Taranjeet Singh Manchanda, the Student Association of George Brown College’s (SAGBC) director of communication and internal, will be taking a temporary leave of absence starting at the beginning of February.
“I’m going on a leave of absence starting February 1, 2021,” said Manchanda at Monday’s board meeting. “Since the director of communications and internal is a very crucial [position] including monthly board meetings, upcoming internal matters of the corporation in the months of February and March… we need someone who can take on the position for the period.”
Rosalyn Miller, the general manager of SAGBC, said Manchanda’s decision was due to an unpredictable matter.
“Due to some personal reasons, the director of communications and internal does need to take a leave of absence,” said Miller, “[He] communicated to myself that it is non-negotiable and that it is an emergency – personal situation.”
Manchanda, who was elected to the board of directors in 2019 and served as the director of education and equity in fall 2020, had only started his term as director of communications and internal two weeks ago.
Sri Krishna Rajan, who is currently the director of student experience, has been recommended to serve as the interim director of communications and internal by the executive committee. If he is appointed, he will begin the temporary position starting from February 1, 2021. The start date was decided on a motion passed by the Board of Directors during the meeting.
The SAGBC funds The Dialog.
Although the reasons for Manchanda’s temporary leave were not disclosed, Miller says that the executive committee deemed the leave of absence to be reasonable.
“The policies of the organization allows for the executive committee and the general manager to determine if the leave of absence is reasonable, and they did so upon the receipt of the request. And therefore, this position will be vacated February 1 – with and without appointment,” said Miller. Moreover, it was decided that Manchanda would have to confirm his return to the position in late March – 30 days before his scheduled return date on April 30, in another motion passed by the board.
“There will be a letter to Taranjeet that requires him to confirm 30 days before the end of the leave, their intent to return,” said Miller.
The board further appointed Victoria Villanueva as an interim member on the Operations Committee and Sagar Sharma, as part of the Elections Committee.
