Carleton’s Board of Governors voted in favour of refunding the Carleton Food Collective’s 2013-14 levy in a meeting Apr. 29.
The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) withheld the collective’s levy for the second year in a row, asking for documents ensuring financial accountability.
The collective operates a pay-what-you-can food service called the Garden Spot, known as the G-Spot. It receives a $2.08-per-student levy. CUSA asked the collective for audited financial statements throughout the year.
The collective said it has provided documents and its funding should be released. The collective’s website has an unsigned statement of financial position.
“The university’s priority is to make sure that students’ money is spent responsibly,” CUSA president Alexander Golovko said.”If we feel students’ money is not being spent responsibly, we pass those monies back to the university at which point it’s up to them, and more specifically the Board of Governors to decide where it should go.”
Seven members of the collective were at the meeting, and offered homemade vegan food outside the conference room to board members.
Wesley Petite, a collective member, said the lack of funds for the second year in a row will make operations for future years very difficult. The G-Spot has been using levy money collected in the 2011-12 school year, and the Graduate Student levy they received this year.
“We really help improve the community of Carleton through our operation,” he said. “If CUSA’s not for that then I’m not sure what they’re standing for.”
Golovko said a dozen food servings throughout the year with a budget of more than $46,500 is not good enough, especially if the collective doesn’t provide financial statements.
All levy groups were asked for financial statements this year, according to Golovko.
“We ask the same questions as the university asks of us: where is the money going, what is the service being provided to students?” he said.
Petite said the collective was not informed of the motion.
“We had no correspondence about this motion even though we had consistent efforts,” he said. “We are working on currently complying with the definition of accountability that CUSA set out, but with no communication, it speaks to their effort of trying to take away our organization rather than do anything that is significant for students.”
The motion to refund the levy passed with no oppositions and five abstentions.
Board of Governors graduate student representative Nick Falvo asked members, specifically Carleton’s vice-president (finance and administration), Duncan Watt, if they were aware of the possible levy agreement violations by not dispersing the money.
“You don’t know, do you?” Falvo asked.
“I’m not aware that we’re violating the agreement,” Watt said in response.
