The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) held consultations on Nov. 8-9 in order to receive feedback from students on its proposed new student union building.
The building would be an extension of the existing University Centre, and is estimated to cost $42 million, with $20 million being paid by CUSA, according to CUSA president Fahd Alhattab.
Alhattab said that to pay for the building, future students would see a tuition increase of $40 a semester. To make sure that current students don’t end up paying for a building they will not be able to use, the fee will not be applied until the building is finished.
An open consultation held on Nov. 9 was attended by one student.
Emma Montgomery, a fourth-year communications student, said she was concerned with student mental health, and asked Alhattab about long term plans to improve mental health services.
“From my experience it took me over six weeks to go see a counsellor, and it took my friend almost a year to see someone about depression” she said.
Alhattab said the new building would offer more space for counselling services than they have in their current “closet” location. He also said that one of the biggest barriers to mental health services is the stigma surrounding it, and online mental health services would help to combat this.
According to Alhattab, CUSA is looking for as much feedback as possible regarding the building. A survey was emailed to over 5,000 students in order to get their thoughts and concerns on the proposed building.
Additionally, CUSA set up a suggestion board in the University Centre.
Some of the suggestions written on the board included a Muslim prayer room, more study areas, a billiard table, and gender-neutral bathrooms.
Alhattab said that rooms for napping have been suggested so frequently that CUSA is now considering adding nap pods to the new building.
According to Alhattab, it is predicted that the student union building will be completed by 2021.
