Grads pull out
No-side chairperson Joseph Kolthammer announces referendum results.
UVic’s graduate students are no longer members of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) after students voted 58 per cent against maintaining ties with the national lobby group.
Polling went from March 18 to 20, and 457 students cast ballots.
“I’m relieved after four days of being nervous,” said UVic Graduate Students’ Society (GSS) director of communications and No-side chairperson Joseph Kolthammer.
On-campus representatives from the CFS declined to comment, and national chairperson Amanda Aziz and B.C. chairperson Shamus Reid did not answer their cellphones.
Campaigners for the CFS flew in from across the country to campaign at UVic. Campaigners, armed with colourful pamphlets, were visible outside the University Centre, where they frequently stopped undergraduate students who walked by to ask if they were graduate students. The CFS also held a barbecue for graduate students.
The No-side, meanwhile, ran a much smaller campaign.
“We only had one banner, [a website], and one set of buttons. That’s our entire campaign,” said Tayfun Ince, a member of the No campaign and former chair of the Graduate Students’ Society. “We had nothing for material. We didn’t use a single sheet of paper.”
Ballot counting, which took almost two hours, didn’t commence until almost 80 minutes after polls closed.
Roughly 30 graduate students gathered at the IQ Bistro, UVic’s graduate pub, to drink, dance and await the referendum results.
The GSS, which has roughly 2,500 members, was local 89 of the Canadian Federation of Students.
The Simon Fraser Student Society held a referendum at the same time. Students at the school voted 67 per cent in favour of leaving the CFS.
26 Comments
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Tim Ell March 21, 2008, 2:55 a.m.
Yes! Way to go GSS!
Tim Ell March 21, 2008, 2:55 a.m.
Yes! Way to go GSS!
Bhuvinder Vaid March 21, 2008, 8:37 p.m.
Congrats Tayfun and the rest of the UVic grad crew!
Bhuvinder Vaid March 21, 2008, 8:37 p.m.
Congrats Tayfun and the rest of the UVic grad crew!
jason mah March 22, 2008, 1:33 p.m.
what's the point?
jason mah March 22, 2008, 1:33 p.m.
what's the point?
George March 22, 2008, 8:09 p.m.
The point is that undergrads at UVic send them over $260,000 per year in membership fees. We're now the largest school in BC to be in the CFS, and we only get one vote on the executive. Smaller schools like Vancouver Community College that contribute much less get multiple votes because they have different campus locations. Having our grads leave makes it much more attractive for us to leave as well.
George March 22, 2008, 8:09 p.m.
The point is that undergrads at UVic send them over $260,000 per year in membership fees. We're now the largest school in BC to be in the CFS, and we only get one vote on the executive. Smaller schools like Vancouver Community College that contribute much less get multiple votes because they have different campus locations. Having our grads leave makes it much more attractive for us to leave as well.
Graham B March 24, 2008, 5:23 a.m.
WTF??
Campaigners for the CFS flew in from across the country to campaign at UVic.At what cost??
Graham B March 24, 2008, 5:23 a.m.
WTF??
Campaigners for the CFS flew in from across the country to campaign at UVic.At what cost??
Quinn L March 24, 2008, 2:16 p.m.
Congrats to the GSS regarding this historic vote! We should follow their lead and rid UVIC of the CFS once and for all!
Quinn L March 24, 2008, 2:16 p.m.
Congrats to the GSS regarding this historic vote! We should follow their lead and rid UVIC of the CFS once and for all!
Sam V March 24, 2008, 2:24 p.m.
The phallic headline on this story is fabulous.
Sam V March 24, 2008, 2:24 p.m.
The phallic headline on this story is fabulous.
Tim Ell March 24, 2008, 8:16 p.m.
Well, I can tell you one thing for sure: the cost came out of your pocket. Ent that nice?
Tim Ell March 24, 2008, 8:16 p.m.
Well, I can tell you one thing for sure: the cost came out of your pocket. Ent that nice?
David Karp March 25, 2008, 5:30 p.m.
I have removed a post because it directly and deliberately insults other posters. Please engage in debate, but please don't insult.
David Karp March 25, 2008, 5:30 p.m.
I have removed a post because it directly and deliberately insults other posters. Please engage in debate, but please don't insult.
Dan March 25, 2008, 8:17 p.m.
Well done. Our turn?
I mean, it really doesn't matter to me that much as I'm graduating this summer, but it's the principle of it all. I don't feel that the CFS represents ANY of my personal views/beliefs, nor do I believe that it represents the majority of students on all of its campaigns and philosophies. Unless it were to adopt a more utilitarian framework in its operations, and unless it drastically reduces the huge amount of bureaucracy and expenditure in its current operations, I think we absolutely have to secede from it.
Dan March 25, 2008, 8:17 p.m.
Well done. Our turn?
I mean, it really doesn't matter to me that much as I'm graduating this summer, but it's the principle of it all. I don't feel that the CFS represents ANY of my personal views/beliefs, nor do I believe that it represents the majority of students on all of its campaigns and philosophies. Unless it were to adopt a more utilitarian framework in its operations, and unless it drastically reduces the huge amount of bureaucracy and expenditure in its current operations, I think we absolutely have to secede from it.
Stephen B March 26, 2008, 3:52 a.m.
Congratulations UVIc grad students and SFU students! UVic undergraduates next year?
Stephen B March 26, 2008, 3:52 a.m.
Congratulations UVIc grad students and SFU students! UVic undergraduates next year?
Amber March 29, 2008, 10:14 p.m.
Ha ha, I didn't realize the subtle phallic insinuations until just a moment ago. But seriously though, way to go grads, seems like we need to follow in some footsteps...
Amber March 29, 2008, 10:14 p.m.
Ha ha, I didn't realize the subtle phallic insinuations until just a moment ago. But seriously though, way to go grads, seems like we need to follow in some footsteps...
jason m April 8, 2008, 7:09 p.m.
two campaigners came to my office and we sat down for a chat for a whole hour. The campaigners were from Ontario and New Brunswick.
I asked them why fly you guys in when there must be people locally.....there answer was that they were national cacus chairs and communications execs....what a waste of money.
They love the federal NDP. In the words of Seinfeld,
not like there is anything wrong with thatbut they really have no business siding with a political party as an organization.I asked a simple question:
if the CFS evaporated tomorrow, how would it effect me, here at UVIC?........I never got an answer, just a bunch of blabbering about IP campaigns.They forgot to mention they spend hunderds of thousands of dollars suing their member societies and that tuition fees have gone up almost 70% since we have been a member of the CFS.
Good riddance.
jason m April 8, 2008, 7:09 p.m.
two campaigners came to my office and we sat down for a chat for a whole hour. The campaigners were from Ontario and New Brunswick.
I asked them why fly you guys in when there must be people locally.....there answer was that they were national cacus chairs and communications execs....what a waste of money.
They love the federal NDP. In the words of Seinfeld,
not like there is anything wrong with thatbut they really have no business siding with a political party as an organization.I asked a simple question:
if the CFS evaporated tomorrow, how would it effect me, here at UVIC?........I never got an answer, just a bunch of blabbering about IP campaigns.They forgot to mention they spend hunderds of thousands of dollars suing their member societies and that tuition fees have gone up almost 70% since we have been a member of the CFS.
Good riddance.