SU Elections 2024 Q&A: Organization for Arts Students and Interdisciplinary Studies Referendum

In the 2024 Students’ Union (SU) election, students will decide on renewing the Organization for Arts Students and Interdisciplinary Studies (OASIS) faculty association membership fee (FAMF).

OASIS’s FAMF would support students in the faculty of arts. It would go toward events like a speaker series and the Annual Arts Gala, and services like free printing and the Arts Mentorship Program on North Campus. OASIS is proposing to raise their FAMF to $5 per term from the previous $3, for full-time arts students. 

Representing OASIS in this Q&A is Hussain Alhussainy, the current president of OASIS and a fourth-year honours political science student.

The following interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.

What is this referendum trying to accomplish?

Hussain Alhussainy: It’s looking to seek student support on whether they would be willing to renew our FAMF and increase it from $6 per year to $10 per year. What this FAMF does is it supports our department associations and OASIS activities. Which in turn goes to support the students in the long-run.

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

Alhussainy: OASIS is the Organization for Arts Students and Interdisciplinary Studies. It’s the highest level of elected arts representation within the faculty. It’s the faculty students’ association representing the faculty of arts. We have delegated authority from the SU, and we provide services.

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

Alhussainy: If this referendum passes, students will be paying $5 per semester. This was determined based on what the majority of other faculty associations have their students paying, and the fact that inflation in the past couple of years has eaten up a big portion of what we would be spending. This would just be making sure we’re keeping up with inflation and are on par with other student associations.

Will all students be paying this fee?

Alhussainy: All full-time arts students will be paying this fee on North Campus.

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

Alhussainy: In a time where there’s a lot of rhetoric around the value of an arts degree, and in a time where the university administration seems to be neglecting its responsibility to the arts, OASIS and the student representation has stood firm in its advocacy efforts and provided services to students — ranging from skill-building courses like first-aid workshops, to many other services and events held every year.

 – With files from Dylana Twittey