In May, the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) received a member-submitted petition requesting a referendum. After deliberation by the Elections and Referenda Committee (ERC), the ERC formally recommended questions to Board. Your WUSA Board of Directors approved the recommended questions, meaning the referendum process is officially in motion. The original member-submitted petition can be found here.

Referendum Questions

Question 1

Should the University of Waterloo sever its partnership with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology due to its role in the research and development of technology used by the Israel Defense Forces?   

Question 2

Should the University of Waterloo review its partnerships and investment portfolios to ensure alignment with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and Amnesty International, to prioritize institutions that demonstrate a commitment to human rights, peace, and international law in a manner that is timely and transparent to the undergraduate student?

Referendum Questions

Question 1

Should the University of Waterloo sever its partnership with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology due to its role in the research and development of technology used by the Israel Defense Forces?   

Question 2

Should the University of Waterloo review its partnerships and investment portfolios to ensure alignment with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and Amnesty International, to prioritize institutions that demonstrate a commitment to human rights, peace, and international law in a manner that is timely and transparent to the undergraduate student?

Want to Get Involved? Join the Yes or No Committee!

The Yes and No Committees are two student led committees with the former being in favour of the referendum and the latter being in opposition to it.  

These committees serve an important role of campaigning for their position to WUSA members through education and distribution of information. To learn more about the campaign committees check out the Yes/ No Committee briefing package. 

Please Note: Each question of the referendum will have a Yes Committee and No Committee to campaign for their positions on the specific question. 

Timeline

  • Nomination Period: July 24th-September 20th
  • All-Campaign Meeting: September 23rd
  • Interim Period: September 21st-23rd
  • Campaigning Period: September 24th-October 4th
  • Voting Period: October 1st-4th

Want to Get Involved? Join the Yes or No Committee!

The Yes and No Committees are two student led committees with the former being in favour of the referendum and the latter being in opposition to it.  

These committees serve an important role of campaigning for their position to WUSA members through education and distribution of information. To learn more about the campaign committees check out the Yes/ No Committee briefing package. 

Please Note: Each question of the referendum will have a Yes Committee and No Committee to campaign for their positions on the specific question. 

A large speech bubble with the text "Passionate about the referendum? Do more than just vote." Two cartoon characters are shown on either side: one pointing up enthusiastically and the other waving a flag.
Illustration of a hand inserting a yellow paper into a ballot box with the message "Make Your Voice Heard, Vote Today" written on the front. The ballot box is white with a pink top, set against an orange background.

Timeline

  • Nomination Period: July 24th-September 20th
  • All-Campaign Meeting: September 23rd
  • Interim Period: September 21st-23rd
  • Campaigning Period: September 24th-October 4th
  • Voting Period: October 1st-4th
Flowchart titled "How does a referendum work?" illustrating the steps: petition initiation, vetting and submission to board, official question formulation, 'Yes/No' committee formation, voting and campaigning, and completion of voting. Each step has brief descriptions and relevant icons.

View an accessible PDF version of this infographic here.

How does a referendum come to life? 

For closed captioning please view on YouTube.

Questions?

Chief Returning Officer
cro@wusa.ca
The CRO oversees the referenda process and may be contacted to appeal decisions or rulings related to the referenda process

Elections & Referenda Officer
ero@wusa.ca
The ERO handles a wide variety of actions including allegations of misconduct, breach of by-laws, policies, and procedures, and questions about campaign spending.