Referendum questions

Members of PGSS will be voting on two referendum questions over the next week.

World University Service Canada Student Refugee Fee increase

WUSC has brought forth a referendum question to increase the levy from $0.50 to $2.00 per student per semester. This increase would allow WUSC to continue their Student Refugee Program.

“Should the fee pass, we will be sponsoring three students each year for [ the] next five years,” said Sujay Neupane, a member of WUSC Mcgill, in an email to The Daily. “If the fee is not passed, we will be able to sponsor only one student every alternate year as of 2018.”

The sponsored students are funded in their first 12 months in Canada to cover their tuition fees, living expenses, food and a small stipend. “This year, we will wel- come Syrian students for the first time,” said Neupane.

Legal Information Clinic at Mcgill fee increase

The Legal Information Clinic at Mcgill (LICM)’S student advocacy service is a free, law student-run service providing McGill students and members of the Montreal community with legal information and referrals, as well as document certification.

The fee paid by PGSS students has not been increased since 1990, and Marilyn Venney, senior advocate at LICM, told The Daily in an email that the levy would be used to increase and improve existing services. “For example, we would consider moving the Legal Information Clinic to a bigger space, which would allow us to serve more clients on a faster timeline,” said Venney.

“If the fee levy doesn’t pass, we might be forced to reduce some of the services that Student Advocacy currently provides to grad students,” Venney said.

These include representing graduate students in informal dispute resolution procedures when they face a breakdown in communication with their supervisor, and in accusations of academic offences like plagiarism or cheating, as well as helping them appeal withdrawals.