2008-2009 Referendums
The Federation of Students' Council has voted in favour of holding a referendum to allow students to decide whether or not they wish to continue to pay the CKMS Radio fee of $5.50 per term. The question full-time undergraduate students will vote on is as follows:
"Do you support the removal of the $5.50 per term fee for CKMS, the campus community radio station at the University of Waterloo, effective the Fall term of 2008?"
A meeting to form "Yes" and "No" committees will be held on January 22nd 2008, in SLC 2134/5 at 3:00 pm. Only full-time University of Waterloo undergraduate students may chair or participate in "Yes" or "No" referendum committees.
As with all Federation of Students Referendums, no campaigning is permitted until the beginning of the campaigning period, which begins on January 29th.
For more information on the referedum, or about how to get involved with "Yes" and "No" committees, please contact the Federation of Students' Chief Returning Officer, Rick Theis at emtheis@feds.ca for more information on how to get involved with "Yes" and "No" committees.
University of Waterloo World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program Fee Referendum
"Do you support the implementation of a refundable fee to support the University of Waterloo World University Service of Canada Student Refugee Program at the University of Waterloo, at a cost of $1.00, to be paid by every full-time undergraduate student as part of the Federation of Students’ Administered Fees each academic term that they are enrolled in classes on the University of Waterloo campus, to be implemented through a system designed at the discretion of the Federation of Students, and to begin in the Fall 2008 term?"
Get involved with "Yes" and "No" Committees.
A meeting to form "Yes" and "No" Commitees will be held on Monday January 28th, at 4:00 pm in SLC 3103
Please contact the Federation of Students' Chief Returning Officer, Rick Theis at emtheis@feds.ca for more information.
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This program was supported by students in many other universities around Canada for 60 years, and I think it is strongly supported by every student at Wilfrid Laurier University. Of course, a dollar is important, but the main issue is to help and change the future of a refugee student, with just a dollar a term.
Therefore, go for it.
I am fully against the implementation of the WUSC SRP, not because it is not a great cause, but because I do not feel that an administered fee is the proper way to fundraise.
If the referendum passes, there will still be hundreds of students who may have been against the fee (it all relates to quorum for the referendum and the percentage in order for the question to be successful) who will now be forced to pay an extra $1 each term.
Some might say, "It's only $1." But why should that $1 go to WUSC SRP, and not the Canadian Cancer Society or Canadian Blood Services? Also, how many people are REALLY going to take the trouble to get a refund for $1? Preying on the laziness of students is not a way to achieve fundraising - if people were really dedicated to the cause, their would be more on-campus fundraising efforts.
If you are totally in support of donating to this charity, then by all means contribute your own funds. But don't force other students to contribute their money to your values.
In conclusion, vote NO on the WUSC SRP Fee referendum.
Hi, an interesting perspective on the WUSC SRP fee. Regarding the question of why we feel the refundable fee is more appropriate than simply fund raising all term....
As you may or may not know, the Student Refugee Program is not simply about paying a refugee student's way through school here in Canada. Once the sponsored student is here, the group is responsible for supporting the student in starting a new life here, recall this is usually a person who has spent most of their lives in refugee camps in a third world country. Things that we take for granted here and grew up with most of them have never seen. Many have never put money into a bank, taken on loans for school, applied for jobs, or filed income tax as we do here. Suddenly being dropped into our society can be overwhelming, I believe the term is "Culture Shock", which is why the WUSC group is dedicated to supporting the sponsored student in their first years here.
Regarding the $1 fee, we are dealing with a person here, where it's a go/no-go situation, as grateful as we are for donations from generous sponsors, this source of funding is not necessarily sustainable and sufficient. By sufficiency I mean if not enough money is raised by a deadline, that year's opportunity is missed, and a student cannot be sponsored, it's not a case where each year if we don't meet our objectives, we can pat ourselves on the back and say we'll do better next year, "at least we raised this much"... All the donated money is not sent away to a parent organization to do their work, the money goes toward the sponsored student's costs such has school, housing, school materials etc.
Thus we have tried to balance sustainable funding, with avoiding "forcing" this cost on students by making it refundable. We do not seek to prey on anyone's laziness, this method makes it easier for students who may be "lazy" but agree with the cause to contribute. I cannot change the mind of those who ask "Why should I give $1 to change someone else's life". A debate on "Why should I give up my money to help someone else" can go on forever with no conclusion.
All I can ask is that you get informed about the program and decide whether this cause is worth supporting, knowing that if $1 is too much of a burden that it can be refunded.
If NO prevails, you will have saved a dollar AND impeded the SRP's future and possibly the future of some refugee students. If YES prevails, you can still save your dollar and the SRP will go on without affecting you.
Yet, you still did not address the question of why the $1 deserves to go to the refugee program and not another worthy charity? There are thousands of tremendous causes out there, so why not start asking students for $1 for any cause that FEDS deems appropriate to pose a referendum for? This could leave a nasty precedent for the future.
If SRP is unable to maintain their fundraising without "piggy backing" on tuition fees, then it says one of 2 things: either students are not interested in the cause, or the SRP is not interested in aggressively fundraising their cause. Personally, I feel that Students' Council erred in the fact that they passed a motion to even pose the referendum, since I believe it is outside the jurisdiction of FEDS to administer a fee for an organization.
Now, would I donate to SRP? Maybe, depending on if I have money available and if I truly believe in its cause. But do I believe that an organization should be relying on others doing their fundraising for them? No.
Regarding the question of what makes the SRP different from donating to other causes such as blood services and cancer foundation is this. To start of with, I will never say that the SRP trumps any other charitable cause, to do so is comparable with debating which religion is the best.
I believe the more appropriate question is what is unique about the SRP that makes consistent, predictable, and sustainable funding almost a requirement to ensure its success and survival. It is a person we are dealing with here, rather than simply taking the money and giving it to a parent organization to do their work, we in fact are doing that work, supporting and making arrangements for the sponsored student. When you suggest that we are not interested in aggressively fund raising or do not have enough student support, have you considered the costs involved in sponsoring a student refugee? of how much "aggressive fundraising" would be required to run the program? And after said "aggressive fundraising" how much time is left to do the work?
There is a saying that goes something like this. "Give a person a fish, he/she eats for a day, teach them how to fish and they'll eat for life" (in humour I will also add, give him/her an education and they will eat more than just fish). This applies to sponsorship of a student refugee from a 3rd world country in this way. We cannot simply give them money and send them off on their way in this new country.
Regarding student support and interest. You should also be aware that the referendum was not simply brought about through approaching the FEDS. It was brought about through a petition signed by 3500 of the undergrad student body.
Again, a balance had to be struck between predictable funding and students' freedom to choose what happens with their money. The fee is refundable. By voting yes, three things happen, students who want their $1 back can have it, students who support the cause can contribute effortlessly, and refugee students can still be sponsored. Statistics regarding percentage of students who refund refundable fees have been examined and budgeted for accordingly. If the amount of money we receive exceeds the budget we require, it will be banked and when enough is accumulated, an additional student will be sponsored.
As always, please point out any concerns which have not been satisfactorily addressed and we will do so.
I have to agree with the point that the organization should be focusing on more aggressive campaigning.
The principle problem that I have (other than those addressed above) is that I have never heard of this organization before this referendum (and I don't turn blind eyes to stuff like this). I think that suddenly coming out of nowhere and asking us to contribute $1 per term is not the right way to go about supporting your cause.
As well, I can't help but notice how you're considering this a "cost" as opposed to a "donation". I believe that students should actively opt in to a program like this, as opposed to having to opt out and feel the guilt associated with it.
That's my view on this issue, and as much as I believe in the cause, I cannot support its methods of achieving it.
Ok please explain specifically what you guys mean by "aggressive campaigning", it is becoming an over used buzz word. I do not mean to sound aggravated or annoyed but when you have to repeat myself on multiple postings regarding the same things you tend to get a little irate.
Regarding the prevalence of the program, it is present at over 48 other institutions across Canada, just because you haven't heard of it doest mean it is just coming out of no where asking for money. The campus is large and our clubs many no one is familiar with them all. But when something like this comes up, would it not be prudent to get informed and make your decision instead of writing it off because prior to the referendum you haven't heard of it?
Regarding calling it a "cost" as opposed to a "donation", it can be called myriad of things. So can used vehicles. We don't play word games, if UW WUSC had called it a donation, we would probably be off on a different tangent discussing that donations shouldn't be on tuition because you're having to pay the money and get it back if you want it. Call it what you want, it is what it is, it's a refundable amount of money that this referendum concerns.
Simply considering methods without considering the causes behind it is impractical. To play devil's advocate here, losing money and get receiving anything tangible in return for it (donating to charity) or spending your time and effort without receiving compensation (volunteering) is illogical is it not?
It seems to be a common theme from opposition that they support the idea of helping refugees, but when it comes down to implementing it with a method that's proven successful across the country at other universities, support curiously wanes.
We can sit here talking all day about how great it is to help others, but unless we do something about it, it's just talking.
Fundraising
UW WUSC established itself on campus November 2005. Since then UW WUSC has sucessfully
fundraised over $100,000 in contributions to the SRP. We consider this to be successful
fundraising. See www.uwsrp.ca
The implementation of the $1.00 student levy will complement the growing SRP partnership
that now includes the UW adminstration and UW colleges and establish an onging source of
revenue as some of our current SRP contributions are in-kind such as tuition waiver,
accommocation waiver, meal plan waiver.
Administration Fee
UW WUSC anticipated the question of the administration fee. Unfortunately its been a kind
of chikcen and egg situation...in that the FEDS does not want to dedicate the time to
determine the possible administration fee for the SRP until such time that they the FEDS
are mandated by the student body to work on this project.
Most not for profit organizations work with a model of an administration fee of 12-15 %
and this is our anticipiated target when UW WUSC and FEDS sit down after the elections to
figure this out.
Currently one UW staff person overseas the management the SRP budget and the activites of
its two current sponsored students, while coordinating the process for the arrival of the
third sponsored student to arrive in August 2008. The work is done by UW WUSC students
who are full time undergraduate students and who volunteer their time for these
activities. Its not a full time job. The SRP levy can be an added component of a FEDS
persons current portfolio. Its easily managable as the UW WUSC Club and Advisor do most
of the work.
If you interested in more details please visit at www.uwsrp.ca or join the facebook group at Student Refugee Program. Tim Hudson WUSC Executive
I strongly recommend voting in favour of a refundable World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Student Refugee Program fund. It is only $1 and if you think it is too much of a financial burden, you can get a refund of your money. With hundreds of thousands of young men and women like us, stranded in foreign and often in hostile communities, it is the least we can do to bring one or two to Waterloo through our $1/term donation. Consider it a civic responsiblity or just another dollar that adds on top of your tuition fees, WUSC student refugee program saves lives and creates futures believe it or not!