With the current Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) executive having completed their term, The Charlatan interviewed former CUSA President Fahd Alhattab to see which promises were kept, and which were broken.
Promise: Increased coverage for mental health services.
Kept: CUSA has expanded its health and dental plan, which now includes mental health counselling. According to Alhattab, the new plan has increased coverage to $35 per session, up to a maximum of $300.
Alhattab said CUSA is working with the Health & Wellness Resource Centre co-ordinator on training for peer-to-peer mental health services, which he said is likely to be implemented this year.
He said CUSA has also increased funding for Mental Health Awareness Week, to ensure that students know which services are available to them.
Alhattab said CUSA is working to implement online counselling services. He said the distance students have to travel to get counselling is a major barrier to getting mental health counselling.
Promise: More student jobs.
Kept: Several new jobs have been created at Carleton, including a graphic design position within CUSA’s communications office, more yearbook team jobs and two positions in the Clubs & Societies office.
“The overall strategy is finding different ways to get students to work on stuff that they are already good at and to be able to pay them, whether it’s a full job or sometimes an honorarium to get them to work,” Alhattab said.
Promise: A grocery delivery service option for students.
Broken: The service was promised under Frena Hailekiros, the former vice-president (student services). Alhattab said the project was investigated but ultimately dropped after Hailekiros was replaced by Ashley Courchene as vice-president.
Alhattab said CUSA did explore the delivery service further but did not see a large student demand for it, and the large initial resources required made the project unfeasible.
Promise: Implementing nap pods on campus.
Ongoing: Alhattab said after the Student Union Building referendum failed to pass, a big part of the incoming One Carleton slate’s focus shifted towards finding ways to integrate the solutions offered by the building within Carleton’s current infrastructure options.
CUSA is currently looking at testing nap pod units in MacOdrum Library, he said.
Promise: Bringing 12 new microwaves on campus.
Ongoing: CUSA purchased 12 new microwaves, and have officially signed off on a contractor, to ensure the electrical wiring in each microwave location is suitable.
Alhattab said it would cost $11,000 to get the wiring done in all locations, not including maintenance costs for the microwaves.
“There’s a little more to it than I think most of us thought. You can’t just buy the microwaves and plop them down where we want,” Alhattab said.
He said all the microwaves should be operational by the beginning of September.
Promise: Larger bus shelters.
Ongoing: Halfway through Alhattab’s term, the concept and funding for larger bus terminals outside Minto Building were approved by the university.
Alhattab said the new bus shelters, which should be ready for September, will be much larger and will utilize infrared heating for the cold winter months.
Photo credits: File Photo
