University of Ottawa’s (U of O) undergraduates now have a new student union to represent them following a Feb. 11 referendum.
The referendum saw about 5,628 voters—17 per cent of the undergraduate population—turning out to vote. The Fulcrum reported that 4,205 voted for the University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) and 1,423 for the incumbent Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO).
The referendum was announced last December in the fallout of allegations of financial mismanagement and fraud arising with SFUO executives and staff.
According to the UOSU’s website, the group outlines three main proposals to carry out: built-in accountability measures, decentralized executive structure, and improved advocacy.
U of O administration formally announced last September that the school would no longer recognize the SFUO as representatives of the student body.
In the interim agreement established with the U of O to keep SFUO services running during the school year, all services under the outgoing union will be transferred over to the UOSU, according to the Fulcrum.
David Graham, U of O provost and vice-president (academic affairs), said in a statement that it will be up to the UOSU to determine what services will be offered under the group’s leadership.
“For each service, it will be responsible for securing the agreement of undergraduate students,” Graham said. “That process will have to take into account the new framework for student service fees announced by the Ontario government earlier this year.”
Next steps for the UOSU will be to present a slate of candidates for election that undergraduate students will vote on to form the association’s executive, according to the statement.
Elections for the UOSU executive will soon be held in the coming weeks, with the U of O aiming to have a new agreement in place by May 1, 2019.
