SU Elections 2022 Q&A: Interdepartmental Science Students’ Society Faculty Association Membership Fee

In addition to electing new student representatives, the Students’ Union 2022 election will give full-time faculty of science students the opportunity to vote on the Interdepartmental Science Students’ Society’s (ISSS’s) faculty association membership fee (FAMF).

The fee put forward by the ISSS would be $5.00 per semester per full-time student in the faculty of science. These students would also have the option to opt-out of the fee. The money collected would provide science students with specialized services and programs, including Science Week and Wellness Week.

Representing the ISSS in this Q&A is Mehul Pal, fourth year neuroscience student and current ISSS director of marketing.

The following interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.

What is this referendum trying to accomplish?

Mehul Pal: We’re trying to renew the Sci5 fee, also known as the FAMF. If you’re a science student, you have to pay a $5.00 fee per semester to the ISSS. Basically, without that fee, we’re unable to provide most of our events and services. It is, in fact, the second lowest fee, out of all the faculties at the U of A. Every four years, what we do, just to make sure that the students are holding us accountable is hold this referendum. Basically, if the referendum passes this month, then ISSS will continue collecting the fee. If it doesn’t pass it, then the fee will become opt-in. I want to note that right now, the fee is also opt-out. So, if you don’t want to pay the fee, that’s totally fine. You can just go through a website and opt-out of the fee, but you won’t be able to access any advice events or services that we offer right now.

Editor’s Note: The ISSS has the third lowest FAMF fee out of all faculties for the Fall/Winter total fee assessment. The Sci5 fee totals $10.00, while education students and arts students pay $8.00 and $6.00 respectively.

For students who don’t know, what is ISSS?

Pal: ISSS is the faculty association for the faculty of science. Basically, we’re here to represent the interests of science students. We are the primary source of most of the bigger events you’ll see in the faculty of science. For instance, we have Science Week and we have Wellness Week. We have professional development activities, we have events around holidays [such as] Christmas events and [other] holiday events, and social get-togethers.

These are on the events side, and also we want to provide services to our students. If you’ve ever used a microwave in any of the science buildings, that’s thanks to the ISSS. If you ever used a locker, we also provide those. If you are interested in scholarships, we provide up to $25,000 in scholarships. Really, we want to bridge both the academic and social side of university just to make life better for faculty of science students here at the U of A.

If this plebiscite passes, how much will students be paying and how was that cost determined?

Pal: It’s quite simple. Every semester, you’ll only be paying $5.00. So this is going to be a total of $10.00 in the year.

This fee is just determined based on the events and services we currently provide. About 80 per cent of our revenue comes from this $10.00 throughout the entire year. We thought $5 per semester is quite reasonable compared to some other fees that students do have to pay right now. Then, on top of that, it is the second lowest fee across all the Faculty Associations.

Editor’s Note: The ISSS has the third lowest FAMF fee out of all faculties for the Fall/Winter total fee assessment. The Sci5 fee totals $10.00, while education students and arts students pay $8.00 and $6.00 respectively.

Will all students be paying this fee?

Pal: If you are enrolled as a full time student in the faculty of science, yes, you have to pay the fee. If you don’t want to pay the fee, you’re more than welcome to opt-out — right now, it is opt-out if needed.

Why do you think students should care about the work being done by the ISSS?

Pal: Without the ISSS, I feel like university experience would be pretty bland. As we know, the university itself doesn’t do a whole ton for students. Without funding by this Sci5 fee, organizations like the ISSS would not be able to provide most of the events and services that you see throughout your university experience.

You probably wouldn’t be able to meet a lot of new friends and you probably wouldn’t be able to use our lockers or many of our other services online [such as] ISSS Rewards where we basically incentivize you to come to events.

Because the ISSS is the faculty association, if you’re a science student, you’re also probably part of a departmental organization. For instance, if you’re in the biological sciences program, you have the Biology Students’ Departmental Association. A lot of these groups get a big part of their funding from the ISSS. If the Sci5 fee disappears, then a lot of the funding ISSS gives to these groups also disappears.

All-in-all, the universe experience would really decline. We’re just there to add a little spark to the fun you have here at the university.

–With files from Jin He