The Carleton University Students’ Association’s (CUSA) financial review committee met Nov. 6 to discuss reforming the committee and make more use of its scheduled meetings.
The committee offers CUSA councillors and the general student population a chance to review the association’s ongoing spending.
Proposed changes to the committee included officially changing monthly meetings to quarterly meetings, and limiting review to “major” contracts. When considering the low student attendence of these meetings, these suggested reforms are reasonable.
Reforms are positive, but the potential for the complete omission of information around minor contracts is concerning. Regardless of whether they are discussed line-by-line in a quarterly meeting or just posted online, students should be able to know where money is going.
Since service centre budgets are not broken down publically, reviewing space rentals or services is an important way to see how student money is being spent and what companies CUSA is supporting with its business.
All the proposed reforms were pitched as discussions at the meeting, not unanimous decisions. As official changes are considered, it’s important to consider alternative ways to make finances accessible.
Steps the association has taken to clarify its finances are absolutely commendable. In that spirit, the review of small contracts should be seen as necessary to the wise spending of student money.
