Vote ‘No’ on Per-Faculty Fee-Levy Referendums

LettersLael Kim — Published March 11, 2014

It was great to see two opinion pieces in last week’s Link highlighting fee-levy group issues. It was especially great to see that a JMSB student and an arts and science student wrote together to defend fee-levy groups (Vol. 34, Issue 23: “Stronger Together”).

Their article breaks through the stereotype that business students and arts and science students don’t work together—they actually do, and a fee-levy group is one place that happens in a very real and productive way. I’m glad to be reminded of that.

This is especially important because I know from organizing on campus that when students are united we can accomplish a lot. What’s so disappointing to me about the proposed per-faculty fee-levy referendum question is that it falsely divides students, instead of seeking ways that we can work together to create an accessible, affordable and vibrant campus.

As a board member of a fee-levy organization [QPIRG-Concordia] and a full-time Concordia student, I’m deeply concerned by how the proposed question regarding having per-faculty fee-levy referendums will imperil the ability of fee-levy organizations to function properly on campus.

It’s telling to me that the main proponent of the referendum question, Michael Richardson, openly admitted that “the consequences of the long-term implementation of this [change] are not something that we considered.” I have considered it a lot, and it means constant bickering among students, rather than seeking common-sense approaches to work together constructively.

For the next two weeks on campus, students will be hearing more about fee-levy groups. I want to strongly encourage them to get informed about the positive role fee-levy groups play on campus, and the negative effect of per-faculty fee-levy referendums.

I encourage all Concordia students to check out concordiacommunity.org for more information about this important topic.

—Lael Kim