University of Regina Students Union (URSU) is reviewing the funding of several campus service centres, including the Women’s Centre and Pride, amid ongoing compliance concerns, raising questions about accountability, transparency, and the proper use of student fees.URSU said the service centres, which are financed through a portion of the union’s student fees, have failed to meet obligations outlined in agreements approved by the membership. Those agreements require basic measures such as holding regular elections, annual general meetings (AGM), and submitting yearly financial audits. According to URSU, some of these service centres have not fulfilled these conditions despite multiple deadline extensions and reminders..EXCLUSIVE: Moe calls for immediate federal election, Trudeau outlived mandate.“These are not associations; they are service centres,” said a URSU representative, noting that the terms “associations” and “service centres” are sometimes used interchangeably but that the funding arrangements differ. “Each service centre operates under a compliance agreement with URSU, outlining specific requirements they must meet. We decided to review their funding due to ongoing non-compliance. Students often come to our front desk asking what URSU and these centres do and why URSU is not taking action on their concerns.”While the union said defunding is not a common practice, it acknowledges this may now be required. If a service centre fails to meet the terms of its funding agreement, the membership has the right to vote on whether its fees should continue..Farm organizations abandon Sustainable Agriculture Strategy amid turmoil in Ottawa.URSU executives and board members do not have the authority to strip funding without bringing any irregularities to the membership.“Defunding a service centre is not something that happens often,” said the URSU representative. “However, we have given these service centres every opportunity to comply with their agreements. This includes holding fair elections, AGMs, and completing financial audits. Some have chosen not to do so. Our fiduciary duty is to ensure these centres meet the obligations set by our membership. Ultimately, it will be up to the membership to make an informed decision through a referendum, following the same process used to establish these levies.”URSU said the service centres in question have been informed that a referendum could take place..Survey found 94.7% of Canadians think COVID-19 pandemic left children, teens at disadvantage.No date has been set as the union is focused on giving the centres more time to meet their obligations.“There is no selective targeting,” said the URSU representative. “All service centres received the same documentation and compliance requirements. Some have responded by trying to meet the obligations, while others have directed their energy toward creating media attention rather than producing the necessary documentation.”One centre under scrutiny is the Women’s Centre (WC). .Saskatchewan transgender, non-binary, pansexual 12-year-old testifies in Ottawa.According to URSU, the WC was established to provide services to women on campus and has not held elections or AGMs in several years. Its last social media posts were in late 2022, and URSU says it cannot confirm that the centre has delivered workshops, training sessions or other tangible benefits to students in the past two years. Most of the centre’s funds reportedly go toward staff salaries rather than programming.The Women’s Centre’s president has publicly claimed the move to defund the centre is an attack on women. .From ‘eh’ to ‘meh’? The decline of Canadian national pride.URSU disputes this characterization, saying it only knows of an executive director and that the accusations do not align with recorded activities.“As far as we know, there is no president,” said the URSU representative. “It is concerning that we have no record of elections or AGMs. The whole point of these compliance requirements is to ensure accountability, transparency, and meaningful service. This is not about targeting anyone. It’s about the centres providing the services for which they were created.”URSU stresses that even if some service centres are eventually defunded, the union is committed to serving all communities on campus..Tobacco settlement worth $32.5 billion approved by creditors.If defunding occurs, URSU says it will ensure better services are offered to affected groups.“We are disappointed that some individuals have resorted to name-calling and baseless accusations,” said the URSU representative. “At the end of the day, these centres are not meeting expectations. The membership will decide what happens next, and URSU will continue to work in the best interest of all students.”
