Responsible Partnerships and Investments Referendum 2024

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 at the July 11, 2024, Board meeting. Your WUSA Board of Directors approved the recommended question, and the referendum process will officially commence shortly.

The approved referendum questions are as follows:

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?
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 students?

What does this mean exactly?

After the vote and approval of results by the Chief Returning Officer (CRO), the approved results will be presented to your WUSA Board of Directors for ratification. The outcome from the vote will become WUSA’s official stance on those issues and will guide our actions and advocacy moving forward. It’s important to remember that no matter the outcome, WUSA does not have the authority to make the University take or not take a specific action. Instead, we advocate on behalf of undergraduate students to the University.

Key Dates:

• 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

How can you get involved?

There will be a “Yes” committee and a “No” committee for each of the referendum questions. You can join the “Yes” committee if you want to campaign in favour of a “Yes” response to each of the referendum questions, or you can join the “No” committee if you want to campaign in favour of a “No” response. If you want to campaign for students to vote “Yes” to one question and “No” to another, you can join a “Yes” committee for one question and a “No” committee for the other.

For more information on how to get involved, please see Referendum: Student Committee Briefing Package (cloud.microsoft).

Like during a general election, be compassionate and respectful to students who are campaigning for each side. Ask questions and do your own research so that you can make an informed decision about the direction you want your student association to take on these matters.

Where can I find more info?

We have a webpage that explains all the details for this specific referendum, which can be found here! You can also check out this reel or this article to learn more about the referendum process in general!

For more information about the rules and regulations around referenda, please see section 12 of the Election and Referenda Procedures. All WUSA members have the right to bring forward a petition following the process outlined in these procedures.

If you have additional questions relating to the referendum, please reach out to the Elections and Referendum Officer (ERO) at ero@wusa.ca or g35gupta@wusa.ca.

This referendum relates to the ongoing war in Israel and Palestine, and we know that many of our members have personal or familial ties to these areas and have been directly impacted by the ongoing violence. WUSA offers support 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 and services.