The COVID-19 Pandemic has arguably dealt student activism a huge blow, amongst its many other serious impacts on the world and our lives. Students and student organisations are still trying to find ways to cope and keep themselves alive by shifting everything online. The KSU AGM is one of these things that had to be shifted online, but this was easier said than done.
Annual General Meetings, or AGMs, are normally physical events that have students gather together to celebrate an organisation’s work over the past year and welcome the new executive team. Physical events are out of the question in this climate of quarantine and social distancing, but executives still have to change because they do not have an eternal mandate.
KSU AGM Planning in the works
KSU President William Farrugia, exclusively told The Third Eye that the AGM is in fact planned to happen as soon as possible, probably before the end of April and preparations for an official announcement detailing the event are in the works.
The AGM was originally planned for immediately after university students returned to school after Easter Break. The plans for the physical event obviously had to be cancelled but KSU has been thinking of ways to still hold the AGM. A circular published by the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations complicated matters because it instructed that “until the Health Authorities revert instructions about public meetings, no Annual General Meetings are to be held.”
KSU have been in contact with lawyers and The Office of the Commissioner to see if they could organise the AGM online and they were given the go-ahead. Although there are still technicalities and logistics to be ironed out, Farrugia said that the Council is working towards having a successful AGM.
Elections are on
Since an AGM is happening, this also means that there will be council elections as well this year. The elections as well as the campaigning process will all happen online. KSU will give the date for when nominations will be open and how they will proceed once they issue their official announcement on the AGM.