It was recently revealed that UNBC's Northern Undergraduate Student Society is facing a $100,000 debt, much of it owing to BC Transit for the student bus pass. As a UNBC graduate, this is concerning to me.
I believe that part of the issue is that students don't tend to show up and vote for their representatives and this has culminated with a lack of accountability. So when it was revealed that the ship had hit an iceberg, student politicians came out saying that "years of short-term solutions and one-time fixes" were to blame as far back as 2012, creating a massive, short-term deficit.
Fortunately for all of us, KPMG's audit makes the core issues clear. A surplus in total, not operation revenue, led to a decrease in liabilities of $83,000 in 2015. In 2016, those bills were not only left unpaid, but $52,000 in new debts were incurred by the board and management. They failed to budget and pay for the student bus pass, which fees are charged to cover and instead subsidized losses at their pub and coffee shops, now facing closure.
Money was also taken from the organization's building fund, some used to pay management, finance club activities, and among other things, throw the two most expensive Backyard BBQ events on record.
An issue that runs parallel is the unusual situation of the society's general manager, a salaried position for the individual in charge of operations at NUGSS. Last year, the board engaged in a hiring process to replace the outgoing GM, and hired their own president, Duncan Malkinson. These events- and their potential conflict of interest were covered by the campus newspaper, but not noticed by most students.
Fast forward to today, and student life has been thrown into disarray. I feel frustrated when I read headlines about what is happening today at NUGSS, as for two years I was on the board myself.
During my time, we paid our bills, the pub and coffee shops made money, and we left a surplus for the next generation of student leaders. NUGSS is in a tight spot and it needs students who care enough to step up and lead it forward, not deflect blame and make excuses. There is a way out of this mess, but it starts with the students and, like any electorate, the power is in their hands.
Mark Monroe
Prince George
