Students protested the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) executive’s decision to withhold levy funds from the Food Collective by holding a sit-in at the CUSA offices March 21.
This is the second time this school year that CUSA has been in a dispute with a student group over levy funds. In late 2013, CUSA forced the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) Carleton to wait a month before releasing levy money.
As is the case with the Food Collective, CUSA argued that OPIRG-Carleton didn’t provide adequate financial records. In November, CUSA vice-president (finance) Folarin Odunayo said money would only be released to “groups that are operating in a financially responsible manner.”
But what constitutes a financially responsible manner?
At this point, it’s up to the discretion of the CUSA executive. There is no formal guideline for proving fiscal accountability.
CUSA must create a formal proposal outlining what financial documents an organization needs to provide in order to receive its levy funds.
With the Food Collective, Odunayo is asking for “a statement of financial position, given by a bank or an auditor.”
If that is the standard, it must be clear and mandatory for all student groups without exception.
By creating clear rules about financial disclosure, groups are held accountable to the students. The standard would also protect controversial groups against political attacks by zealous CUSA executives.
