As of April 23, Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) councillors are no longer required to attend summer committee meetings. The argument is that students are busy throughout the summer working so they can pay for their education. At the very least, this decision has caused controversy.
As a student that works year-round, I sympathize with other working students. It can be difficult to balance so many responsibilities, but while it is difficult, it is not impossible.
It is discouraging that this motion has passed. I believe that councillors should be required to attend summer meetings in order to keep their seats. Although summer is the most crucial and primary time for students to maximize funding for tuition, many students work full or part-time jobs during the traditional school year and are still expected to attend mandatory meetings. University students are expected and should be more than capable of utilizing time management and prioritizing and understanding accountability.
CUSA is responsible for discussing issues that affect students and Carleton as a whole. These decisions and conversations should not be taken lightly and should not be discarded over the summer months.
If students feel they cannot make a longstanding commitment to CUSA then perhaps they should not be councillors in the first place.
—Rachel Collier
second-year journalism
