Old battles loom for student union

A referendum question could increase student fees for members of the Commerce and Administration Students Association (CASA) and the Engineering and Computer Science Association (ECA).
The CSU said that the fees are necessary in order to cover increasing costs, but some ECA students disagree.
“I am surprised that the CSU came up with the motion without prior discussion with us,” said Mario Ciaramicoli, president of ECA.
At the CSU Council of Representatives meeting on Feb. 14, the referendum question will be up for approval by council, along with other questions.
This particular question asks that the membership fee of two dollars be “applied equally to all CSU members.”
This means that students in Commerce and Administration and Engineering and Computer Science – who do not currently pay the two-dollar-per-credit fee to the CSU – will have to now pay a fee to both the CSU and their faculty association.
“Our student fee is two dollars and five cents and with the two dollar fee from the CSU it will cost ECA students four dollars per credit,” said Karim Ibrahim, vp external for ECA.
CSU president Rob Green said that it is only fair that all CSU members, which include all undergraduate students, pay for CSU services. “Arts and Science, Fine Arts and Independent students currently pay for CSU services and CASA and ECA students use them and do not pay for them. Other anglophone universities in Canada have higher fees per credit than we do,” added Green.
“The ECA would be willing to pay for certain fees, like the health plan. I am open for discussion and I am willing to make a compromise. Students feel that the CSU does not represent us. I do not think that the CSU is making a sincere effort to have closer ties with us,” said Ciaramicoli.
CASA president Rabih Sebaaly had no comment.
“The reason why the CASA and ECA presence is not felt in the CSU is because they chose not to be a part of the CSU. I would encourage them to run on a slate [in the upcoming elections],” said Green.
Green said that the CSU needs more funding since there has been an increase in the number of clubs in the last two years and the funding that the clubs currently have is not enough. “We are cutting the pie into smaller and smaller pieces and clubs don’t have the funding to pursue projects,” added Green.
“We want to revitalize the presence of the CSU at Loyola, so that Loyola will have more of a presence. We would like to have a presence, but their are no funds,” he also said.
The CSU also wants to hire a full time financial staff in order to run a “tighter ship” and to ensure that there will not be another fraud. The salary that will be paid for an accountant will be $50,000.
“The CSU does not need to have an accountant. We run the ECA without an accountant and without paying our exectutive,” said Ciaramicoli.

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