Carleton Students Rally at Board of Governors Meeting

OTTAWA, April 20 /CNW Telbec/ - Carleton students are rallying at today's Board of Governors Meeting in an effort to convince Board members to return Orientation Week back to students' associations. The Board of Governors Executive Committee made an in-camera decision more than a month before altering the Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA) and the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) that the University administration would be taking over Orientation Week. Students will be attending the Board of Governors meeting at 3:00 pm in the Atrium before going to the 4:00 pm meeting today in the Minto Centre, Carleton University.

"Students rallied at the President's Office, have met with University officials, and written hundreds of letters of support; this is our last avenue to change the University's mind," said Alex Sirois, Vice President Student Life of the Carleton University Students' Association, "Orientation Week has often been cited as one of the best experiences students have at Carleton, it should be run by students for students."

Upon learning of this decision, students quickly rallied behind CUSA and RRRA, creating a Facebook group with more than 2,000 members, and hundreds of parents and students have written letters of support to the President of the University asking for CUSA/RRRA Orientation Week to be reinstated.

"The University is facing major budget challenges this year due to inadequate provincial government funding, and while it is preparing departments for cut backs, it is dedicating thousands of students' dollars to reproducing existing programming," added Erik Halliwell, President of the Carleton University Students' Asociation, "It really makes me wonder where the University's financial priorities lie."

For further information: Alex Sirois, Vice President Student Life, Carleton University Students' Association, [email protected], Office [phone] Ext 1617, Cell [phone]; Erik Halliwell, President, Carleton University Students' Association, [email protected], Office [phone] Ext 1603, Cell [phone]