The Carleton University Students’ Association council endorsed CUPE 4600’s call for AI guardrails and heard an update about the university’s financial deficit in a council meeting late last month.
The students’ association also heard about the university’s decision to freeze international student tuition.
Support of CUPE 4600’s stance against draft AI framework
The council voted unanimously on Jan. 26 to support an open letter by CUPE 4600 — the union representing contract instructors and teaching and research assistants — which advocates for guardrails to prioritize human feedback and interaction.
CUSA Coun. Mohamad Adel El Fitori said he brought forward the motion in support of the union after speaking to students about AI usage.
El Fitori added he is concerned about copyright laws when AI is used for teaching and assignments.
CUSA Coun. Mariem El Domiaty said guardrails on AI are crucial.
“I think it’s a necessary motion,” she said. “I’ve had, personally, a few assignments that were actually required to use AI in, and some people really don’t like that.”
El Fitori expressed concern for AI being used to evaluate students and said that students should be allowed to refuse its use.
“If we’re just allowing AI to mark student work and there’s not really a human component, then what’s the point of these degrees?” El Fitori asked.
In Carleton’s draft framework, the university said it would keep judgement decisions human.
Frozen international student tuition
The council heard from student Board of Governors representative Allan Buri, who spoke about Carleton’s deficit and international undergraduate student tuition.
In a December meeting, the Board of Governors froze international student tuition for undergraduate students until the 2028-2029 academic year.
The freeze comes after the federal government cut the number of available international study permits.
“Canada’s reputation as a destination for international students suffered,” Buri said.
The university is freezing international student undergraduate tuition in an attempt to encourage students from abroad to study at Carleton, he said.
Buri added the university’s financial department said there would be “minimal financial downside” to the move.
2026-2027 operating budget
Buri also updated the council on the university’s operating budget and financial deficits.
The operating budget will need “significant interventions” to avoid a forecasted $1 million deficit in 2030-2031, he said.
The reserve funds that Carleton has are expected to run out by 2029, Buri added.
Carleton was required to complete an efficiency and accountability review last year by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
Buri said only four per cent of the recommendations from the review were about Carleton’s operations, and the rest of the recommendations mainly focused on recruitment, scholarships and workforce adjustments.
“The key take away is that Carleton has a revenue problem, like all other Ontario universities, not a spending problem.”
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji/the Charlatan
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