Four motions proposed by Carleton’s undergraduate student union were passed at the annual general meeting of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a national student union.
Executives from Carleton’s three student unions, Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA), Rideau River Residence Association and Graduate Students’ Association, joined hundreds of students from across Canada at the meeting Nov. 24-27, in Gatineau, Que.
According to a blog by the Canadian University Press (CUP), only two of their reporters covered the meeting. Past attempts to cover the meeting made by other student media outlets, including the Charlatan, have been denied.
According to a CUP article, CUSA was responsible for four of the 47 motions proposed at the meeting. CFS members passed all four unanimously.
One of the motions brought forward by CUSA proposed the CFS accumulate students’ personal stories about their debt in order to help alleviate student debt.
“We presented an emergency motion around our fee situation,” said CUSA vice-president (student issues) Dina Skvirsky. “Folks from around the country were very supportive of the situation. The motion passed in a couple of days.”
A second motion calls on the CFS to lobby for long-term funding for the Youth In Transition Survey, which tracks long-term trends in training, education and work of Canadian youth, Skvirsky said.
The third motion updated CFS policy on governance of post-secondary institutions, supporting that half of the Board of Governors be elected students and the majority of senate members be professors. The policy formerly stated that 50 per cent of both the senate and board be composed of elected students, Skvirsky said.
The fourth motion establishes a new policy on sexual violence against women on campus by supporting safety audits, on-campus safety committees, funding and resources for campus health and counselling services and student-run sexual support services.
Skvirsky said the motion shows the CFS is taking a stance on the issue of violence against women.
“Whenever we speak to university administrators on sexual assault issues,” Skvirsky said, “we can actually point to a policy in CFS policy.”
David Molenhuis, CFS national chairperson, said it was a busy meeting, but was nevertheless productive.
According to CUP, other motions passed included one pledging support for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, a proposal to expand the We Ride Transit campaign, a move to collect loan and financial assistance data from students to aid national student debt campaigns, and a call to the government to reinstate the long-form census.