When the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) resolved their legal dispute in mid-December, they assured Carleton their agreement would ensure an accountable election process, among other reforms.
It’s a relief to know CUSA has put aside their differences and can soon get down to business — and after close to five months, it’s about time. But if accountability is the goal, council is off to a rocky start. The kicker? Nobody can know the details of CUSA’s settlement, except for the people who signed it.
This doesn’t help anybody. There’s all this talk about bringing much needed reforms, but what are they?
CUSA needs to realize this conflict directly impacted students, who were without a functional student union for the entire fall semester (practically half their term in office). Students were affected by council’s disintegration. In the same way, they deserve to be involved in its reconciliation.
Moreover, students give money to CUSA through tuition fees and are CUSA members. If changes are being made, students should know what they are and what that means for them.
Council is responsible for showing detailed minutes of their meetings and all their business transactions. The resolution of this conflict shouldn’t be treated any differently. Keeping the specifics of this agreement from students doesn’t fall in line with a mandate of democracy and transparency.
Last semester, CUSA left students in the dark about the exact reasons behind the conflict. CUSA should explain why these reasons led them to waste the entire semester. To highlight the importance of this new and re-unified council, CUSA needs to make sure students are in the know.
