MUNSU lost its Executive Director of External Affairs, Emily Dyer after their resignation letter was posted on social media yesterday.
Dyer explained their resignation due to a lack of support and communication from fellow Executive Directors. In addition to instances of flawed accountability structures leading to problematic behaviour on the part of certain co-workers and an unsustainable volume of unpaid work.
Towards the end of Dyer’s letter, they emphasized: “MUNSU must make changes that ensure every Executive Director who comes after me will be treated with the respect and consistently that I did not receive,” proposing “such changes… MUNSU, its leaders, and student members will be stronger than ever together.”
Dyer’s resignation came as a surprise to much of the student body. While MUNSU has yet to issue a statement, Hilary Hennessey, Former Director of External Affairs, acknowledges Dyer’s struggles were not new.
“In April of this year, when I was creating a transition document for Emily, I had hoped that I would not be passing along all the hardships and negative experiences that came with being the Executive Director of External Affairs, Communication, and Research,” Hennessey said.
At the same time, Hennessey expressed that she is very proud of Emily for speaking out about the issues that the people within this position have commonly faced in the past.
Hennessey says that despite the opportunities MUNSU gave her to thrive professionally and be recognized academically, it was at the expense of her mental wellbeing- a concern Dyer expressed in their letter.
Hold MUNSU Accountable
Former President of Memorial’s Political Science Society, Nicholas Hillier, has created a Facebook group called “Hold MUNSU Accountable”: a movement of MUNL students who claim to be “sick and tired of the lack of transparency from our Student Union and demand accountability.”
In the group, Hillier states, “for years, scandals have been swept under the rug, Executive Directors have marched to the beat of their own drum, and students have been left high and dry by a dysfunctional organization that does not work (figuratively and literally) for us.”
CFS-NL Responds
Hillier initially posted Dyer’s letter of resignation on social media, where he called upon the Canadian Federation of Students, Newfoundland and Labrador (CFS-NL) to start an investigation into Dyer’s allegations and the practices of the organization as a whole.
However, CFS-NL, stated, “Interfering or investigating the internal relations of a member local’s student union is not part of our mandate, nor within our jurisdiction.”
“The Canadian Federation of Students Newfoundland and Labrador (CFS-NL) is a membership-driven organization that supports public post-secondary students and member local student unions in NL with services, research, and campaign development,” said CFS-NL.
As a result, they hope MUNSU can resolve their issues internally.
According to Hennessey, “It would be beneficial for the Union to be structurally reviewed to promote conflict resolution, equal work spaces, and to ensure that the students’ funds are being used appropriately.”
MUNSU is “a needed space”
Hennessey acknowledges that MUNSU is a very needed space for students at MUNL.
MUNSU operates several services at Memorial that benefit students, such as the Grocery Shuttle, Safe Drive, Health and Dental Insurance, The Attic, and CHMR-FM. They are involved in student life and advocate for students inside and outside the classroom.
“MUNSU is committed to educating students about your rights both inside and outside the classroom. This campaign aims to give youthe tools to challenge any violation of rights and empower students to act as their own advocates. If you experience a violation of your rights or believe you are being mistreated, we are here to help. Do not hesitate to contact us with any issues you experience. Know Your Rights!”
MUNSU Website
However, despite their positive involvements, Hennessey states, MUNSU is not set up for student Executives to succeed due to heavy portfolios and internal conflicts.
“For a “student-ran” organization, it was incredibly difficult to find out that student responsibilities such as program requirements are rarely accommodated and are not supposed to be a priority,” Hennessey said.
Similar to the points raised in Emily’s statement, “the executives struggle to uphold their professional duties with additional unpaid work requirements including secondary roles, meetings, weekend outings, events, media engagements, professional development training, and more. This creates conflict, as there is a divide in benefits/authority amongst the Student Support Staff and the Executive Directors,” Hennessey says.
MUNSU Response
Emily Dyer is requesting privacy at this time, and in her letter, she asked that no member of the Board contact her for at least one calendar week after the letter was received.
In the meantime, MUNSU issued their response on social media validating some of Dyer’s concerns stating, “our student directors are taking on a huge amount of work to serve our student body.”
MUNSU also stated that last year, they began the process of an external review of their structure, and they will continue this review.
At the end of the letter, MUNSU assured, “Your elected representatives are working hard in this fight, and it is not an easy fight,” and confirmed there would be a by-election in early fall to fill the Director of External Affairs, Communications and Research position.
Meanwhile, members of Hold MUNSU Accountable are not impressed by MUNSU’s response claiming the union is dodging the recent accusations of a toxic workplace and attendance issues for other Executive Directors.
MUNSU’s full letter is available to read here:
The Muse will continue to update as information comes available.