The Tribune’s Editorial Board presents its endorsements for the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Winter 2024 referendum questions. Editors researched and discussed the questions before voting on each endorsement. These endorsements reflect a majority vote of the editorial board, with editors who have conflicts of interest abstaining from pertinent questions.

SSMU Membership Fee Increase – Yes

The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote for the SSMU Base Fee increase. This increase to the non-opt-outable fee would go toward the salaries of unionized SSMU employees and leave space in the existing operating budget to cover other operational costs. SSMU’s Base Fee has not seen an increase since 2019, despite the Society having vastly expanded its operations since then. SSMU offers students services that the university fails to provide, such as a Health and Dental Insurance Plan and an Eating Disorder Clinic. These services are crucial, and the employees responsible for running them deserve fair and equitable compensation. While the fee increase failed last semester—in part due to the lack of a well-run “Yes” campaign by SSMU—it is vital that SSMUnion employees earn higher wages in line with the current cost of living. Despite our endorsement of this increase, we encourage SSMU to be transparent about its finances and use its budget responsibly, especially as the $27.11 increase would be felt by students in a time marked by soaring costs of living.

Queer Equity Support Fee Increase – Yes

Queer Improvement and Partnership Solidarity provides critical support to queer, non-binary, and marginalized students, primarily those in need of financial support for food, rent, and medical emergencies. The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote for the Queer Equity Support Fee Increase of $1.32, as it will continue to support grassroots research and students alike. This non-opt-outable fee is vital to ensure the safety and well-being of queer students in precarious situations.

SSMU WALKSAFE Fee Increase – Yes

If passed, the non-opt-outable Safety Network Fee would increase from $7.01 to $7.15—money that would go toward SSMU’s WALKSAFE program. WALKSAFE is a program that allows individuals to request a volunteer buddy to walk them from point A to point B at night. This increase would help the program keep up with inflation and ensure that volunteers are still able to receive benefits such as food and gift cards for their labour. Without the increase, WALKSAFE would be forced to scale back its operations. Because of the importance of WALKSAFE as a confidential and easy-to-use safety service and the small nature of the increase, The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote.

Referral Services Fee Increase – Yes

The Referral Services Fee increase of $1.25 would bring the total opt-outable fee to $7.28 per semester. This increase would go toward funding the Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE), which does vital advocacy work and offers free or pay-what-you-can gender-affirming gear, menstrual products, and more. Without this fee increase, the UGE is projected to be in a deficit. Due to the critical nature of the UGE’s work, especially in the face of regressive policy against trans and non-binary rights nationwide, The Tribune wholeheartedly endorses this fee increase.

Reinstatement of First-Year Fee – No

The Tribune does not endorse the reinstatement of the First-Year Fee. Although the proposed, opt-outable fee is relatively minor, at $0.50, the First Year Council has not sufficiently demonstrated that this money will be going towards important outreach for first-year students. The budget for the 2022-23 academic year included $450 for “Executive Quarter Zips” and a total of $11,000 for student giveaways. While the proposed budget includes a reallocation of funds, our concerns from last semester, when the same fee failed to pass, have not been addressed. The First Year Council should direct more resources towards ensuring first years are well-informed about their mental health resources, know their student rights, and become more involved with campus democracy and advocacy. 

Black Students’ Network Service Fee Increase – Yes

The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote for the Black Students’ Network (BSN) Service Fee increase. This would increase the opt-outable fee from $1 to $2 per semester for full-time students and would help BSN implement and execute many parts of the Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism “to their full and deserved capacity.” BSN’s political campaigns, social events, and outreach efforts work to transform the university and offer Black students at McGill and around Montreal a community. The fee increase will be crucial to sustaining BSN’s important work, especially as the administrative Action Plan only goes through 2025.

Legal Information Clinic Fee Renewal – Yes

The Tribune strongly endorses a “Yes” vote to renew the non-opt-outable Legal Information Clinic fee at $4.50 per semester. The Legal Information Clinic at McGill (LICM) is vital to supporting the McGill and Montreal community with accessible and affordable legal services. The LICM assists over 250 McGill students per year, more than half of whom are undergraduates. The LICM offers free legal information and student advocacy services to all SSMU members. They offer support for students facing accusations of disciplinary offences under McGill’s Policy Against Sexual Violence and the Policy on Harassment and Discrimination, informal dispute resolution and grievance cases, and grade appeals. Without the LICM, many students will have significantly more difficulty finding affordable legal representation in disciplinary and other internal proceedings against the University. As well, the LICM provides vital services to students dealing with the complex landscape of housing and employment law in Quebec. A majority “No” vote would result in the closure of the LICM. As a result, The Tribune  strongly endorses a “Yes” vote to keep this crucial resource alive.

Legal Information Clinic Fee Increase – Yes

The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote for the non-opt outable Legal Information Clinic Fee Increase from $4.50 to $5.91 per semester as it is necessary for the LICM to continue to provide its services. The LICM suffers from chronic underfunding because it has not seen a student fee increase since 2014. As a result, the LICM has been running a budgetary deficit for the past two fiscal years. If the fee is not increased, the LICM will be forced to reduce or eliminate many of its services, including terminating its Student Advocacy services. 

Club Fee Increase – Yes, with reservations

If this increase passes, the opt-outable Club Fee will go from $4.57 to $5.44. The Club Fee is vital, as evidenced by the fact that it supported over 80 club initiatives over the past school year. While The Tribune recognizes the need for funding club events and supports clubs receiving necessary funds, we are concerned about the lack of transparency regarding how SSMU members’ money is being put to use. Although SSMU has reported that they put “stricter regulations” on funding applications, the reality is that blowing through over $130,000 between September 2023 and February 2024 calls into question SSMU’s fiscal practices. We hope that if the fee increase garners a “Yes” vote, SSMU will, in turn, offer more transparency regarding these financial matters. 

Campus Life Fee Renewal – Yes

The Campus Life Fee finances academic, social, and athletic projects, events, and initiatives happening on or around McGill’s downtown campus. Despite stricter funding regulations, approximately 88 per cent of the 2023-2024 fund had been distributed by Feb. 15, demonstrating a clear demand from student organizations for the fund. As such,  The Tribune endorses the renewal of the opt-outable fee at $2.00 and $1.00 per semester for full-time students and part-time students, respectively.

Campus Life Fee Increase – Yes, with reservations

The proposed increase to the Campus Life Fee would bring costs to $2.83 per semester for full-time students and $1.41 per semester for part-time students. Notably, the Campus Life Fee has remained the same since 2019 despite ballooning demand with the return to in-person events following the easing of pandemic restrictions. As such, The Tribune recognizes that the fee’s current rate does not amass sufficient funds to meet demand. However, limited financial records from the 2022-23 academic year make it difficult to verify the exact number of applications approved. If the fee increase is approved, it is imperative that SSMU improve its financial recordkeeping and increase transparency to repair trust with its constituents.  

Student Academic Support Services Fee Increase – Yes

The Student Academic Support Services fee increase would see the fee rise from $0.93 to $1.50 per semester. This increase would go toward SSMU’s MiniCourses, a program that strives to make education and extracurriculars more accessible by offering workshops on topics such as drawing, American Sign Language, and bird watching. Student Academic Support Services has not seen a fee increase since 2019 and has been running a deficit for the past two years. The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote, as many students attend MiniCourses and the fee is opt-outable, meaning those who do not wish to support the program can choose not to pay the fee.

Arab Student Network Fee Increase – Yes

Despite the Arab Student Network (ASN) continuing to grow in numbers, the fee has not increased since it was established in 2018. As a result, the ASN cannot keep up with demand or inflation, leading to services such as Arabic classes only being offered at the beginner level and lower print quality of the ASN journals. With an opt-outable fee increase of only $0.50, The Tribune strongly endorses a “Yes” vote for the ASN Fee Increase as it will go towards supporting the ASN’s role as a vital cultural community for McGill students. 

Library Improvement Fund Fee Renewal – Yes, with reservations

While The Tribune supports endeavours to improve the library spaces that students frequent, the failure to consult the library improvement commissioner and lack of clarity on what the fee renewal would go towards results in an endorsement of “Yes, with reservations.” The fee is an opt-outable $8.50 for full-time students and $4.25 for part-time students per semester. If not renewed, 24-hour access during the exam period, and other library support may diminish with the reduced number of student staff. Moving forward, more clarity is necessary on what library improvements will be funded by this fee. 

keep.meSAFE Fee Renewal – Yes

keep.meSAFE provides unlimited round-the-clock mental health services by connecting students to a licensed counsellor via phone or text. It also allows students to book in-person counselling appointments with minimal wait times. Given the Wellness Hub’s chronic understaffing issues and difficulties accessing services through the provincial healthcare system, keep.meSAFE offers a vital resource to students struggling with their mental health. As such, The Tribune strongly supports the renewal of this non-opt-outable fee of $2.75 per semester. 

Creation of Student Rights Fee and Fund – Yes

The Tribune endorses a “Yes” vote on the creation of this $0.25 per semester opt-outable fee, which will pay for SSMU Students Rights staff and fund initiatives that raise awareness of students’ rights, on and off campus.  Proposed in part to separate funding for student rights initiatives from the base SSMU Membership fee, the Students Rights Fee guarantees the availability of funds for these purposes, which, given SSMU’s current operational deficit and history of fiscal irresponsibility, seems to be a prudent step towards ensuring students are well-informed of their rights. However, it is crucial that the events and research funded by the Student Rights Fee go beyond “raising awareness” and work to mobilize students towards collective action against the tuition hikes threatening the accessibility of education in Quebec. 

Nomination of Auditor for 2024 Fiscal Year – Yes

The Tribune strongly endorses the Nomination of BDO Canada LLP as the Auditor for the Society during the 2024 Fiscal Year. Given SSMU’s ongoing financial difficulties, it is a necessity that an auditor be appointed to evaluate SSMU’s finances. As well, the auditor must submit their report to all SSMU members and it will be publicly available on SSMU’s website. This is a vital aspect of SSMU’s financial transparency. 

MustBus Opt-Outable Fee Increase – Yes

MustBus is an independent, student-run co-op bus service that makes travel for students accessible and affordable. Examples of destinations include New York, Toronto, and Quebec City and demand for their services is clear, as tickets often sell out within minutes. The Tribune endorses a  “Yes” vote to increase the opt-outable MustBus fee by $3—from $2 to $5—as it will allow the co-op to run more trips and meet demand. Students who do not wish to support the bus service or can not afford the raise can opt-out of the fee.

Student-initiated question: Student Support Fee – No

Student Support is a for-profit company that offers a bundle of services—Calm, ProWritingAid, udemy, Nimbus Learning, and Aaptiv—to students for an opt-outable $9.70 fee. Despite the utility of these services, The Tribune does not endorse this fee. This position follows the SSMU’s Legislative Council decision to sever ties with Student Support in February 2023.