Referendum and Referenda

2025-2026 By-Election Referendum Question – Yes Campaign

In the SUO 2025/2026 By-Election, UBC Okanagan graduate students were asked to vote on the referendum question. The following question was brought forward to the Students’ Union, reviewed by the Chief Returning Officer, and approved by the SUO Board of Directors.

Full Referendum Question found here

Graduate Students’ Association Fee (By-election 2025/2026)
YES Campaign – Message to Graduate Students listed below:

Hello Grad Student,

This is a notice that a referendum is coming up soon which will decide the graduate students’ membership in the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) and how their fees are allocated. All graduate students are encouraged to vote. Voting will open at 8:00 AM on October 7th and close at 11:59 PM on October 10th and occur on a secure online platform. The voting link will be emailed to you at the beginning of the voting period. 

The GSA at UBC Okanagan is a democratically run, non-profit society led by graduate students, for graduate students. If the upcoming referendum succeeds, the GSA aims to strengthen advocacy, expand services, and foster more community-building initiatives so that graduate students’ voices are heard, and their academic, professional, and social experiences are supported. 

Currently, graduate student fees are collected by the Students’ Union Okanagan (SUO), which primarily represents and is run by mostly undergraduate students. Each year, graduate students contribute approximately $200,000 in fees to the SUO, but only $30,000 of that total is directly managed by graduate students themselves and spent on graduate student-specific initiatives. The upcoming referendum matters because it gives us the opportunity to redirect these fees to the GSA. This ensures the funding is used to better meet the unique needs of graduate students, shaping resources, representation, and community designed especially for us.

Forming the GSA also brings UBC Okanagan in line with most other universities in Canada, where graduate students manage their own fees and invest directly in services, advocacy, and events that support their graduate student experience. 

You can find the full text of the referendum question and supplementary information here.

We are also holding two info sessions. Please feel free to drop in during the following times if you would like to speak to one of the GSA Directors:

  • In-person: October 8th, 1-2PM. ASC 460 

Continue monitoring your inbox for our emails and follow @GSA.UBCO on Instagram to get reminders on when the voting period begins and additional info that will be sent out in the coming days.

Many grad students have been tirelessly planning, organizing, mobilizing, and negotiating for the past two years to get to this referendum for grad student self-governance and the establishment of the GSA. We encourage you all to vote YES in this referendum!