Past Referenda

2011 ULSU Fee Referenda

In the summer of 2010, the ULSU Executive embarked on a review of its fee structure upon learning of acute budgetary strains within ULSU budgets that threatened student services with future cutbacks. The Executive learned that ULSU fees on average were 18% below the national average of schools of a comparable size. Recognizing this and the needs of students, the Executive Council chose to ask students via referendum to approve a fee increase in order to sustain and enhance student services.

The ULSU made the unenviable choice to ask students to increase fees because the existing fee structure was not sustainable and threatened student support such as club funding, travel and conference grants, along with several other services. Rather than face future cutbacks to student services the ULSU asked its students to vote on the referendum questions. 

In the end, a majority of students voted in favour of sustained and improved student services, ensuring that in the future all students at the University of Lethbridge can continue to access extraordinary services.

The ULSU General Election & Referendum process began February 7, 2011 and ended on March 11, 2011. The total voter turn out was 25%, with the Residence students having the highest participation of 63%.

QUESTION #1 - ULSU FEES TIED TO CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI)

Whereas the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU) fees currently do not account for annual increases in inflation. And whereas this will inevitably result in cutbacks and reductions of current student service offerings, the ULSU wishes to pose the following question to its membership:

“Do you authorize the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union to tie the annual student fees it collects to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as determined by Statistics Canada, using 2011 as the base year for calculation, in order to account for annual inflation?”

RESULTS:  

YES votes: 919 vote - 54%  
NO votes: 781 votes - 46%

QUESTION #2 - ULSU FEE INCREASE

Whereas increased enrollments at the University of Lethbridge, and increased membership of the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU), has produced strain on the ULSU Operations Budget, and whereas the ULSU favours increasing levels of student services, the ULSU wishes to pose the following question to its membership:

“Effective Fall 2012, do you authorize the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union to implement a one time increase in the annual fees it collects for operations to result in the following charge:

Full Time Students
From: $47.44/year ($23.72/semester) to: $57.44/year ($28.72/semester)

Part Time Students
From: $23.86/year ($11.93/semester) to: $28.86/year ($14.43/semester)?

RESULTS:  

YES votes: 982 votes - 58%  
NO votes: 723 votes - 42%

2008 Results for the ULSU Fee Referendum

Two Questions were presented to the U of L student body during October 20-22, 2008.

First Question:

Effective September 2009, do you, authorize the University of Lethbridge Students' Union to implement an increase in the annual fees it collects for Operations, to result in the following change:

Full Time Students*
From:   $42.54/year ($21.27/semester) to: $47.44/year ($23.72/semester)

Part Time Students**
From:   $20.86/year ($10.43/semester) to:     $23.08/year ($11.54/semester)

YES VOTES: 901  58.93%
NO VOTES:  628   41.07%

Second Question:

Do you further authorize the University of Lethbridge Students' Union to subsequently tie the annual student fees it  collects on the basis of the Consumer Price Index for the Province of Alberta, as determined by Statistics Canada, using 2008 as the base year for calculation, in order to account for annual inflation?

YES VOTES: 743   48.82%
NO VOTES:  779    51.18%

1993 Health Plan Referendum

The ULSU Health Plan Referendum was held January 25 - 29, 1993

Question

"Are you in favour of the Students' Union, University of Lethbridge participating in a Health Care Plan, as detailed following, at a cost of $120.68 per year per student, such amount to be added to the Students' Union fees unless alternate coverage is demonstrated?  This fee is subject to adjustments from time to time to cover premium and administrative cost, and adjustments to the plan design which are approved by Students' Union Council"?

Results
The referendum passed

2022 Student Support Referendum

Question:

"Do you support the adoption of a $17.56 semesterly fee for students in order to have access to five service apps. (Calm, Nimbus, Grammarly, Udemy, Aaptiv)"

Results
NO Votes - 381
YES Votes - 632

2003 Dental Plan Plebiscite

Question 1

"Do you think The Students' Union should continue providing the mandatory Dental Plan for full-time students at The University of Lethbridge?"

Results
NO votes - 185
YES votes - 298

Question 2

"Currently, the Students' Union Dental Plan policy reads:
No increase in fee beyond $135 annually can be authorized without going to referendum.

If amended, the Students' Union Dental Plan policy would read:
Annual fee confirmation of The Students' Union Dental Plan will be authorized by the Executive Council of The Students' Union, The University of Lethbridge.

Do you support the proposed Dental Plan policy amendment as stated above?"

Results
NO votes - 249
YES votes - 233

1997 Dental Plan Referendum

Held October 20 - 22, 1997.

Total number of registered voters - 4973
Total number of ballots cast - 11.1% (552 people)

Question

"Are you in favour of the Students' Union, University of Lethbridge participating in a Dental Care Plan, as detailed following, at a cost of $110 per year, per student, such amount to be added to the Students' Union fees unless alternate coverage is demonstrated?  This fee is subject to adjustments from time to time to cover premium and administrative cost, and adjustments to the plan design which are approved by the Students' Union Council? Should the total cost of providing the Dental Plan exceed $135 per year per student then a referendum will be required."

Results
NO votes - 38.6% (213 people)
YES votes - 61.2% (338 people)

2018 U-PASS REFERENDUM

March 27 – 29, 2018

“Do you support the adoption of a universal bus pass (UPass) equivalent to the cost of Lethbridge Transit's one-month Adult Pass (currently $77), plus an applicable service fee, to be applied to each undergraduate student enrolled in at least one for-credit, on-campus course on a per semester basis? “

Some students may opt-out of the program contingent on approved circumstance. 

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Yes – 1968 Votes
No – 1052 Votes 

3020 voted out of 6375 eligible voters
47% voter turnout

Please click HERE for more information on the U-Pass

2011 UPass Referendum

October 26, 2011

“Do you support the adoption of a universal bus pass with an opt-out for students residing outside of the service area as well as for students doing practicum work outside of Lethbridge for more than three quarters of the semester, at a price of $77.50 per semester for a one year trial period, and agree to send it to a future referendum for approval in February 2013 should this referendum be successful”?

NO      1863      (64.58%)

YES    1022       (35.42%)

PERCENT VOTED: 42.32% (2888 of 6825 voters)    

U of L Students let their voices be heard - NO UPass on Campus!
The University of Lethbridge undergraduate population has spoken.

In this year’s referendum, 2888 of the 6825 eligible undergraduate students went to the polls, 42.32% of the eligible student population. 64.58% (1863 students) of these students selected ‘NO’ on the 2011 UPass Referendum voting card.

 35.42% (1022 students) of the students voted ‘YES’ on the referendum.

The defeated 2011 Upass proposal included two major additions since the last referendum in 2006. Firstly, students on practicum outside of Lethbridge, living outside the service area or taking distance learning courses were be eligible to opt-out of the program. Secondly, if the proposal were to be approved, it would be subject to a one year term and would return to referendum in February 2013 for permanent approval.

Similar to 2006, the price of the UPass was to be tied to an adult monthly pass, meaning it would have cost $77.50 per semester.

2006 UP-Pass Referendum

A vote for the referendum regarding a citywide bus pass was held from 9:00 am October 17, 2006 to 12:00 pm October 19,2006.

Total voters: 7048
Total Who Voted: 4410
Percent Who Voted: 62.57%

U-Pass Referendum Question 1
"Do you agree to the increase of student fees by $52.50* per semester (fall and spring semesters only) in order to obtain a city wide bus pass (U-Pass) for all undergraduate students registered in one or more courses at the Lethbridge Campus? (*the current cost of a one month adult bus pass)"

Results
NO Votes - 59.73%  (2634 people)
YES votes - 40.27% (1776 people)

U-Pass Referendum Question 2
"To avoid the cost of a future referendum, do you agree to allow future increase to the cost of the U-Pass, as long as the per semester fee never exceeds the cost of a one month adult bus pass?"

Results
NO Votes - 62.95% (2776 people)
YES votes - 37.05% (1634 people)

2012 Calgary Campus Gym Pass Referendum

YES: 95  - No: 37

Referendum Question

“Do you authorize the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union to increase student fees on the Calgary Campus by $5.00 per semester to cover a gym pass at the YWCA and allow the ULSU and YWCA to revisit and increase the fee every two years if needed, so long as it does not exceed Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

The pass would give unrestricted access to the YWCA facilities for all undergraduate students registered in one or more courses at the Calgary campus.  To use the pass students would additionally be required a onetime purchase of a $5 YWCA ID card.  An opt-out will be available for students with limiting physical disabilities.”

Details of the Referendum

This referendum question was presented during the ULSU General Elections on March 7, 2012 - March 9, 2012.  The fee increase will only affect the Calgary Campus students, therefore only Calgary Campus students were eligible to vote. The Board of Governors will be addressing the referendum results in December 2012 and if they approve it, the fee increase will then enter into force in September 2013.

Shahd Mohamad, our Calgary Campus Rep for 2011-2012 worked with the YWCA to create a mutually beneficial proposal that would allow all Calgary campus students access to a YWCA unrestricted membership. The referendum was presented to students because these students do not have access to a gym or workout facility.  A YWCA gym membership for students currently costs $35 per month for individuals who possess a student ID card.

2019 Constitution Referendum

The Students' Union's Legislative Review Committee has reviewed our constitution and proposed relevant amendments in order to be a more efficient and effective organization for the betterment of all members of the Students' Union. All amendments or additions to the ULSU Constitution must be made by referendum. 

QUESTON

"Do you approve of the amendments to the Constitution of the University
of Lethbridge Students' Union as proposed in this referendum?"

YES votes: 1163 
NO votes: 168

2015 Constitution Referendum

The changes result in no fee increases to the organization and are just housekeeping changes to give the ULSU strong standing on the University's highest committee, the Board of Governors.

The Question
"Do you approve of amending the Constitution of the University of Lethbridge Students Union (ULSU) as proposed by the ULSU General Assembly with the changes coming into effect on May 1, 2015?"

Summary of Changes

• Addition of a First Year Representative
• Re-assign the Board of Governors Representative position from the General Assembly to be placed under the Executives responsibility
• Tie breaking vote on all internal committees and elections is placed with the President unless a conflict of interest exists.

2013 Constitution Referendum

Yes: 700 (88.83%) - No: 88 (11.17%)

Voter Turnout: 11.15% 

Referendum Question
“Do you approve of amending the Constitution of the University of Lethbridge Students Union as proposed by the ULSU General Assembly with the changes coming into effect on May 1, 2013?”

Details of the Referendum
Any changes to the ULSU Constitution are required to be approved by referendum. Changes to the referendum were proposed by the General Assembly in December 2012 for which a vote was held from January 30 to February 1, 2013. Any ULSU referendum requires to have a voter turnout of at least 10% to be valid.

The following is a list of the proposed changes which were approved by the referendum:

• Adding a definition of the VP External
• Changing the name of the VP Internal Affairs to VP Student AffairsUpdating the amendatory process for simplicity and transparency.
• Right now, there are two ways to amend the bylaws, so we are cleaning it up so there is only one way.
• Changing quorum to update for a new 5 member Executive Council. If the referendum passes then we can include the new position for the General Election.
• Changing the conflict of interest so you are not in conflict of interest if you are ratifying a club.
• As a result of this vote, the upcoming General Election for the 2013-14 Student Union Executive Council will include the newly restructured 5 Member Executive Council. 

2010 Constitution Referendum

Date of the On-line Constitution Referendum
March 2, 2010 at 8:30 am to March 4, 2010 at 3:00 pm.

YES VOTES:  816
NO VOTES:   372

Referendum Question
Do you approve of replacing the current Constitution of  "the Students’ Union, the University of Lethbridge", with the Constitution of  "the Students’ Union, the University of Lethbridge", as follows:

1994 Constitution Referendum

February 18, 1994 Referendum.
Total Number of Voters - 1883 - 43%

Question - ULSU Constitution
"Do you agree to the proposed amendments to the Students' Union Constitution?"

Results

YES Votes - 1372
NO Votes - 450

2014 CKXU Referendum

The CKXU Radio Society is Southern Alberta's only campus-community radio station broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week via 88.3FM on the radio in Lethbridge or around the world at www.CKXU.com.

The CKXU Radio Society is a volunteer-driven campus community organization committed to providing open access to the airwaves for alternative and diverse programming that reflects and represents the local communities we serve.

Since 1972 CKXU has provided numerous applied-studies and cooperative learning opportunities and positions available to all undergraduate students of the U of L in the fields of arts and culture, audio engineering, board governance, event planning, fundraising, journalism, live broadcasting, music history, and original programming; as well as numerous student and community employment opportunities.

The CKXU Radio Society relies on the continued support of the University of Lethbridge in the form of a $5.00 (five dollars) levy applied per student per semester (which does not currently account for annual increases in inflation) in order to cover regular capital expenditures and operational costs.

QUESTION 1 (Levy Increase)

In order to better provide for the CKXU Radio Society, of which all students of the University of Lethbridge are the primary stakeholders, do you agree to increase the CKXU Levy by $3.00 (three dollars) per student per semester?

RESULTS:
YES votes: 615 votes
NO votes: 614 votes

QUESTION 2 (CPI)

For continued sustainability of the CKXU Radio Society, do you authorize the University of Lethbridge Students' Union to tie the CKXU levy it collects to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as determined by Statistics Canada, using 2014 as the base year, in order to account for annual inflation/deflation?

RESULTS:
YES votes: 669 votes
NO votes: 539 votes

2007 CKXU Referendum

Held October 26, 2007 at 9:00 am - October 30, 2007 at 4:00 pm

Question:
"In order to better provide for the continued maintenance operation, and growth of CKXU 88.3 FM (the University of Lethbridge's own campus community radio station) do you support an increase from the current levy of three dollars ($3) per student per semester to five dollars ($5) per student per semester"?

Results:
Yes votes 1172
No votes 1076, no answer 59 - (32.47% voter turnout - 2307 of 7105 voters)

(All Lethbridge campus undergraduate students, full and part?time, will realize an increase of $2/semester in their CKXU fees. Only Lethbridge campus undergraduate students were eligible to vote on this referendum question. This excluded: Calgary & Edmonton campus students, exchange students, and out-of-town Co-Op Program students).

2005 CKXU Referendum

"In order better to provide for the CKXU Radio Society, of which the students of the University of Lethbridge are the primary stakeholders, do you agree to increase the amount of the student levy from $3 per semester per student to $7 per semester per student?"

Results
NO Votes 61.71% (1070 people)
YES Votes 38.29% (664 people) 

1999 CKUL Referendum - Levy Transfer

March 17,18, 1999.

Question
"Are you in favour of transferring the existing CKUL Levy to the CKUL Radio Society for the operation of the Campus Community Radio Station once they are declared independent from the Students' Union, The University of Lethbridge?"

Results:
NO votes - 128
YES votes - 925

1996 CKUL Levy Referendum

March 6, 1996.

Question
"Do you want to have your campus radio station, CKUL, on stereo FM for $3.00/semester/year/student?"

Results
NO votes - 253
YES votes - 450

2023 Meliorist Fee Referendum

March 10, 2023

QUESTION #1 

Do you support maintaining and improving essential services that The Meliorist provides by increasing the fee by $0.50 (fifty cents) per year for the next four years to allow The Meliorist to continue supporting students?

Yes      558    
No      717      
 
QUESTION #2

On campus, nearly all other fees increase with inflation to retain sustainable operations. Do you support aligning The Meliorist with that and increasing by Consumer Price Index (CPI) annually, as determined by Statistics Canada, to account for annual inflation and ensure the organization's long-term sustainability?

Yes      504    
No      771     

QUESTION #3 

Do you support The Meliorist becoming a year-round operation, which would mean providing services and paid employment year-round, by introducing a $3 (three dollar) per student fee in the Summer Semesters and having it increased annually by Consumer Price Index (CPI), as determined by Statistics Canada?

Yes      350    
No      925      

2020 Meliorist Fee Referendum

QUESTION #1 

In order to better provide for The Meliorist Publishing Society do you agree to increase the Meliorist Levy by $1.00 (ONE dollar) per student as a one-time levy increase?

Yes      514     43%
No      669      57%
 
QUESTION #2

For continued sustainability of the Meliorist Publishing Society, do you authorize the University of Lethbridge Students' Union to tie the Meliorist levy it collects to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as determined by Statistics Canada, using 2009 as the base year, in order to account for annual inflation?

RESULTS:
Yes      552    47%
No      631     53%

2016 Meliorist Constitution Referendum

QUESTION

Whereas; The Meliorist Publishing Society, which is the University's student campus magazine, is amending their outdated constitution that dates back to 1987, in order to establish a new Board of Directors and continue operating, under new leadership,

Whereas; This is NOT a request for a fee increase,

“Do you approve of amending the constitution of The Meliorist Publishing Society as proposed in the attached link?”

RESULTS:
YES votes: 949 votes - 86.59%
NO votes: 147 votes - 13.41%

Voter turnout: 13.33% (1096 of 8223 voters)

2013 Meliorist Fee Referendum

Held March 2013

In conjunction with the ULSU General Elections, the Meliorist Publishing Society is having a referendum to increase their fee.

QUESTION

"Do you support an increase of two (2) dollars to be applied to the levy fee collected during the fall/spring semesters on behalf of the Meliorist Publishing Society, taking the fee amount per student to $7 per semester?"

RESULTS:
NO Votes: 654 (51.42%)
Yes Votes: 618 (48.58%)

2017 Women's Centre Levy Referendum

QUESTION

Are you in favour of an increase from $1.00 to $3.00 assessed per student, each semester towards the Women's Centre student levy? This levy increase would support and help expand the services offered by the Women's Centre and any student may obtain a refund through the Women's Centre.

RESULTS:

YES votes: 1480 votes - 74.22%
NO votes: 514 votes - 25.78%

2004 Women's Centre Levy Referendum

Held March 2004

Question
"Do you approve of the addition of a fee of $1.00 a semester per student to the University of Lethbridge tuition fees as of September 2005 to fund the Campus Women's Centre; and the transfer of the above money directly to the Women's Centre,

And that any student who does not wish to support the Campus Women's Centre shall have the opportunity to obtain a refund directly from the Campus Women's Centre."

Results
NO Votes - 24% (186 people)
YES Votes - 76%  (586 people)

2017 World University Service Canada (WUSC) Referendum

QUESTION

Are you in favour of a student levy of $2.00 assessed per student each semester to sponsor the University of Lethbridge Student Refugee Program, through the World University Service of Canada? This program enables a qualified United Nations refugee to resettle and study at the University of Lethbridge.

RESULTS:

YES votes: 1190 votes - 59.77%
NO votes: 801 votes - 40.23%