Two student leaders in the Sauder School of Business have expressed deep remorse and taken responsibility for what the Commerce Undergraduate Society calls an "inappropriate chant".

According to a report by the Ubyssey student newspaper, first-year students were encouraged to spell out the letters y-o-u-n-g in a chant encouraging sex with minors without their consent.

CUS president Enzo Woo and CUS vice president engagement Gillian Ong both announced in a news release today that they are quitting their positions.

“The performance of offensive chants at a CUS orientation event should never have occurred," Woo said. "The fact that it was a tradition neither excuses the CUS from its actions, nor in any way alleviates the gravity of this situation. As the leader of the CUS, I am deeply remorseful at what has transpired. It would be naïve to think that these problems can be solved overnight, but we have an opportunity moving forward to institute a culture of recovery and acceptance. I hope that my resignation can serve as the crucial first step in this process and I can help heal the community that has been an enormous positive influence in my life.”

Ong said: “In order to best aid in the rebuilding of our student community after these events, I recognize that as a responsible student leader I must step down to allow the society to implement the changes that it needs to create a positive, inclusive environment for all students.”

It came after the dean of the Sauder School of Business, Robert Helsley, and UBC's vice president students, Louise Cowin, issued a statement expressing "grave concerns" over the reports.

CUS leaders will also undergo antiviolence-ally training, which will be offered by the Alma Mater Society's Sexual Assault Support Centre.

The CUS, AMS, and Sexual Assault Support Centre plan to hold an open roundtable discussion with the community "to reflect on the feelings of discomfort and anger these actions may have caused in order to jointly move forward in a more inclusive manner representative of our world-class institution".