Members of UR Pride are saying they’re grateful for community support as other non-profits navigate the uncertainty left by the university’s decision to terminate its fee collection agreement with URSU.
“The only way that we can still be self-sustaining without our core funding is because folks in Regina stepped up,” shared vice-chair Style Stenberg.
Although the group typically depends on the University of Regina Students Union (URSU) for funding, they have managed to continue providing services for the LGBTQ2+ community on campus and elsewhere without it.
“UR Pride has been funded through other government grants or donations. The community here in Regina is really awesome,” he expressed.
Now that the university is planning to terminate its fee collection agreement with URSU, Stenberg said the club was initially shocked, but relieved overall.
“I think the reason why there is a sense of relief for some students on campus, especially folks in leadership positions, is because we’ve seen a lot of unaccountable actions or lack of transparency from the students’ union,” voiced Stenberg.
“I think the University of Regina administration had just finally, literally listened to the students and decided this is a way that they can step in and help out the students’ union, do a reset.”
He added that UR Pride continues to wait for funding from URSU going as far back as fall 2024, and for the beginning of this year.
After auditing URSU’s financial statements, the U of R said it had uncovered “significant concerns” about the union’s financial situation – and in turn offered financial and governance assistance to the organization.
On Wednesday, President and Vice Chancellor Jeff Keshen announced the university would be terminating its fee collection for the union – effective Aug. 31, 2025.
CUPE Saskatchewan maintains that the university’s decision could negatively impact its members who work for the student union, along with the services they offer.
“The university - on behalf of the students’ union - collects student fees when students pay their tuition and then a couple of times a year, the university will remit those fees to the students’ union,” CUPE Saskatchewan President Kent Peterson told CTV News.
“It’s that money that the student union uses to pay their staff to provide important services.”
Peterson explained how critical the regular services URSU provides to students are.
“Our members who work at the students’ union are providing support for students, in terms of advocacy and scholarship and financial relief, but they’re also running various food programs with the students’ union to ensure people don’t go hungry while they’re earning a degree,” he said.
Although URSU plans to negotiate a resolution with the university before the official termination date, Peterson stated they aim to work with the institution to find an alternative for funding.
“We want to make sure that workers aren’t caught in the middle of all this and we want to make sure students aren’t caught in the middle of it either,” he explained.
“That’s why we think it is important that the university do the right thing. If they’re making the choice to not remit those fees, then they should take on the staff from the students’ union, put them on the university’s payroll to make sure nobody loses their job.”
In a statement, URSU said they have been engaged with the university on “strategies to resolve” financial issues of concern and recognize its legitimacy.
“Our hope was and still is to negotiate a resolution with the University of Regina that restores confidence to the student body and our partners on campus while ensuring the independence of student governance,” URSU stated.
“We are still investigating our options to respond to the notice and have no further comment at this time.”
