URSU Update
Our bold minuteman braves boredom to bring you your URSU update. Photo – Kyle Leitch
No motions, but no U-Pass either
The futures of U-Pass, Nigerian students, and Yemeni students were discussed, but no motions were debated at the Nov. 24 University of Regina Students’ Union board meeting.
During executive reports, President Devon Peters mentioned a number of things going on around the campus. Peters met with the U of R compost team to offer guidance in a presentation to the PAC committee. At that point, Peters realized there was no undergraduate representative on the committee, and took the position himself.
Vice President of External Affairs Lynn Barber met with representatives from Students for Mental Health earlier in the week to discuss Mental Health awareness week on campus.
Peters went on to discuss the Nigerian students who are behind on payments to the university. The students are sponsored by a state agency, but that agency hasn’t been paying. The students met with Peters over the week to discuss the situation. Peters explained that the price of oil, as well as weakness in Nigeria’s democratic process, has been a factor in the cessation of payment.
“When a President incumbent goes out, he takes his public service people with him. This was the case with the last election. So, it takes a little while to get things sorted out – get things working again.”
Students from Yemen are also having a hard time, as war currently raging in the area has practically shut down the country.
“It’s getting to the point where they can’t go home because they can’t get visas to the surrounding countries, and they can’t afford a $6,000 plane ticket, and they can’t afford education here,” said Peters.
According to Peters, university students may be able to receive the services of Butz Law, a relatively new law firm, at reduced rates. Butz Law has offered the discounted rates in hopes to build its customer base. Students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic already have access to the reduced rates for legal services. “Students at Sask. Polytechnic receive fifty per cent off of their services and free consultations, and we’re going to try something similar with them,” says Peters.
U-Pass has gone back and forth between city and URSU lawyers, but Peters is hopeful that there’s just “one last draft to look at” before the agreement will be finalized.
After executive reports finished, the board went in-camera.
Correction: The student group responsible for the “Mental Health awareness week” is Students for Mental Wellness, and the campaign and week of events is the second annual Mental Wellness Week. Should you wish to get in contact with SFMW, we can be contacted at studentsformentalwellness@gmail.com or via private message on our Facebook page. – Emily Barber, Operations Executive.