Board Update: Responsible Partnerships and Investments Referendum 2024

As announced earlier this month, over 80% of student voters voted “Yes” to two referendum questions that were posed to WUSA membership after a petition was submitted to Board. You can find detailed referendum results on our website. Thank you to all students who represented the “Yes” and “No” committees for each question.  

Last night, WUSA’s Board of Directors formally reviewed the results and voted to ratify the referendum results. Put simply, ratification means that the Board agrees the referendum and ballot for the question were conducted in a fair and accessible manner.  

Actions Taken So Far 

• Despite WUSA not having a formal seat on the University’s task forces on Social Responsibility and Investing and Principles for Institutional Partnerships, the Advocacy support team has been preparing communications for relevant University stakeholders. They aim to share the referendum results and other related student feedback, including feedback on safety and community, with both task forces.  

• Officers have shared results of the referendum with President Vivek at their most recent meeting to ensure that he is aware future advocacy on this topic will likely be coming. 

Next Steps 

• Our advocacy team will collaborate with WUSA’s President and Vice President to communicate referendum results and student expectations about next steps to the University through existing channels (e.g. Senate, Board of Governors). Progress reports and updates on this work will be shared with the Board.  

• The Advocacy Positions Committee will review the results of the referendum and consider if the direction provided may make sense to incorporate into future advocacy position statements. 

We will continue to provide updates on the progress of each of these steps as our work continues through Board Meeting recaps and on https://wusa.ca/referendum-2024/.  

Many members of our campus community have connections to Israel, Palestine, and other parts of the world experiencing violence. We recognize the impact ongoing wars have on them, their families, and their friends.  It’s important to stay informed, seek out reliable sources, and have meaningful, respectful conversations with your peers. Be compassionate, even when you have differing views or opinions.  

If you need support, WUSA offers resources such as Empower Me, where you can find someone to talk to 24/7. You can also reach out to Campus Wellness and Counselling Services or find your community through one of our many student clubs or services.  

We also encourage you to continue to share your feedback directly with the University by attending the Feedback Forum for the Task Force on Social Responsibility and Investing and Principles for Institutional Partnerships on Thursday, February 14th. Sign up here to register. 

For more information on the referendum process, please see Referendums – Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (wusa.ca).