickey | Ruth Pryzner | Wesley Turk | |
| 1985/86 | Ruth Pryzner | Sean Fedorowich | Clark Marcino | Dawn Aberson | |
| 1986/87 | Scott Wiley | Dave Sheach | Joe Odartei | Bruce Barber | |
| 1987/88 | Shelley Ireland | Mark Eichorst | Patrick Braaten | Kent Thorkelsson | |
| 1988/89 | Shelley Ireland | Elaine McCraken | Al Stitt | Vacant | |
| 1989/90 | Sean Bowie | Mitch Peacock | Kirk Bruggar | Bob Hume | |
| 1990/91 | Paul McDonald | David Swayze | Bruce Leflar | Jeff Richert | |
| 1991/92 | Jeff Richert | James Rogers | Jennifer Howard | Craig Ferris |
| Year | President | Vice President Internal | Vice President Advocate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992/93 | Jeff Richert | Tracey Walker | Vacant | |
| 1993/94 | John Roozendaal | Lesley Kretai | Vacant | |
| 1994/95 | Lesley Kretai | Marlene Powell | Maezie Dadoush | |
| 1995/96 | Darren Ottaway | Elliott Oleson | Kana Mahadavan | |
| 1996/97 | Erick Blaikie | Gaylene Gurr | Nolan Erickson | |
| 1997/98 | Gari-Ellen Donohoe | Travis Chastko | Joe Vercaigne |
| Year | President | Vice President Finance | Vice President Academic | Vice President Activities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998/99 | Michael Elves | Janine Waines | Jon Friesen | Scott Janes | |
| 1999/00 | Gregory Kristalovich | Sarah Freund | Laura McDougald | Gerond Davidson | |
| 2000/01 | Tim McKay | Denise Marsden | Kristina Lonstrup | ||
| 2001/02 | Tim Mckay | Kristina Lonstrup | Blaine Foley | Vacant | |
| 2002/03 | Carla Harris | Kim Olson | Katie Pollock | Crystal Barber | |
| 2003/04 | David Cannon | Tom Matthews | Jeff Sykes | Meeghan Gavin | |
| 2004/05 | Meeghan Gavin | Tom Matthews | Mitch Obach | Vacant | |
| 2005/06 | Mitch Obach | Courtenay O'Brien-Moran | Nathan Peto | Zoë Gross | |
| 2006/07 | Stacy Senkbeil | Zoë Gross | Chris Fisher | Vacant | |
| 2007/08 | Nathan Peto | Stephen Montague | Chris Fisher | Daniel Arellano | |
| 2008/09 | Stephen Montague | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | |
| 2009/10 | Stephen Montague | Grant Bastone | Laura Balanko | Vacant |
| Year | President | Vice President Internal | Vice President External | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010/11 | Jade Visser | Laura Balanko | Shannon Skidmore | |
| 2011/12 | Deandra Tousignant | Jonathan Keen | Kelsey McDonald | |
| 2012/13 | Carissa Taylor | Raymond Thomson | Suz Duff | |
| 2013/14 | Stephanie Bachewich | Matt May | Jenna Clinton(May 2013 – Jan 2014) | |
| 2014/15 | Joel Springer | Nick Brown(June 2014 – Apr 2015) | Sandra Mutasa(May 2014 – Sept 2014) | |
| Rhoni Mohanraj(Oct 2014 – Apr 2015) | ||||
| 2015/16 | Aaron Thompson(May 2015 – Dec 2016) | Nick Brown(May 2014 – 2014 Dec) | Rhoni Mohanraj | |
| Nick Brown (Interim)(Dec 2014 – 2015 Feb) | Jill Creasor (Interim)(Dec 2014 – Feb 2015) | |||
| Aaron Thompson(Feb 2015 – Apr 2015) | Nick Brown(Feb 2015 – Apr 2015) | |||
| 2016/17 | Nick Brown | Jill Creasor | Greg Monias(May 2016 – Feb 2017) | |
| Trevor Dean Poole(Feb 2017 – Apr 2017) | ||||
| 2017/18 | Nick Brown | Emily Simon | Mohammed Agavi(June 2017 – Apr 2018) | |
| 2018/19 | Justin Shannon(Aug 2018 – Apr 2019) | Emily Simon | Mohammed Agavi | |
| 2019/20 | Olusola Akintola | Whitney Hodgins | April Li | |
| 2020/21 | Olusola Akintola(July 1, 2020 – Resigned August 17, 2020) | Janet Akintola(July 1, 2020 – Resigned September 30, 2020) | Gaynell McCatty(May 1, 2020 – Resigned May 4, 2020) | |
| Olufunke Sophia Adeleye(Sept 2020 – Apr 2021) | James Maxon(Nov 2020 – Apr 2021) | Sophia Rivera(Sept 2020 – Apr 2021) | ||
| 2021/22 | Olufunke Sophia Adeleye | Similoluwa Omotoye(July 2021 – April 2022) | Iyiola Sanya Olabowale(May 2021 – January 2022) |
| Year | President | Vice President Operations | Vice President Engagement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | Olufunke Sophia Adeleye | Similoluwa Omotoye | Anugo Okudo(July 2022 – April 2023) | |
| 2023/24 | Anugo Okudo | Chidimna Joy Chikezie | Linden Haubrick | |
| 2024/25 | Charles Adamu | Chidimna Joy Chikezie | Kesha Haulder |