Bosc Talk

UWSA president talks $159,527 deficit and plans for upcoming school year

UWSA President Lauren Bosc says growing debt won’t affect services the association provides to students. Dylan Hewlett

After several lengthy meetings, the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association has finally narrowed down what they want to accomplish this school year, and increasing the number of youth voters is number one on the list.

President Lauren Bosc says the UWSA has hired 10 volunteer election ambassadors who will inform students about issues in the upcoming provincial election, leaving students with no excuse to be politically complacent.

The UWSA has also secured, with the help of Vote Manitoba, three-day advanced voting stations to be located on campus.

“We want it to be difficult not to vote,” said Bosc. “This is our biggest goal.”

Another concerning campus issue is the UWSA’s $159,527 budget deficit.

“We want to find out what we can do with less,” said Bosc. “For example, instead of using out-of-town artists at O-Week, we will use local artists.”

Bosc insists that the deficit will by no means compromise UWSA services.

The UWSA has also committed to working with as much of the campus population as possible. Over the next two weeks, UWSA board members have committed to the goal of visiting every campus classroom to better inform students about the association.

“You can’t be involved in something you don’t know about,” said Bosc. “This will give them (students) reason to be involved and feel they have an investment.”

Hollie Swart, a second-year environmental studies student, has had no problem being invested in the association.

“They are all so approachable and they all make you want to do things,” said Swart.

To run the UWSA, all U of W students pay a fee through their tuition. For every six credit hour class, a student is charged a $7.82 building fund fee and $22.27 student association fee. For every three credit hour class, students are charged a $3.91 building fund fee and $11.13 student association fee.

“A student taking 24 credit hours would be paying $89.04 for UWSA fees, plus $31.20 for the building fund, as well as the $48.90 for the non-refundable fees that the UWSA collects and remits to the specific groups that have put forward levies,” explained Bosc. “That’s $169.14 of fees.”

Jonathan Squires, a U of W English student, is happy to pay the fees simply to retain the UWSA’s free phone service.

“I could talk about the phones at great length,” said Squires. “The phones rule. They are amazing.”

Other UWSA year goals include creating a gender-neutral washroom, furthering campus sustainability, revamping the Soma Café, holding campus labour meetings and investing in the Bulman Centre’s student space, Bosc said.

Published in Volume 66, Number 3 of The Uniter (September 15, 2011)

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