The summer U-Pass was the object of a recent Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) referendum, but it isn’t solely a CUSA initiative. The pass would allow students taking one or more credit worth of classes to pay an additional fee with tuition to have a bus pass for the summer semester. This would be mandatory, which is the same in practice as the fall and winter U-Pass.
CUSA hopefuls have used this pass as a platform in student elections, and used it as an example of CUSA saving students money. In reality, the decision-making process around both the U-Pass’ continuation and the summer U-Pass falls in the hands of the city as well. Although CUSA can give its blessing, go through with the referendum, and participate in the city’s discussion, it wasn’t just CUSA’s idea. The University of Ottawa is also putting through a referendum this month to ask students if they support the summer U-Pass, and Algonquin College is making similar moves, having recently voted on the school-year U-Pass.
The possibility of the summer U-Pass is the result of a successful trial period on the part of OC Transpo. The discussion around supporting or not supporting the new pass should not include discussion of CUSA’s influence or personal politics, but rather the attention the municipal government pays to student issues in collaboration with various student unions, and whether students overall support the summer U-Pass.
