The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) Board of Directors revised its concurrent offices policy in a brief emergency meeting on Sept. 11. The meeting took place at Haven and was also streamed on Facebook.
Previously, CUSA’s concurrent offices policy prevented board members from holding any other Carleton-related position that involved financial responsibility. Under the revision, board members may hold such positions as long as there is no conflict of interest with their CUSA duties.
CUSA board chair Gray Simms was recently hired as Carleton Academic Student Government (CASG) vice-president (internal). CUSA and CASG do not compete for funding and have separate purposes.
“I think it’s a little bit unreasonable to think that there will never be conflicts,” board member Sarah Zaitlin said. “It would only become an issue to hold onto positions that might overlap if it starts impeding your ability to serve the board adequately.”
The revised motion was approved with five votes in favour and two opposed in a secret ballot.
Executive orders announced
CUSA president Anastasia Lettieri also announced several executive orders.
Two of the orders recommended referendums: One on the continuation of the Millennium Village charity levy, and one on whether CUSA should withdraw its membership in the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). The latter is set to happen Oct. 17.
Council must approve these recommended referendums in their Sept. 26 meeting for them to be held.
The final executive order was for CUSA to join the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) as an observer. Lettieri told the Charlatan CUSA wants to compare what CFS and OUSA offer their members in terms of advocacy.
Both OUSA and CFS advocate and lobby on behalf of students and connect student organizations both in Ontario and across Canada.
There will not be any student fee changes unless CUSA leaves CFS or joins OUSA. Undergraduate students currently pay a $9.09 levy per term for the CFS.
Lettieri also announced the selection team for hiring CUSA’s chief returning officer, an election official.
The group was selected by e-vote and consists of Lettieri, board of directors chair Simms, director of finance and administration Aneesh Murali and executive director Dustin Rivers, as well as two non-voting advisors.
The group hopes to select a chief returning officer before CUSA’s October byelections.
The board’s next meeting will occur in October.
Featured graphic by Sara Mizannojehdehi.
