New Student Association Emerges at University of Regina

A new student association has been established at the University of Regina, aiming to replace the recently dissolved U of R Students’ Union (URSU). The newly formed University of Regina Students’ Association (URSA) has initiated a request to the university administration to conduct a verifying vote, allowing students to determine whether they will endorse URSA as their official representative body.

In a statement released on Thursday, U of R President Jeff Keshen confirmed that the university will “independently facilitate” the upcoming referendum. This vote is scheduled to take place online from December 12 to December 15, 2023. Keshen emphasized the importance of student engagement, stating, “The forthcoming referendum is an important way to do that, as it will allow students to carefully consider and decide upon how they wish to be represented by their peers.”

If the vote passes, URSA will become the new on-campus representative for students and will gain access to student fees through a new agreement with the university’s administration. URSA’s introductory letter, which was shared on social media, indicates that it was formed after “months” without a governing body to represent student interests.

The association claims to have received endorsements from 17 student groups on campus. URSA aims to restore a central voice for students, promoting values of “honesty, democracy, and financial responsibility.” This formation follows the dissolution of URSU, which occurred after a vote on October 21, 2023, despite concerns raised by students about the validity of the process.

The dissolution of URSU came after a challenging year filled with scrutiny over governance and financial issues. The organization lost access to student fees and was evicted from campus in September 2023, as the university administration stated it had “lost confidence” in URSU. Following the dissolution vote, URSU was required to engage a third-party liquidator within 90 days. As of November 27, 2023, URSU’s website has been taken down, with Keshen noting that it is “essentially non-functioning as a representative body.”

URSA has indicated that it has already formed an executive team and drafted a “robust and democratic constitution.” A governance board will be instituted if the referendum is successful, signifying a new chapter for student representation at the University of Regina.

As developments unfold, students and the university community will be closely watching the results of the upcoming vote.