The academic resilience fund, a full-time sponsorship coordinator position and the Unified Support Centre were major talking points during the CUSA budget presentation on Sept. 15.
The budget projected total expenses of almost $5.7 million, more than four million dollars higher than was projected last year. The budget also projected total revenue this year of about $5.8 million, just under two million dollars more than was projected last year. CUSA’s total income this year is estimated to be a loss of around $150,000.
Vice president (finance) Venassa Baptiste said the CUSA executives would use $35,000 of the tuition credit they receive as compensation to their academic resilience fund. Last year, the association created the fund, previously named the emergency hardship fund, to support students during the pandemic. Baptiste said the gesture could continue next year.
“For the 2022-2023 year, the CUSA executive team will have the choice to keep their tuition credit or reallocate it to a CUSA initiative,” Baptiste said.
CUSA will also hire a full-time sponsorship coordinator in the winter semester to obtain funding for events and the association’s summer positions. While the association has relied on multiple part-time coordinators to organize grants and sponsorship in the past, Baptiste said the role would allow one person to do the job to its full potential. The sponsorship coordinator’s salary was not specified.
“I believe there’s so many opportunities for grants, partnerships and just collaborations within Ottawa, Ontario and Canada,” Baptiste said. “And it’s rather difficult for a [CUSA] executive to take on that responsibility on their own.”
CUSA also combined Foot Patrol and the Food Centre into the Unified Support Centre (USC) this year, which is set to be run by a full-time administrative coordinator. The centre has projected expenses of about $17,000 greater than each centre combined last year. The USC is projected to operate with an income of about $65,000 this year.
“Having a full-time employee within that workspace would ensure complete and total focus within that environment, as well as ensure that any knowledge is passed over from year to year,” Baptiste said.
The Mawandoseg Centre reopened this year with their expenses projected to be about $29,000—one thousand more than projected last year. However, last year the centre was closed due to a lack of successful applications for centre coordinator and thus did not have a budget. CUSA’s eight services centres are set to receive an increase of about 20 per cent in funding this year overall.
CUSA businesses were closed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Rooster’s has re-opened with a projected income of about $81,000—much greater than the $40,000 loss projected last year. Ollie’s is projected to earn CUSA $184,000, a stark change from the projected $60,000 deficit last year. Haven’s will operate with a projected income of about $177,000. The Wing has not reopened due to the pandemic, and has no budget this year.
Baptiste said CUSA would be hiring a human resources director this year. Previously a CUSA general manager and a member of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) would sit on CUSA staff hiring committees. Those committee seats will be replaced by a human resources director. The position’s salary was not specified.
Featured image from Screengrab.
