SU Elections 2023 Q&A: Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation Student Society Referendum

The Students’ Union 2023 election is giving students enrolled in the faculty of kinesiology, sport, and recreation, the opportunity to decide on renewing the Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation Student Society (KSRSS) faculty association membership fee (FAMF).

KSRSS’s FAMF goes towards providing students with social, academic, and charitable events. This referendum is proposing a fee of $3 per fall and winter semester.

Representing KSRSS is Olivia Harris, a kinesiology student at the University of Alberta, and former vice-president (finance) of KSRSS.

The following interview has been condensed and simplified for clarity.

What is this referendum trying to accomplish?

Olivia Harris: We’re running a referendum for the creation of a faculty association membership fee (FAMF) for our faculty. We’re going to be collecting, hopefully, $3 per fall and winter semester. With that money, we’re going to be lowering the cost of higher-priced events such as graduation banquet, KSR camp — our camp for new students — as well as increasing services in our office.

For students who don’t know, what is the Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation Student Society (KSRSS)?

Harris: We are the kinesiology representative association. We support students and the faculty, and facilitate connections between students and faculty members. We also provide academic, social, and general information and services to help students, to have a fun and supported university experience.

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

Harris: If this passes, students would be paying $3 per semester, for winter and fall semesters. And the cost was determined because we wanted to keep it still relatively low. Kinesiology has never had a FAMF before, this is brand new. The FAMF would make up 30 per cent of our budget, so it’s not like most of our money is coming from it. We’re still going to be heavily relying on admission sales, grants, and other sales.

Will all students be paying this fee?

Harris: So all full-time and part-time students [enrolled in the faculty] that are on-campus, and that are registered in fall or winter classes will be paying the fee. Students who are completely off-campus will not pay, and summer students and spring students will not pay. Students can get refunded and the refund mechanism will be heavily advertised on our social media, but it must be done before the September add/drop deadline.

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

Harris: We’re one of the only faculties who runs a first-year student camp. This creates good group cohesion for first-year students, and helps them create networks for studying. So students should really care about where this money is going, especially for the next people coming in, in order to make that camp more accessible.

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