The Commerce Times

RCS GM meets disquiet across campus

The next time you are in the TRS building late at night and you walk by the Ryerson Commerce Society office, chances are general manager, Abdul Snobar, is still hard at work.

The institution of his position into the RCS may have ruffled a few feathers, and some of his strategies may have been considered confrontational at times, but his dedication to the university has led to good things for the student group, including raising a quarter of a million dollars.

Naysayers doubt the validity of the RCS having a general manager and have questioned the necessity of the position, especially when his salary is being bank rolled in part by students.

Snobar acknowledges the controversy but states that he is contractually obligated to ensure a transparent and accessible RCS.

“I signed a two-year contract with the university,” Snobar said. “My contract will be renewed all depending on my performance.”

“The big thing I promised the RCS in the first few months was that I wanted to payback my position.”

Because the idea of paying someone involved in student groups seems foreign and unfair to some, most, if not all, major student unions across the nation compensate their executives.

“There’s always a debate about where money is being spent,” said Jennifer Hileman, VP of Internal Relations. “The RSU has many paid employees.”

“It’s often hard to get ourselves to meet with certain people at certain times,” added Hileman. Snobar’s presence allows support and advice to ensure that RCS’s goals can be met with minimal disruption relative to academic goals of the members of the RCS.

Snobar accepts the qualms of his detractorsand has focused on four key areas which will not only develop the Ryerson Commerce Society further but will ensure that it maintains a high level of integrity and lucidity.

His four key focus areas are financial accountability, increasing visibility, sourcing additional funding and strategic planning. Snobar advocates a solid financial platform and oversees transparency of the financial statements of the RCS.

He has also made it a priority to establish solid relationships with the corporate environment and also with other commerce societies in the area.

One aspect Snobar has proven to be invaluable is his expertise in sponsorships, partnerships and discovering funding.

He works directly with the corporate relations committee of the RCS and has helped secure sponsorship from companies such as the major banks, Indigo Books, Rogers and the major accounting firms, all of which go directly back into student funding.

“Money has not been an issue this year,” Snobar said. “The big thing I promised the RCS in the first few months was that I wanted to payback my position.”

Critics of sponsorships should understand that sponsorship doesn’t necessarily mean having to brand every event as the “Indigo Books RCS Appreciation Day” or the “Deloitte & Touche Frost Week.”

Many responsible companies contribute anonymously. With university funding at all-time lows, accepting donations or sponsorships should not even be questioned, especially if there are no strings attached.

The fourth area Snobar wants to focus on is the one he feels is the most valuable, strategic planning. One major shortcoming of the efficiency of student groups is the high turnover rate of members.

His presence hopefully ensures minimal disruption in the transition of members each school year.

“We can continue from where we left off, putting a different spin on it every year to see what needs changing,” Snobar said. “I can help with moving things forward knowing our goals every single year.”

Arzhan Bharucha, member of the Corporate Relations Committee for the RCS, appreciates Snobar’s presence.

“He brings a level of experience other people don’t have. He allows for some of the responsibilities to be shared, lessening the burden for us,” Bharucha says. “It’s hard to get from point A to point B with so many turnovers.”

Snobar and the RCS hopes a well-structured focus will culminate in a successful national conference the first weekend of March, with expected attendees from over 20 universities across the country.

“We were almost going to shut down the conference even before we started,” Snobar says. However, his established relationship with the administration and sponsorship network allowed the RCS to move forward with their important chance to shine.

“There is a huge student body that we cater to here,” said Hileman. “There’s a ton of different needs and we need to monitor them all at once. The peace of mind makes everything easier.”