YFS to play major role in changes to student hub
Jacqueline Perlin
Assistant News Editor
@jackieperlin
The Student Centre has been shrouded in a number of controversial decisions, and further changes may lie in its immediate future.
The Student Centre has had a storied history since its construction in 1989, including two referenda, one in 1988—which authorized the construction of the Student Centre and was approved by 81 per cent of York students—and a second in 1990.
More recently, in 2009, the York University Student Centre (YUSC) Board terminated its executive director, Rob Castle, in an “in camera”—or private meeting—and subsequently replaced him with Scott Jarvis, the current executive director.
At the time, Castle speculated as to why he had been fired. He was quoted in Excalibur on October 21, 2009, that “there has been a multi-year move by the YFS to gain control of the YUSC board of directors, and I would say this [the firing] is part of that process,” said Castle.
At the time, the board had 14 members, two of which were YFS representatives.
Today, the board comprises only 12 members, while the number of YFS representatives has doubled to four. In addition, two of the elected student body representatives—Robert Cerjanec and Jessica Thyriar—pull double-duty as YFS leadership, effectively giving the student union half of the votes on the Student Centre’s board.
The YUSC are set to meet January 26 with York administration to consolidate a memorandum of understanding on the Student Centre.
“[It’s] an agreement in principle on the creation of a new Student Centre,” explains Cerjanec, vp operations for the York Federation of Students (YFS) and treasurer of the YUSC Board. This means the memorandum will stand as an agreement between parties indicating a common line of action.
According to Cerjanec, after a definitive agreement on the memorandum is signed, the Student Centre will begin collecting petitions and signatures for a referendum to be held at some point during the next academic year.
“[It’s about] engaging the student population in what they would like to see in a new Student Centre,” says Cerjanec, noting that the details of a new Student Centre would be undertaken and determined by a user committee, which will outline what the students want to see done with the space.
“Major complaints that I hear is [that] students would like to see more club space, more eating space, more assembly hall space,” says Cerjanec.
He explains a new Student Centre would effectively double the amount of student space run by students on campus, and that changes to the centre will probably be funded from the capital student levy that currently goes towards paying off the Student Centre’s mortgage.
The current student levy collects $3.98 from each student credit, the largest per-credit levy that students pay.
Jarvis also notes that a “Provostial White Paper”—drafted by vp academic and provost, Patrick Monahan, in April 2010—outlined the need to increase student space.
The Provostial White Paper was a foundational document intended to structure and align resource allocation decisions across the university in accordance with overall academic goals.
“Both the YFS and the York University Graduate Students’ Association (YUGSA) share the same sentiment and have passed motions to work with the university through the Student Centre Board to add to the student space by expanding the current Student Centre,” wrote Jarvis in an email to Excalibur, adding that “the board feels it is important that more student-run space is required on campus for students.”
While the Student Centre is an autonomous corporate entity from the university, the centre is essentially owned and operated by students who pay the levy and sit on its board.
According to Cerjanec, the YUSC Board is comprised of 12 seats, nine of which are held by students. This includes four YFS members, four elected student body representatives, and a clubs representative. In addition, two York administration representatives and one YUGSA representative also sit on the board.
With files from Brent Rose, Alex Wagstaff, and Excalibur Archives
