Last week the Dalhousie Student Union attempted to hold its annual general meeting and barely got past approving the agenda.Ā A procedural debate broke out, fuelled by tensions over a series of motions put forward by a student group known as SMAC ā ā that sought to address issues such as corporate contracts and advertising on campus and whether the DSU should take an active anti-war stance. Critics of the motions blamed the chaotic AGM on the leadership of NSPIRG (Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group) and tabled a counter-motion that would see the non-profit organization ā which is largely funded by a student levy ā vacate the SUB, terminate non-Dal staff and apologize to the union.
This motion, along with the others, will be voted on when the AGM reconvenes on April 1 (no joke). In the meantime, the fate of NSPIRG has become a hot-button issue on campus. A group called āStop NSPIRGā has launched a petition, and a with over 320 members, all seeking to question whether NSPIRG should receive student funding. NSPIRG, in response, has outlined their own response to the challenges .
Whatās your take? Should NSPIRG continue to receive funding from Dal students? Do the organizationās interests continue to align with the interests of students in general?