The Carleton Revolutionary Student Movement (RSM) held a meeting on March 23 with the goal of establishing a general assembly as the highest decision-making body within the university’s undergraduate student union.
Currently, the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) executives hold the highest decision-making power in CUSA.
The proposed model would “give students direct control of the politics of the student union,” said Christian Splinter, RSM member and chair of the meeting. “This way CUSA can be truly held accountable by the student body.”
He said the general assembly would be open to all full-time undergraduate students and would meet at least once per semester. At the meeting, any student could propose a motion, which would then be voted on by all other attendees. If the motion passed, which would require a simple majority, the position would be binding on all CUSA representatives.
Splinter said the RSM believes a general assembly would greatly increase engagement in campus politics, counteract the influence of social networks such as fraternities and sororities, and give a larger platform to issues they feel are being ignored by CUSA.
“CUSA runs on the promise to oppose tuition hikes, but they abstain at the vote of the Board of Governors,” Splinter said. The group also cited problems with Carleton’s Sexual Violence Policy and issues surrounding the salaries of CUSA executives.
The Carleton chapter of the RSM is enlisting the help of two students who were instrumental in bringing the general assembly model to the University of Ottawa (U of O) in 2014.
Benjamin Rivet, a member of the University of Ottawa RSM, and Dimka Melnik, an Algonquin College RSM member, were both involved in the successful U of O general assembly campaign.
At a recent general assembly held at the U of O on March 14, students voted to reverse a motion that would have increased executive salaries of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa by 18 per cent.
The assembly met quorum for the first time since November 2014.
According to an article in The Fulcrum, quorum for general assemblies at U of O was lowered earlier this year. Originally, one per cent of the student population, or about 350 students, were needed in order for votes to count. Now, quorum is set at 0.75 per cent, or about 230 students.
CUSA president Fahd Alhattab said general assemblies where students vote on issues that would typically be put to referendums would be less resource-intensive. But he added the risk is engaging with fewer students on issues that affect the entire student body.
Splinter said the RSM hopes the experiences of both Rivet and Melnik will help expedite the process at Carleton.
“The first uOttawa referendum failed because quorum wasn’t reached, it was about 100 people short,” Rivet said. “Having the referendum at the same time [as] CUSA elections ensures that turnout is high enough.”
Currently, the Carleton RSM is focusing on rallying support for the proposal so they can hit the ground running at the beginning of the next fall semester.
“A successful strategy puts emphasis on mobilizing the entire student body,” Splinter said.
According to Rivet, this would consist of leaflets, class talks, and talking to students.
Melnik stressed the need to be over−prepared in the face of bureaucratic pushback. He suggested getting twice as many as the 500 signatures required to have CUSA consider the proposal.
“Eliminate all bureaucratic loopholes, because CUSA will exploit them,” he said.
Alhattab said he thinks it will be difficult to engage students to show up at general assemblies on day-to-day issues.
“Students want to engage on issues, they don’t want to engage with the day-to-day,” he said. “It’s when there are hot topics that students get engaged.”
Alhattab listed the university’s Sexual Violence Policy or discussions on tuition as issues that would draw large crowds.
Efforts are underway at York University, Trent University, Laurentian University, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Saskatoon to bring a general assembly to their respective campuses.
The RSM is a pan-Canadian organization, and is helping coordinate these efforts across the country. According to Splinter, Carleton is in a favourable position for reform.
“There’s disengagement, people hate CUSA, and we have uOttawa as a model in the same city,” he said.
Alhattab said CUSA has not yet been approached by the RSM regarding the proposal.
