Every year, students from each faculty elect a student councillor to represent them at the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA). But, more often than not, students are unaware of who those individuals are, apathetic to their presence, or not informed enough to know how to contact them.
Events like the CUSA Council Meet and Greet which took place at Roosters on Dec. 4 are great steps towards getting closer to the student body and engaging with them.
However, individual councillors should be more proactive in bringing students closer to issues that affect them—and vice versa. Councillors holding official consultation sessions with students from their faculties on a regular basis can improve both transparency and trust between students and their government.
Giving students the opportunity to engage closely with student governments will help them better understand its role and how to keep executives and councillors accountable.
While there are students on opposite ends of the student politics engagement spectrum, it’s important to engage the demographic of students who care but don’t know enough.
Meeting students where they’re at and allowing them to have a say in motions and decisions that affect them, will not only both increase confidence in student association governance but also ensure the needs of the students are met.
