Unofficial 'yes' in UTSU referendum
3,072 students vote on levy to fund the construction and operation of a new Student Commons, while Victorians wonder about building's usefulness
By Barbara de Dios
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: News
From October 31 to November 2, students voted in the campus-wide referendum held by the University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) regarding the building of a new Student Commons.
By voting yes, students were agreeing to fund the construction of a new student-run centre, which would house the many clubs and organizations on campus while providing a place for study space and activity.
While the student levy is only meant to make up less than half of the construction's funding, each student will be expected to pay $14.25 a semester for the first 25 years of the building's existence, in addition to $6.50 annual operational costs which are subject to inflate. "Unofficial results" state that 58.2% of those who voted were in favour of the construction levy, while 39.2% of the votes rejected it.
UTSU campaigned on the idea that U of T's smaller campuses in Mississauga and Scarborough both have student centers, while the downtown St. George campus does not. UTSU advocated that the facility would provide a place to unify all students into one centre, a valid point for the university's main campus which remains largely divided by colleges and faculties.
According to UTSU rhetoric, the Student Commons would provide a home for all the clubs and organizations that do currently lack the space to congregate and have offices. The centre would also offer rehearsal and prayer space. Additionally, it would provide a place on campus where one can purchase healthier, fair trade foods.
Some students believe that such an initiative would be an asset to the campus, while others consider the building to be a waste of valuable money. The main arguments against the Student Commons seem to be debating the size of the student levy; assuming there are roughly 41,000 St. George students paying construction for the first twenty-five years of the building's existence, UTSU will have accumulated over $29,000,000.
Numerous student groups took to St. George Street during the voting period to distribute flyers advocating that students should not have to bear the burdens of more fees piled on already a large debt.
By voting yes, students were agreeing to fund the construction of a new student-run centre, which would house the many clubs and organizations on campus while providing a place for study space and activity.
While the student levy is only meant to make up less than half of the construction's funding, each student will be expected to pay $14.25 a semester for the first 25 years of the building's existence, in addition to $6.50 annual operational costs which are subject to inflate. "Unofficial results" state that 58.2% of those who voted were in favour of the construction levy, while 39.2% of the votes rejected it.
UTSU campaigned on the idea that U of T's smaller campuses in Mississauga and Scarborough both have student centers, while the downtown St. George campus does not. UTSU advocated that the facility would provide a place to unify all students into one centre, a valid point for the university's main campus which remains largely divided by colleges and faculties.
According to UTSU rhetoric, the Student Commons would provide a home for all the clubs and organizations that do currently lack the space to congregate and have offices. The centre would also offer rehearsal and prayer space. Additionally, it would provide a place on campus where one can purchase healthier, fair trade foods.
Some students believe that such an initiative would be an asset to the campus, while others consider the building to be a waste of valuable money. The main arguments against the Student Commons seem to be debating the size of the student levy; assuming there are roughly 41,000 St. George students paying construction for the first twenty-five years of the building's existence, UTSU will have accumulated over $29,000,000.
Numerous student groups took to St. George Street during the voting period to distribute flyers advocating that students should not have to bear the burdens of more fees piled on already a large debt.
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