A discussion with the VUSAC President on concerns from the winter budget meetings
The Victoria University Students’ Administrative Council (VUSAC) winter 2025 budget ratification on January 17 and 31 raised student concerns. To better address these questions, The Strand interviewed VUSAC president Juhyung Yun. A notable concern was the time taken for budget ratification compared to previous years. The 2021 and 2022 winter budget meetings lasted 111 and 88 minutes, respectively, while the winter 2025 budget ratification lasted for 402 minutes split between two days. In response to this concern, Yun holds that only VUSAC members are obligated to remain in the meeting. For her, it is their role to “represent student voices” where their actions impact the direction of funding taken from student fees. Given this responsibility, the cost of “five to six hours […] [is] worth it.” However, she does not intend to “set the standard” for the budget meetings to be time-consuming. Since last year, VUSAC has attempted to save time by communicating budgeting standards and increasing check-ins with commissioners.
Even with the increase in time, VUSAC has seen a reduction in the number of returning clubs from Winter 2024. Last year saw 27 ratified clubs during the January budget meeting compared with the 21 clubs ratified this year, with 11 clubs not returning, excluding Victoria Environmental Fashion Show (VEFS) and defunct clubs. This sudden downtick is partially attributed to a lack of student participation in new clubs. Financial mismanagement and disinterest from student leaders was the driving cause for many clubs to dissolve. However, Yun also notes that VUSAC received less applicants compared to the year prior.
A noteworthy change is the assimilation of VEFS into the Sustainability Commission. Previously, VEFS was registered as a VUSAC club. According to Yun, the club’s financial troubles led to this integration. She characterises these troubles as “difficulties in communication [and] understanding the budget processes.” Under the Sustainability Commission, Yun holds that VEFS would work with the Commissioner and VUSAC Executives to better follow “risk assessments [and] budgeting timelines,” aspects essential to the financial security of the club.
A noticeable absence on the Winter 2025 budget were the Victoria International Students Association (VISA), the Victoria Black Student Network (BLVCK), and the Victoria College Athletic Association’s (VCAA). According to Yun, the VUSAC Executives’ attempts to reinstate VISA this year has been “slow [and] complex” due to issues in “transferring authority, [and ensuring] that the levy has the resources for their continuation.” However, difficulties in ensuring this reinstitution has led to their continued dormancy and failure for a timely budget submission. There have been attempts by VUSAC to revive the levy since at least 2022, but previously hired Executive teams have been unable to continue the group long-term. Additionally, similar programs catering to international students’ needs, such as the Dean’s Office’s International Mentors, lessens the pressure for VISA to return. There have been past conversations at VUSAC about dissolving the VISA levy, and shift focus towards other international student supports and representations on council. Yun disagreed with attempts to dissolve the levy fee, stating “I thought that VISA still had a good potential of being a good levy, and I actually thought that VUSAC could have done more [to revive it].” Missing leadership was also the reason for BLVCK’s failure to submit a budget. Disorganised elections over summer 2024 forced the VUSAC Executives to hire the BLVCK team over the most recent winter break. Yun holds that the need to ensure “they’re financially responsible and know how the budgeting works” caused them to delay their budget submission. The VCAA’s failure to submit a budget is traced to difficulties in communication between VUSAC Executives and the VCAA leadership.
A concern carrying over from last year is the price of Highball tickets; for Vic students, highball 2024 early bird tickets were priced at 40 dollars and 50 dollars otherwise. The winter budget did not mention a finalised ticket cost. However, it is likely that prices are to increase given inflation and a lack of surplus funding to further subsidise costs. Yun stated that VUSAC took strong consideration into lowering venue costs, electing to host it at the restaurant DASHA in comparison to previous venues like the Fairmont Royal York hotel and the Eglinton Grand theatre. However, Yun argues that the “quality matches the price.” Using information from feedback forms, the Scarlet and Gold Commission has attempted to plan the event according to student interests. Additionally, Yun notes VUSAC is not a profit-operating student organisation and can only cover the cost to its best capacity, and in her words “sometimes we do have to have students pay $45 or $50, to continue having this for next year.”
In spite of these concerns, Yun notes that they ought not to deter and intimidate students from participating in VUSAC. For her, “VUSAC is always here to support student initiatives [given that] it contributes to the community in a meaningful way.” According to their statement from September last year, a long-standing concern for VUSAC is to “improve [its] approachability and visibility.” Yun sees this as a “long term goal” and is optimistic in their accomplishments so far. She notes VUSAC is taking credible small and large steps, namely expanding its social media presence to TikTok and renovating the office this semester.
