Holding an SRP Referendum
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Tips and strategies for holding an SRP referendum
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Holding an SRP Referendum
- 1. Planning a Referendum January 6 th , 2010 Michelle Manks and Robyn Plasterer
- 7. A look at levies by Institution Size Size of Institution Average length of sponsorship (years) Percentage who have levies Average Levy amount ($) 0 – 3500 1.4 94% $5.07 3500 – 9,999 1.39 89% 2.59 10,000 – 20,000 1.53 87% $1.58 +20,000 2.2 93.3% 2.21
- 8. A look at Levies by Region Region # of students sponsored % of institutions that have levies AVG levy amount ($) West and Prairies 12 93.9% $ 3.14 Atlantic 9 100% $ 3.42 Ontario and Quebec 32 87.5% $ 2.89
- 13. Managing the Funds Before passing the levy, establish an agreement about how the funds will be managed: - Will the LC receive a lump cheque for the money at the beginning of each semester, or will the funds be managed by the administration or student union? Make sure to establish written agreements about this, so that when the money rolls in, you can be accountable and transparent to the student body with regards to how the money is spent.
- 15. Know the rules!! There are a lot of rules surrounding referendum campaigning, and it’s really important that you stick to them because you risk having the question taken off the ballot and disqualification. Referendum questions are thrown out regularly and you need to be careful.
- 27. Questions?
Editor's Notes
- This year many students in Canada will be asked to vote for more than just the federal election! Spring is the time when many sponsoring groups go to referendum with their student body in order to adopt or raise levies to support the Student Refugee Program. Student levies are an extremely effective way to continually raise funds to sponsor refugee students….and it looks like many of you have already figured this out! The number of sponsoring groups that have passed referendums for SRP has increased from 25% in 1998 to 85% in 2005.
- A referendum is a written question that is directed to all students, asking them if they will agree with a compulsory levy to be added to their annual student fees. You can think of the levy operating like a student tax. Just as our government collects taxes, the student government usually collects and administers the SRP student levy. The benefits of a student levy go beyond guaranteeing financial resources every year. It is a model that demonstrates how students can support students. A levy is a tangible way that each student can assist a refugee to continue their studies in safety and security. Furthermore, once a student levy is in place, it is common for local committees to go to referendum again to increase the levy if the needs of the program increase or if they want to sponsor another student.
- The amount of your proposed levy will depend on the population of your campus and what other sources of revenue you have. Annual levies across Canada range from $0.50 per student to $12 per student. Obviously, smaller campuses will need to have a higher levy to raise the same amount of support. It is important to consider how part-time students will be involved in the levy as well. - Don’t want to ask for too much – that you won’t be able to spend – or too little, which won’t give you enough funds for sponsorship.
- How you ask the referendum question is extremely important. Ideally, all of your outreach and education will be done ahead of time, so at the polls the question should be clear and concise stating the amount of the levy, how it will be used (SRP) and by whom (WUSC). The question you wish to appear on the ballot will also need to be approved by the student government. Also, make sure that your proposed question does not jeopardize your existing SRP levy . Should your referendum campaign fail, you don’t want to undermine any existing support that you have already secured!
- Often a referendum will take place in conjunction with the election for student government. This usually happens in the spring before classes end for the term. Hosting the referendum during student elections can save you money from hosting the election and get more students out to vote! What might be the pros or cons of holding your referendum at the same time as the election for student government? When would your referendum question be most likely to pass? What facts would influence its success?
- Ask your sponsored student if they would like to participate. We don’t want to pressure sponsored students into becoming engaged, but often they are the most passionate advocates for the program and they want to see the program increase its capacity. They may want to play a high profile role such as speaking at a public information session, or a less public role such as providing some personal statements for a campus article.
- The key to winning a referendum campaign is communicating your message, building a support base and ensuring that they come out and vote on Election Day! Since time and energy is limited it is important to identify your potential supporters and connect with them early on. Who is most likely to support these issues? Are there other campus clubs or academic departments to support you?
- Some of these can be strictly campaigning, and others can be awareness raising strategies – keep in mind rules about when and where you can campaign! - Set up information booths in strategic locations where there is high traffic of students. - Create a small handbill or card explaining the issue clearly (and briefly) so people can take it with them when they vote.
- Class presentations: Focus on faculties that have large populations of students, who you think would be favourable to the referendum; Ask a professor’s permission to speak briefly before a class starts; Distribute handbills in classes. Sponsored student presentations: If your student(s) are comfortable doing this, allow them to describe how SRP has impacted their life.
- Be prepared to answer difficult questions! Think through your arguments carefully, and make sure that your campaigners are aware of how to respond.