Undergraduate students will vote on questions such as whether or not to give a levy to the Carleton United Nations (UN) Society and increasing the World University Service of Canada levy by $1 in a referendum April 2-3.
Question on the UN Society levy
The Carleton United Nations Society promotes international affairs discussion on campus, president Samir Kassam said.
The group does not currently receive a levy, operating on a $13,000 budget received through membership fees and fundraising, Kassam said. The society funds guest speakers, helps students to get academic work published, and sends students to competitions such as model UN conferences, a cost that uses most of the group’s operating budget, Kassam said.
The $1 levy the group is asking for would go towards subsidizing the cost of sending students to conferences, Kassam said.
“We’ve had a number of circumstances this year where students couldn’t attend due to financial circumstances,” he said.
The referendum question has a “no” committee.
“No” committee chair Vandon Gene said the society can raise money on their own, as the majority of students would not benefit from the levy.
“I do not believe that one special interest group deserves over $23,000 in additional funds,” he said.
Question on increasing World University Service of Canada levy
The second referendum question undergraduate students will vote on is to add $1 to their tuition to support the World University Service of Canada, a national non-profit with local groups at university campuses.
The $1.32 levy the Carleton group currently receives pays the living and tuition expenses of one refugee student to attend Carleton.
The $1 increase the group is looking to add to their levy would sponsor a second refugee student to come to Carleton.
The referendum question does not have a “no” committee.
John David received the funding this year.
He said he was displaced from South Sudan during the country’s violent struggle to become independent. He lived as a refugee for 10 years in Kenya, where he attended high school and applied to the WUSC program after graduating.
“Once a student finishes highschool, if they get a good grade, they apply,” he said.
The cost of entering university in Kenya prevented him from studying there, and being a refugee in the country meant he couldn’t apply for government funding, according to David.
