The Vice-President (VP) Sustainability and Operations of the Students’ Society of McGill (SSMU), Meg Baltes, announced her resignation at a Legislative Council meeting on Nov. 7. This follows the resignation of the former VP Student Life, Chloe Muñoz, who left the position on Oct. 29. Baltes will be staying on the executive team during the election period—Nov. 5 to Nov. 29—and her resignation will go into effect on Dec. 13.
In a written statement to The Tribune, Baltes explained that she is leaving the position to accept a job offer in her field of study. She will begin the role in January, making her unable to continue her duties as VP Sustainability and Operations for the coming Winter 2025 semester.
“I have enjoyed my position here at the SSMU and believe I have contributed effectively to restructuring my departments and committees,” Baltes wrote. “I hope to leave the position in good hands and be a helpful resource to whoever takes the position next!”
Though Baltes’ notice of resignation comes just nine days after Muñoz’s resignation took effect, the VP Sustainability and Operations noted that her reasons for resigning were “unrelated” to those of the former VP Student Life. Muñoz cited the demanding workload of executives as a reason for resignation, and expressed frustrations with SSMU’s structure impeding executives’ abilities to create change on campus.
Baltes’ successor will take over responsibilities such as managing the University Centre, overseeing campus businesses such as Gerts Bar and Café, and sitting on SSMU’s Gardens and Grounds Committee and the Senate Committee on Physical Development. The position also comes with managerial duties, as the VP Sustainability and Operations helps maintain SSMU’s relationship with McGill’s administration and oversees a team of coordinators, commissioners, and general staff.
Sustainability Commissioner Kai Hollett is responsible for organizing SSMU activities that bring awareness to environmental issues on campus. As part of the sustainability team, he and Baltes work together on the SSMU Environment Committee, making sure that initiatives and programs at McGill take a sustainable approach to all their endeavours. In a written statement to The Tribune, Hollett wrote that his working relationship with Baltes was supportive and productive.
“[Baltes]’ commitment to the McGill student body shone through in everything that she did,” Hollett wrote. “We are committed to a smooth transition between [Baltes] and her successor to ensure that the student body can continue to access the services provided by our team.”
If no replacement is found before Baltes’ resignation goes into effect, the remaining five SSMU executives will divide the role’s workload, on top of their own responsibilities which, as of Oct. 29, have included the duties of VP Student Life.
In a written statement to The Tribune, SSMU President Dymetri Taylor expressed that the recent executive resignations reflect larger patterns in SSMU’s culture in which executives fail to prioritize the long-term best interests of the union. For Taylor, many of the current challenges that come with an executive role at the SSMU—too many clubs, too few events, a lack of student engagement—are the result of past boards failing to think about the future.
“Over the last decade, executives have mostly been thinking in the short term: ‘What will stand out on my CV?’ or ‘What is the easiest solution?’” Taylor wrote. “These positions require you to think beyond that simple framework and focus on the heart of the matter: How can I improve the SSMU for the future?”
The nomination period for both VP Student Life and VP Operations and Sustainability ended on Nov. 15, with two persons showing interest in the role of VP Operations and Sustainability. The campaign period will begin on Nov. 20 and the election will take place on Nov. 29.
