The four candidates running for president in the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) general elections debated key issues affecting the Carleton community on March 18.
Students submitted questions to all the presidential candidates through a Google Form on the CUSA elections website. Each candidate was given one minute and 30 seconds to answer. There were no rebuttal or inter-panel questions during this year’s debate.
Madison Venugopal, a fourth-year law and sociology student and “contracted third party” according to chief electoral office Nicolas Gil Ocampo, moderated the debate. The event was held on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook.
Voting days will take place on March 21 and 22.
![CUSA presidential candidates, Anastasia Lettieri (left) and Mohamed Faris Riazudden (right) participated in the CUSA Elections' debate on March 18, 2022. The event was livestreamed from campus. [Photo from Screengrab]](https://charlatan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/screenshot__155_-1024x576.png)
CUSA transparency and ancillary fees
The moderator opened the debate with the referendum introduced by the Ancillary Fee Review Committee (AFRC) which is recommending students vote to remove Millennium Promise Alliance as an ancillary fee levy group. She asked candidates if they support the referendum and how they would make CUSA more transparent about ancillary fees next term.
Anastasia Lettieri said she supports the referendum.
“The important part about ensuring that our ancillary fees are fair and just, is making sure there is adequate use for them,” Lettieri said.
Lettieri said she planned to improve transparency within CUSA by investigating U-Pass and healthcare fees to ensure students are not “overpaying” for these services.
Mohamed Faris Riazudden said it’s important for CUSA to review ancillary fees to know whether they are being used effectively.
He said he plans to use the fees students are already paying to fund other programs such as creating more student jobs.
Veronica Dhindsa said reviewing ancillary fees, like Millennium Promise, aligns with her tuition costs policy. She plans to increase opt-out options to lower tuition costs and redirect some of these fees towards other initiatives.
“It’s repurposing where money is going but also being more vigilant of what students are paying for,” Dhindsa said.
As for Zaiyaan Esoof, he said he supports cancelling MPA as an ancillary fee and using the money to fund other services that benefit students.
Support for CUSA services centres
Candidates were also asked how they would support CUSA’s services centres like the Womxn’s Centre and the Racialized and International Student Experience (RISE), among others.
Riazudden, who currently serves as the programming coordinator of CUSA’s Wellness Centre, said it’s important to consult with these centres to identify the challenges their target communities are facing.
If elected, he said he plans to increase the funding for these services centres as well.
Esoof said he believes students should have a say in what services are provided for them.
As president, he said he would increase “cooperation” between these centres for more efficiency in serving the student community.
Lettieri said her policy to improve club funding, including setting funds aside for each club and making the application process easier, is applicable to service centres. She also plans to use the CUSA clubs’ Instagram page to promote engagement for both clubs and CUSA services.
“I will also follow suit in listening to leaders in the community to understand what their needs [are] for specific centres,” she said.
Dhindsa said it’s important to let students know these services are available to them.
She said she will use her Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) initiative—through which she plans to hire a vice president DEI—to work with different Carleton communities to provide services that benefit them.
“I think it’s really important to have people in those communities tell us what they need so we can create real changes,” Dhindsa said.
Support for international students facing high tuition costs, ‘culture shock and racism’
Dhindsa said creating a network to support international students is important as well as looking into ways to lower tuition costs through need-based scholarships, opt-out options and more.
“Every student is equal and every student should be able to have accessible education,” she said.
Speaking on the culture shock they experience, Riazudden, who is an international student from Dubai and India, said CUSA can help international students transition by hosting events during orientation week to inform students about the “Canadian lifestyle” and the diverse communities within Canada.
Lettieri said she will advocate for tuition rebates for everyone including international students whose winter courses were shifted online due to the Omicron variant surge. She said she also hopes to partner with local businesses to encourage them to hire international students.
Esoof, who’s also an international student from Mauritius, said he experienced a “huge culture shock” when he moved to Canada four years ago. If elected, he hopes to create virtual spaces for students to socialize. He said he will advocate for lowering tuition fees for international students.
Online learning options
Esoof said he supports online learning options across all programs to help students benefit “from the mode of learning that best suits their needs.”
Dhindsa said she plans to advocate for continuing online courses because it’s important to “empower students” to learn at their own pace.
Riazudden said it’s important to provide flexible learning options to improve access for students with disabilities, international students navigating time zones and those who are uncomfortable returning to campus due to health and safety reasons.
Lettieri said she answered the question about online course delivery in her previous responses, stating that she will advocate for in-person and online options “so students can access a wider range of course selections.”
Featured image from Screengrab.
