Durham College and UOIT are refusing to remit fees, citing financial mismanagement
The Student Association (SA) at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) may soon carry out legal action against the college and university administration after having their funding and operations threatened. In September, the Student Association was informed that their membership fees would not be remitted, leaving the autonomous body without a source of funding.
An autonomous organization like the University of Guelph’s Central Student Association (CSA), the Student Association at Durham College and UOIT rely on fees collected from students to fund and regulate on-campus groups and activities. These fees are paid to the schools and are then filtered to the Student Association.
“Every year, the SA asks the institutions to collect millions of dollars in fees from students of the university and the college, and flow those fees through to the SA,” said John MacMillan, Director of Marketing and Communications at UOIT. “That collection and flow-through comes with some responsibility to ensure that the recipient of those fees is properly managing its finances, and is a viable and representative organization.”
The Student Association is not bound to the college and university, but to the students comprising Durham College and UOIT.
“The institutions collected these membership fees from students on behalf of the Student Association and has no basis for withholding them,” said Peter Chinweuba, President of the Student Association, in a Nov. 14 press release. “Membership fees are our main source of operating revenue. Without these fees, we won’t be able to offer student-run services like the campus food bank and campus recreation programs and may be forced to close our businesses.”
Despite Chinweuba’s concerns, Durham College and UOIT made the point that funding is still being provided to on-campus groups.
“While we are not flowing fees to the SA, we continue to flow the student fees directly to student groups, clubs and other student functions for which we have received invoices,” explained MacMillan.
In a Nov. 5 letter sent to all Durham College and UOIT students, the institutions detailed their concerns with the Student Association.
The letter stated that: “We outlined to the SA that there were [three] primary ways to rebuild confidence [in the Student Association], and offered assistance in meeting requirements…We asked that the SA provide us with its audited financial statements for the 2012-2013 fiscal year…a ‘management letter’…and a governance plan…As of today, we have received a copy of the audited financial statements, however we have received neither the management letter nor a governance plan.”
Durham College and UOIT have reaffirmed their desire to work alongside the Student Association for the benefit of the students.
“Both institutions have viewed the SA as a partner, and have only taken actions in response to the SA’s refusal to discuss important matters related to its governance, financial statements and the conduct of some students associated with the SA,” said MacMillan. “From day one of this situation we have offered assistance to the SA to help it get through its current circumstances. We look forward to receiving both the SA’s governance plan and the management letter from its auditor, and to restoring our working relationship.”
The Student Association has launched a petition titled ‘Free the Fees’ encouraging students to reach out and make their voices heard.
Despite the Student Association’s autonomy, students associated with Durham College and UOIT have a responsibility to abide by their schools’ codes of conduct.
“The SA has an obligation to the students who elect and financially support it to manage its business relationships professionally and responsibly,” said MacMillan. “Similarly, any students associated with the SA must also abide by the university and college Codes of Conduct. The institutions are focused solely on ensuring that the SA fulfils these responsibilities to UOIT and [Durham College] students.”