The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is the group in charge of uniting university student unions and organizing campaigns on behalf of post-secondary students. They are paid through student fees. Some, however, see no connection between CFS and their members – the students.

One concern expressed by students is that CFS executive positions form a closed community exclusive to past members of student councils.

“CFS is a retirement home for ex-university [students’ association] presidents,” said Justin Rodger, former faculty of business and administration director for the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association.

“I felt a lot of political pressure to support a group I don’t believe in,” he said of CFS.

CFS Manitoba chairperson Jonny Sopotiuk disagrees.

“[CFS is] very open to new members,” he said. “All of our meetings are for everyone to attend.”

“ CFS is a retirement home for ex-university presidents.

Justin Rodger, former UWSA Faculty of Business and Administration director

The CFS annual general meeting (AGM) will be held in Ontario this November. Some union executives can use their budget to attend the meetings. The majority of CFS members, however, need to find alternate funding.

Some question if CFS campaigns are as efficient as possible. Rodger believes that some of CFS’s campaigns, such as pushing for tuition freezes, are misguided.

“It’s a pipe dream that we can keep a tuition freeze longer than the last one we had,” he said. “CFS is way too caught up in political pressure that is continuing not to work.”

Sopotiuk says that CFS campaigns are not decided on by a small, tight-knit community, but rather by the members who attend the AGMs.

“Campaigns are prioritized through our membership, made of every student on campuses that are part of Canadian Federation of Students ... The campaigns come up at annual general meetings and are democratically set,” Sopotiuk said.

While students could attend CFS meetings, those aware of them are rare. After interviews with a dozen University of Winnipeg students, none could provide any information regarding CFS. Several were under the initial impression that the interview was about Child and Family Services.

“I don’t know much about CFS,” said Alison Zenisek, a third-year creative writing and rhetoric student with a previous degree in theology. Zenisek was one of ten students interviewed who had seen CFS’s Lower Tuition Fees buttons and Target Poverty postcards but knew little of the organization itself.

Published in Volume 64, Number 8 of The Uniter (October 22, 2009)