The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) council passed its 2017-18 budget and voted to link sexual violence prevention training to clubs and societies’ funding for the academic year at an Aug. 31 meeting.
Our Turn Carleton, a sexual violence prevention taskforce spearheaded by the Graduate Students’ Association and CUSA, brought the motion to council after a previous motion to tie clubs and societies’ summer funding to sexual violence prevention training passed unanimously at a June 19 meeting.
The proposal states that in order for clubs and societies to receive their full annual funding, at least five members of each group must receive training. Groups who do not meet this training requirement would only receive half of their funding after the first round of funding and would receive the second half of the money after completing training.
According to the motion, which passed unanimously, more than 1,000 students would be trained in bystander prevention and sexual violence support and prevention as a result.
This motion will allow the Our Turn taskforce to work with both CUSA executives and club commissioners to produce a new clubs funding model.
CUSA council also voted to create an Accessibility Fund in the 2017-18 budget, which the meeting agenda states would “. . . assist in improving the accessibility of CUSA events and facilities for all disability groups.” Funding will go towards disability advocacy and related programming through the Carleton Disability Awareness Centre.
The annual budget also includes increased funding for projects and mentorship funds.
Notably, the budget does not include funding for a yearbook, due to low sales and a lack of interest.
CUSA’s Foot Patrol will receive funding for new uniforms while the International Student Gala will receive a similar budget to last year’s event, with a slight increase in expenses to cover sales.
