Over the past few years, Carleton’s Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) seems to be dealing with one hurdle after another. Whether it’s delayed budgets, election drama or an ineffective council, it always seems to fall short of what residence students want and need from them. Many choose to blame the executive committees of years past, but these issues can be attributed to RRRA’s inherent flaws as an organization.
Don’t get me wrong, residence students need representation. They are a group of 3,600+ students living on campus. They deserve programming targeted and tailored for them. The residence experience is one you will remember for the rest of your life—I know I made lifetime friendships in Renfrew’s halls. However, I believe the experience is in need of new management. What if residence programming was provided by an association with a better ability to achieve goals, and was simply able to pass a budget? What if Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) and RRRA merged?
What would that look like? First off, the CUSA executive would have to be restructured for its new responsibilities. I recommend the newest role of vice-president (community engagement) be changed to vice-president (residence). The role of community engagement really falls on all CUSA executives in different forms — whether through obtaining sponsorships as vice-president (finance) or providing inclusive Ollie’s programming as vice-president (student life). Therefore, it’s a role the executive is able to change again, as it did last year.
Representation is the next issue to tackle for this merger to work. I envision an expanded CUSA council with RRRA representatives for each residence building in the same style as CUSA faculty representatives. For example, Glengarry, being the largest residence building, may have four or five representatives and the smaller buildings such as Renfrew and Lanark would have two. This would ensure all residence voices are heard on council and they can be a part of planning programming for CUSA’s revamped involvement in the residence community.
The new building representatives would also become members of multiple residence-based committees, such as one to create programming specifically for our vibrant residence community. This not only allows students on residence to join these committees, but also further empowers our new building representatives to integrate our residence community more effectively into campus-wide culture, while still building programming to ensure residence students get the experience they are paying for.
Speaking of paying, a merger between RRRA and CUSA also represents a unique opportunity to save students money. Right now, each residence student pays roughly $35 annually for the operation of RRRA. Looking past the fact that much of that money wasn’t even able to be used this year because RRRA didn’t pass a budget and the onset of COVID-19, merging with CUSA would mean being able to cut unnecessary infrastructure costs such as three executive salaries, benefits, and the operation of a full office staff. There would still be a fee for residence students, but it would not need to be nearly as much because CUSA already has much of the necessary tools to take over management of residence programming. When it comes to savings, every dollar counts for students.
Finally, what should happen with the spaces RRRA currently occupies in Residence Commons? The RRRA office could be renovated into a student-run wellness centre which can serve as a hub where residence students can come to unwind as many of them acclimate to their new lives as university students. Abstentions would continue to operate as usual, however, it would now be under the CUSA vice-president (finance)’s portfolio—just as the other CUSA businesses such as Ollie’s and Haven Books & Café are. Abstentions could also see a reduction in prices as CUSA could leverage its pre-established connections with large food distributors to decrease costs to make a bag of chips far less costly for the late-night-snacking student.
Overall, I believe this merger would be in the best interest of the entire student body. A RRRA-CUSA marriage provides students with even more value from our executives, creates effective representation for a residence community that has been disappointed time and time again, saves money for our students, and creates a more united campus culture.
Featured image from file.
