Former VPSL Nicole Pozer says she resigned from the St. Thomas University Students’ Union because she felt “undervalued.” She received a letter from the other STUSU executives and the general manager at the executive meeting on Oct. 11, proposing she resign.
Pozer says some of the points were valid, but she doesn’t agree with most of them.
“I said ‘I don’t agree with your letter. I feel as though I’ve been doing adequate work and I resign on the basis that I do not wish to work with a group that questions my work ethic, and undervalues my work,’” Pozer said.
She previously declined to comment on her resignation because she wanted the focus to be on promoting student services, instead of her resignation.
“It’s not untrue. I did resign for personal reasons. I would just have preferred to tell people personally,” Pozer said.
Pozer says she wants to have an open dialogue with students in person who have questions about her resignation. She has been explaining to any interested students why she resigned.
The fourth-year psychology student has been heavily involved with student life at STU since her first year. She was elected as vice president student life by a huge popular vote. She spent her summer working on Welcome Week and she’s responsible for designing and bringing to life the school’s new mascot, Tommy the tomcat.
“I’m really interested in helping students and I don’t have to get paid to do it. And I don’t have to be on the SEC to still make sure people know what’s available to them.”
She says she didn’t feel like the other executives trusted her to do her job and she was offended by the letter. Also, she didn’t see the letter coming.
“From the reactions that students are giving me they think I did good work. And the only thing that I’ve been concerned about these past few days since my resignation is making sure that my ties within the university are intact. I’ve gone to every department personally and told those who I’m working with that I resigned and why.”
While she says the pranks were all in good fun, she told the executives that the bag of condoms posted on her Facebook page went too far. They stopped when she told them this.
She says she’s still friends with the other executives and has no hard feelings towards them or the union. Pozer re-stated that her resignation had nothing to do with academics, harassment or pranks.
Henri Thibeau is the acting vice president student life until another student is elected.
