From the Editor: KPU’s email regarding the KSA signals a vital system change is needed for the association

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Earlier this month, Kwantlen Polytechnic University issued an email statement to students regarding their concerns about Kwantlen Student Association allegations. 

While the email didn’t mention specific allegations due to privacy reasons, it briefly explained what the KSA is, how students can use their voice through KPU and under the Societies Act, and KPU’s investigation into whether the KSA can meet its members’ needs. 

KPU emailing students regarding the KSA is deeply concerning as it shows a lack of trust in the association and faith in being a leader for all KPU students. 

Over the last few months, there have been several issues revolving around the association, such as the high turnover of executive directors, concerns about the recent general election voting process, the KSA leaving the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), the president being permanently banned from CASA due to a sexual harassment allegation, students raising concerns during the executives’ reports at the annual general meeting (AGM), council putting the fate of several student support programs to a referendum, and claims revolving around the alleged unethical hiring of the current executive director. 

However, there are ways students can voice their concerns if they have any. 

The KSA is an independent non-profit organization under the Societies Act, a provincial legislation established in 2015 that sets out a society’s everyday functions, records, and rules. Before the Societies Act, there was the Society Act, implemented in 1996. 

“The Societies Act spells out the records a society must keep. These include a register of members, register of directors, minutes of members’ and directors’ meetings, accounting records, and financial statements,” reads People’s Law School’s website, a B.C. non-profit society that provides free education about the law regarding daily life. 

Every KPU student is a KSA member and pays fees to the association each semester. If a member of the society has concerns, there are multiple avenues they can use to exercise their rights through the Societies Act. 

For example, if members want to resolve a dispute about operation or governance issues, they can submit a proposal to raise items for discussion at an AGM or request a “special” general meeting to discuss issues or special resolutions. For this, at least 14 days notice is required for special resolutions, according to the provincial government’s not-for-profit organizations website. 

Directors are required to hold the meeting within 60 days of receiving the request. If the meeting is not called within 21 days of when the request was received, members can call the meeting, according to the website. 

Members can also request access to records the society is supposed to keep. The KSA bylaws state that society records may be inspected by any member on reasonable notice to the executive director during regular business hours. The society also reserves the right to maintain confidentiality when appropriate and not disclose records when they relate to information the KSA is required by law to keep private or in-camera meeting minutes. 

The KSA defines records as books, documents, maps, drawings, photographs, letters, vouchers, papers, and “any other thing on which information is recorded or stored by graphic, electronic, mechanical or other means which are incidental to the operation of the Society and/or its officials,” reads the Regulations. 

If there is a record a member feels they should have access to that the society is required to keep, they can complete the “Request to Inspect or Obtain Copies of Society Documents” form and submit it to the society’s office address. 

Another resource students can access is societiesact.ca, a website created by Victoria-based lawyer Steve Carey that breaks down the Societies Act and government resources in a way everyone can understand. 

These are just a few of the ways members can exercise their rights. In the email statement sent by KPU, they also said students can share their concerns by emailing vpstudents@kpu.ca using their student email to help explore other options to support them best. 

This is not to say the KSA isn’t meeting its obligations to its members and to KPU as a whole under the University Act, as the email stated the KSA has met those obligations to date, but KPU’s email signals a greater message regarding a system revamp and more transparency to its members. 

The KSA’s overall goal is to enhance student life at KPU, whether that’s improving campus life, experience, and success, or giving students a voice at municipal, provincial, or federal levels. I hope to see things change at the KSA moving forward.