Money matters can make any person’s head spin. When it comes to understanding the financial management of the Concordia Student Union, it’s a challenge to figure out what goes where and why. For this reason we decided to go into detail about the ins and outs of this year’s 2012 budget. As boring as that may sound, here are five reasons why you, the average student, should bother to read it over.
1. To gain some context. If you aren’t aware of your finances, there will come a day when you end up in line at the grocery store and your card will be declined. It happens. If you’re wondering where all the CSU money goes and why there isn’t more for the things you care about, now is the time to find out.
2. Just because there’s a lot of it, doesn’t mean every penny doesn’t count. When the CSU spends thousands of dollars on this and that, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Reading a budget might feel like pulling teeth, but it is highly informative, so keep it all in perspective.
3. Follow the money. Want to know how much CSU executives get paid? Want to know how much money we have stowed away for that distant student centre dream? Want to know what counts as ‘miscellaneous’ spending? Numbers don’t lie.
4. We broke it down for you. It’s painless. No digging through archives, no fretting over dusty documents, no calls to your friend in economics for help. Take advantage of the explanation and learn something about the way your student union manages its money.
5. It’s your money. You have entrusted it to the CSU so that they can spend it on services that will benefit you. If they are using that money in a way that you don’t agree with, say something. Write in. Cause a fuss. Without your cooperation, there can be no CSU.
