A basic breakdown of the governing bodies on the U of G campus intended to serve students
Written by Denise Martins
It’s election season at the University of Guelph. But many students will go their entire university careers unaware of the elected bodies in which they are represented, as well as the different avenues available for advocacy. This is completely understandable, as it can be quite a task to puzzle together the distinct structures of these groups. It is important to be informed about the possibilities available for students to voice their concerns. It is also important for students to be aware about what is at stake during the different student elections. The University of Guelph, like many other campuses, has three large groups with the sole purpose of representing students.
The Central Student Association and the Graduate Student Association
The Central Student Association (CSA) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA), both of which work as student unions, provide advocacy at the university, municipal, provincial, federal, and global level. While the CSA represents undergraduate students, the GSA exists for graduate students. The CSA is made up of five elected executives with distinct portfolios. Their duties are managed by the CSA’s Board of Directors, which is made up of representatives from each of the colleges and five student organizations. The CSA is completely funded by students, and the executive commissioners are full time portfolios. This allows them to constantly protect students’ interests in many different aspects, recognizing that the interest of students may not always be the same as the interests of different institutions. Through collective bargaining, the student union has been able to provide students with the universal bus pass, the student food bank, the bike centre, trick-or-eat, and many other services. The CSA and GSA are members within the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), which unites student unions from all over Canada in order to create a united front in larger campaigns such as the Drop Fees and the Taskforce Against Racism campaigns. CSA executive elections will run Mar. 8-12.
The Student Senate Caucus
The third body is the Student Senate Caucus (SSC). The SSC is a group of students elected by peers in their program to oversee the university’s administrative decisions and works to ensure student input is present in all decisions made by the administration. The SSC is part of the Academic Senate, the highest decision-making body for academic matters, which also includes faculty and administrators. Memebers of the SSC meet to discuss matters outside the Academic Senate meetings in preparation for the next meeting.
It is also important to note that you can be part of both SSC and CSA. In fact, there are incumbent student union executives that are currently involved in the SSC. Furthermore, though the CSA does provide students with some representation at the university level, the SSC has three seats (2 undergraduate and 1 graduate) at the Board of Governors, which is made up of 24 seats and oversees the actions of the administration. The Board of Governors is the highest decision-making body at the university and it theoretically looks to ensure the actions of the senior administration (the university’s president and vice presidents) are in the best interest of all. It is also important to note that the university’s president sits and has a vote on this board. The Board of Undergraduate Studies elections runs until tomorrow.
The best way to learn about the structure of your university is through participation. Student representation can be questioned time and time again, but if one is truly interested in getting involved, one should approach their elected representatives or attend open meetings such as the CSA Board of Directors meetings. Most importantly, make an effort to inform yourself on the various candidates’ platform and why they seem to think they’re the best choice. These groups exist as tools for you. Use them.