Students at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) are protesting and appealing a decision by their University Students’ Council that deemed the results of a recent referendum invalid.
The decision could put in doubt the future of a student-funded program to assist refugees.
On March 15 – 16, 67 per cent of voters supported raising the levy for the UWO Student Refugee Program (SRP) in a school-wide referendum. Students cast 5712 votes in favour and 2841 against, according to an official report by the USC and Elections Western, the campus elections regulator.
The program supports refugee students studying at the university by providing financial assistance for things like clothing, food, and school supplies.
Western’s chapter of WUSC (World University Service of Canada) sponsored the referendum, asking for an increase in contribution of student fees from $0.25 to $0.52 per student. In a promotional video, members of the group expressed hope that this increase would enable them to sponsor an additional student next year.
The vote was part of a series of referendums; including a bus pass extension and establishment of a late night shuttle bus program which over 8,000 students voted on, according to the published results.
Though these results were released two days afterward, the student refugee program results were withheld due to the high number of apparent electoral violations, according to the report.
Last week, the committee announced the referendum invalid as the “Registered Interest Party” being disqualified.
According to the report, students supporting the ‘yes’ vote violated an election bylaw that requires all campaigning to stop after polls open, among other violations.
Appeals will involve arguing against the given demerit points and disqualification of the “yes” party, whose violations during the voting process earned them more than the allotted ‘demerit points’ given to advocating groups as per the Electoral Committee, the report said.
The decision has caused immediate student backlash against the USC, including an official appeal from WUSC and a large amount of public debate within the UWO community.
There has been a lot of activity on social networking sites like Facebook.
According to the Twitter feed of the Western chapter of WUSC, a live debate on CHRW radio and a student protest at the Campus Community Centre took place on March 23.
Though students are passionate about the Student Refugee Program, many felt that the policy debate and making students voices heard is the more important issue. The school’s student newspaper, The Gazette, reports that many students are filing appeals not only to support the SRP but to express their frustration with the electoral process.
“As much as we all love SRP – and this is intrinsically linked to it – we are here about a vote being upheld.” said David Basu Roy, a student and USC presidential candidate, in a speech to protesters assembled outside the USC office, the Gazette reported. “This is about them being undemocratic.”