The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) has ended a payment to the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) formerly used to subsidize graduate students’ use of CUSA clubs, societies, and service centres.
In CUSA’s 2013-14 operating budget, the “GSA Joint Projects & Funding” line is listed as $115,000 of revenue from the GSA.
In ending the payment, GSA president Grant MacNeil cited an “explicit purging” of GSA materials from CUSA spaces last year and consequently a failure to deliver services to graduate students.
The GSA’s logo and many of its materials include their Canadian Federation of Students local union number. Last year the CUSA executive was vocal in their criticism of the federation.
GSA vice-president (finance) Justine De Jaegher said the sum paid to CUSA also included payment for things that don’t exist anymore, such as a fee for CUSA’s administration of the organizations’ joint health plan, which they have parted ways on.
CUSA president Alexander Golovko said service centres do not deny services to graduate students.
Whether or not the GSA makes the transfer this year, “Our clubs and societies and service centres . . . are open to not only undergraduate students but also graduate students and members of the community,” he said.
The GSA will be funding service centres and clubs and societies directly this year, instead of sending the money through CUSA, MacNeil said.
He said plans for the new agreement are preliminary. He said he doesn’t want to put any extra burden on the volunteers or staff of clubs, societies, or service centres.
“The money is still going to be there, it’s just an issue of how it’s distributed,” he said.
Golovko said communication with the GSA on the issue has been good. He said the dispute has not involved any legal action.
