The Carleton University’s Students’ Association (CUSA) council voted down a motion to report overspending on its budget in a Dec. 3 meeting which aimed to clarify CUSA’s finances.
Roy Sengupta, humanities councillor, presented the “Budgetary Accountability Motion” to council, which stated overspending on the allocated budget lines should be reported to council as soon as possible. The motion was seconded by arts and social sciences councillor Adam Carroll.
“Financial health of our association is imperiled if we do not take immediate action to address the out of control deficit situation,” the motion stated. After revision, the motion asked an overspending of 15 per cent or more of the allocated budget be reported to council.
“The only obligations [of the motion] is that overspending should be reported somehow,” Sengupta said. “The financial review committee needs help getting that information out to students rather than a few councillors.”
After debate and revision by council, the motion was voted down with eight councillors against, four in favour, and the rest abstaining.
“I think it is unfortunate that the executive have voted against this motion even in light of recent controversy and shock regarding the recent audits and budget,” Carroll said. “This motion would have sent a strong message to the students here at Carleton that our student association has a commitment to transparency and accountability.”
In an earlier CUSA Inc. meeting, association president Folarin Odunayo presented the 2012-13 audits and explained the $706,773 deficit in detail.
Odunayo said the acquisition of Haven Books and missing Graduate Students’ Association University Centre fees are the main reasons for the deficit. The Rick Ross concert accounted for $75,000 in a loss for CUSA, according to public affairs and policy management councillor Gennesse Walker-Scace, who also sits on the financial review committee.
CUSA’s change in health plan providers also accounted for a significant amount of the deficit.
Before CUSA switched health plan providers, students who opted out from the plan would pick up their cheques at the CUSA front desk. Any uncollected cheques were cashed by CUSA and listed as revenue, Odunayo said in his presentation.
Since changing health plan providers, the money for students who opt out is automatically refunded to their student accounts. As a result, Odunayo said this loss of revenue added to the deficit.
“In one accounting year, we had to take a loss,” Odunayo said. He added that he does not believe the audits presented are confusing.
“I admit that the CUSA executive at the time could have done a lot more to provide this information and make it more available to students, but I don’t think students are confused,” he said.
At the meeting, several Carleton students held signs protesting financial accountability from CUSA councillors.
Alex Rochon, third-year English student, was part of the students rallying at the meeting. Rochon said he and other protestors were disgruntled and cynical towards CUSA’s financial accountability.
“There’s clearly been some incompetence to say the least, there has been a lack of transparency throughout this whole process and lots of us are frustrated,” Rochon said. He added that Odunayo was defensive in his presentation of the audits.
“He very early called us crusaders and we’re really not there to protest Folarin as a person,” Rochon said. “We’re there to protest what a lot of the CUSA executive have done in their capacity as executives.”
