The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) budget is two months late due to unresolved conflict between councillors and executives, making this year’s decisions less democratic, said vice-president (internal) Ariel Norman.
CUSA can’t pass this year’s budget until the legal dispute with 16 councillors, relieved of their seats in July, is resolved, said CUSA president Obed Okyere.
Norman alleges that the councillors were discharged for failing to attend two meetings, whereas the councilors charge that the meetings were invalid for various reasons.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Beaudoin ruled Aug. 18 that CUSA business is suspended until further notice, unless council resolves the dispute. The council has been unable to come to an agreement through mediation, and the case returns to court Sept. 29.
Until the issue is resolved, major council responsibilities will be assumed by CUSA trustees Okyere, Norman and vice-president (finance) Karim Khamisa, Okyere said.
While this helps to minimize the impact on students, Norman said the situation is less than ideal because it’s not as democratic.
“[We can still allocate funding], but that’s not the way we want to do it . . . We’d prefer for it to be done democratically, so council approves the spending that they want for the year, not just three people,” she said.
Okyere said he hopes the case will be settled in time to distribute club funding in the first week of October, but if not, the trustees will sit down to discuss allocation of funds in the interim.
While Okyere said he agrees the councillors should not have been relieved of their positions, he has decided not to actively get involved in the conflict except to encourage both parties to reach an agreement.
“It would be best for the association if all 34 councillors came back to their seats,” he said, adding “internal resolution isn’t working.”
The lack of resolution could play a role in whether or not clubs and societies receive funding on time, he said, adding a delay would have a major impact on students since clubs are able to reach many students CUSA cannot.
Still, Okyere added he is “confident” funding will come in on time.
Trustees are in agreement on providing at least $50,000 for clubs and societies, he said, but was hoping to up the amount to $200,000 this year to take into account an increase in clubs. However, he said that will have to wait until the legal conflicts are resolved.
Even the possibility of a delay is “frustrating” for the Carleton chapter of Engineers without Borders, said Tyler Amos, who’s in charge of recruitment. The impact of delayed or diminished funding would be felt beyond campus, he said.
“This [would make it] more difficult to finance our overseas volunteer program, translating into less poverty reduction in Ghana, Zambia, Malawi and Burkina Faso,” Amos said.
But with the unlikeliness of a delay, Okyere said the focus is on reaching a legal agreement, getting council back to work and no longer spending CUSA money on legal fees.
