Perhaps the most difficult aspect in starting anything truly new is that there is no rulebook or instruction manual — this is especially the case for starting a new graduate students' union, as the Graduate Students' Association (GSA) has learned over the past two years. Last spring, I wrote about this same effort by the many graduate students working towards this end, looking through their efforts and hopes. Now, from October 7th to 10th, the GSA will finally get their shot.

After extensive discussions and negotiations with the Students' Union Okanagan, a referendum is soon to be held among graduate students as to whether they should separate from the SUO and form their own students' organization: the GSA. The reason for the lengthy negotiations are because the SUO currently provides several services to all students, chief among them being the transit U-Pass and the SUO's dental healthcare provisions. As the GSA hopes to maintain access to those services, not to mention for graduate students to still be able to attend certain SUO events, negotiations have been ongoing to see that the GSA can help to cover the costs for these events and services.

Another part of those negotiations has been ensuring that the GSA is a democratic organization, ensuring elections for leadership not unlike the SUO, and ensuring that a GSA would actually be fiscally viable. More on that, I spoke with the president of the SUO, Peter Idoko. Here is an abbreviated version of that conversation after exchanging the typical pleasantries:

Quinlin Osadczuk: This is an unprecedented event, for a new graduate students’ union to be formed like this. What are your thoughts on everything happening as of now?

Peter Idoko: I agree that this event is unprecedented for our campus, but it is by no means a unique situation to our campus. While we have enjoyed having graduate students be a part of our Students' Union for our many years of existence, there are many examples across the country where graduate students have a separate union from undergraduate students. This gives them an opportunity to represent graduate students' needs from an informed perspective, an advantage that the SUO as a dominantly undergraduate organization frankly struggles to do. I think this change was bound to happen with the rapid growth in our student population and I think it goes to further demonstrate the intention of our students to step into leadership roles to make the most of the UBC experience for all students at the Okanagan.

QO: ⁠Obviously there have been programs for graduate students up until now — can you tell me what those have been like, and how a new GSA might affect that going forward?

PI: Our primary programs for graduate students have been through involvement in our GSC and other graduate student clubs. Currently, graduate students have access to all SUO services; resource centres, health and dental, and programming to name a few. Upon separation, GSA members will become affiliate members of the SUO which will grant them access to some of the services they currently have as SUO members. Because the GSA is still new, we are working closely with GSA leadership to ensure GSA members are still taken care of through this affiliate membership. We intend to continue to work closely with GSA to ensure no student is put in a difficult situation should the referendum pass.

QO:⁠ What has the SUO done with relation to the GSA up to now? What has that process been like?

PI: We have had frequent meetings with the GSA to build a strong working relationship and understand the implications should the referendum pass. It has been easygoing so far and the GSA has caused us no problems so far. Other than that, we haven't been overly involved in the GSA as we are focused on our initiatives and business this year. As described in our Action Plan, we are determined to make this the best SUO year for students since our inception. As such, we have been working with everyone, including the GSA to achieve that mandate!

QO: Thank you. Do you have any closing remarks?

PI: Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, the SUO remains committed to serving ALL students at UBC Okanagan. We encourage students (undergrad and grad) who are interested to go to one of the information sessions hosted by the GSA to learn more about the referendum.

Of course, I write this article with a perhaps unique perspective: as a faculty representative for the SUO, I have had the privilege of following this development for quite some time, having met a then-director of the GSA almost by accident, that person being Scarlett MacPherson. Following the interview with herself and other directors of the GSA, I kept in touch, following the matter first as tacit interest, then as a matter of fulfilling my job description in the SUO. To get a better idea of the GSA's intent, its goals, and how it would lead as an organization should it be established — presuming they would win — I reached out to Scarlett. Here is an abbreviated version of that conversation:

QO: I last spoke with you some months ago about the GSA’s journey to be an independent organization — with a referendum now in progress, that goal seems closer than ever. Can you tell me about that journey?

Scarlett MacPherson: The journey for graduate students at UBCO to have an opportunity to vote on how their fees are used has been years in the making. From the tireless work of my co-founding Directors Brontë Shelton and Yazdan Gordanpour, to my five current co-Directors Joud, Shav, Bunmi, Ghulam, and Pronob - so many people have put in countless hours of work. I would also like to thank Dale Mullings and the SUO Board of Directors' for their support in this process. Now that the voting for the referendum has begun, the choice belongs to the graduate students.

QO: ⁠What are your goals for the GSA? How will you be different from the SUO?

SM: The goals of the GSA are entirely dependent on what graduate students want from the organization. This also ties into how the GSA differs from the SUO; undergraduate and graduate students are different: our programs are different from each other, on average we are at different stages of life, and we have different priorities. This is the primary reason why we've fought so hard for graduate students to have the chance to vote on this — so graduate students can self-determine what services are most needed for graduate students.

QO: ⁠What will you do to ensure the GSA works well going forward?

SM: We have plans for the future governance structure of the GSA, however all of this will be voted on by graduate students. Our Board doesn't make decisions behind closed doors. We endeavour to involve our members in every step of the decision making process.

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It was a nice conversation, though I have cut out the pleasantries-- as the referendum has grown closer and closer, Scarlett has found herself and her board working double-time to campaign in favour of the GSA, having just left one meeting and along the way to another when I saw her last.

Of course, the process of starting such an organization as this has been a long road for the many graduate students that have been involved in this process. During the SUO board meeting where the referendum was approved, genuine tears of joy were shed. What has been made especially clear to me over the course of the past few months in following this project has been the personal nature of it all; speaking with individual volunteers and people involved in the GSA has been more of an emotional ordeal than I'd anticipated. In an era where it can be hard to maintain faith in civic service and institutions, it was heartening beyond description to know that such vast groups of students were willing to work through the SUO to make something new. Perhaps it is sentimental, but it is also real.

As the referendum will remain open until October 10th, I implore you not just to vote, but to learn more about this decision before you do — so long as you're a graduate student, as they're the only eligible voters in this case. Even still, taking the time to learn more about the resources available to you is one of the best things you can do as a student.

Then again, I am a little biased.