Following an innovative campaign that included a popular YouTube video, Emily Rowe will succeed Stephen Lecce as the new University Students’ Council president. However, undergraduates voted against the proposed $27-million upgrade to the University Community Centre (UCC).
After the polls closed Wednesday night (Feb. 11), Rowe was declared the winner with a total votes of 3,957.
The referendum to renovate the UCC did not meet the required votes to pass, construction which would have cost an additional $95 in student fees and amortized over 20 years. Students voted against the proposed changes, with 5,156 ‘no’ votes, compared to 4,129 votes in support of the referendum.
“Over the past two years, the University Students’ Council engaged in a dialogue with students regarding the future of their University Community Centre,” said Stephen Lecce, President of the University Students’ Council. “The message sent by students tonight is clear – they wish for that dialogue to continue.”
The USC will take steps to evaluate why a majority of voters did not accept the student fee presented to them, and will work closely with students to develop a new proposal that strikes an appropriate balance between students’ needs, and their ability to shoulder the costs of revitalizing the UCC. In the interim, the USC will work with students to maximize the value of the newly acquired student space in the University Community Centre.
“The University Students’ Council is committed to maximizing the value to students of the newly acquired space in the UCC,” said Lecce. “Major capital improvements will not be possible without a new student fee, but I’m very excited that the USC will be able to offer additional bookable space for student initiatives and events as we develop a new long-term plan for the newly acquired student space.”
The University Students’ Council has always been deeply committed to making the University Community Centre a focal point for social, cultural, commercial, and civic activities on campus, and the organization is committed, now more than ever, to advancing those goals on behalf of undergraduate students at Western.
Details of the next phase of student consultations regarding the future of the University Community Centre will be released in the coming months.
For complete election results click here.