SU Elections 2024 Q&A: The Landing Referendum
In the 2024 Students' Union election, students will have the chance to vote on the renewing the fee for The Landing.
Lily PolenchukThe Students’ Union (SU) 2024 election will allow students to decide on renewing the fee for The Landing.
The Landing’s dedicated fee unit (DFU) is in place to support queer and transgender students by providing resources like one-on-one peer support and community building. This referendum is proposing to raise The Landing’s DFU from the previous $1.85 per term for full-time students on North Campus to $3.75.
Representing The Landing in this Q&A is Emily Lukacs, the current student coordinator at The Landing.
The following interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.
What is this referendum trying to accomplish?
Emily Lukacs: The [referendum] is to increase our DFU from $1.85 per student per term to $3.75 per student per term, for full and part-time [North] campus students. That’ll help us increase our budget to improve our services, because our demand has really greatly out-grown our current fee.
For students who don’t know, what is The Landing?
Lukacs: The Landing is the centre for gender and sexual diversity on the U of A campus. So that means that we provide services to queer and trans students, as well as all students. We do a lot of things like one-on-one peer support and community building. We also do education and outreach for the full campus community and organize events. We have free safe sex supplies for all students.
If this referendum passes, how much will students be paying? And how was that cost determined?
Lukacs: The fee will be increasing from $1.85 to $3.75. That was determined by looking at the current student visiting rate and our demand. If we were to provide all the services that we need to be providing in order to meet students’ needs, it will cost that amount.
Will all students be paying this fee?
Lukacs: Only full-time and part-time main campus students, so not Augustana students. As well, anyone is free to opt-out of the fee if they don’t want to pay it.
Why do you think students should care about the work being done by The Landing?
Lukacs: Queer and trans students are a huge part of our campus community. This year we’ve been getting around 600 to 700 student visits a month. That includes everyone’s classmates, students, and friends. Access to community support and mental health support is really essential for the well-being of everyone on campus. Everyone should support what we do.
– With files from Dylana Twittey.
