2025-2026 By-Election Referendum Question

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.

Graduate Students’ Association Fee (By-election 2025/2026)

The question reads as follows:

Are you in favour of graduate students, effective January 1, 2026, becoming members of the Graduate Students’ Association at the Okanagan Campus (“GSA”), and no longer being regular members of the Students Union of UBC Okanagan (“SUO”), subject to the following terms:

The SUO will cease collecting the current SUO Operating Fee of $9.70/credit (full-time student equivalent $174.60/year) from graduate students.

The GSA will begin collecting a GSA Operating Fee equivalent to the current SUO Operating Fee from graduate students ($9.70/credit or full-time student equivalent $174.60/year).

As members of the GSA, graduate students will hold affiliate membership status with the SUO.

The SUO and GSA will ensure that graduate students continue to have uninterrupted access to the SUO extended Health and Dental insurance programs and the SUO U-PASS.  There will be no changes to the method of calculation of the existing SUO extended Health & Dental plan, and SUO U-PASS fees.

As affiliate members of SUO, graduate students will have access to extended Health & Dental plan, and U-PASS services offered by SUO.  As affiliate members of SUO, graduate students will not be entitled to any other SUO services (including but not limited to SUO-organized events, SUO Pantry, SUO Student Association Support, Student Advocate Office, SUO Resource Centres) unless the GSA and SUO agree that SUO will provide any or some of these services to GSA members under contract.  The GSA will make best efforts to provide similar services if the GSA and the SUO fail to reach an agreement on the provision of these services under contract.  Graduate students will no longer participate in the governance of the SUO.

There will be no other changes to the fees paid by graduate students and the total fees currently paid by the graduate students will not increase. Any future fee adjustments, if required, would follow the GSA bylaw requirements. The GSA Operating Fee will be adjusted annually by the British Columbia Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Yes____ No_____

Referendum Results
Votes were calculated by UBC using Simply Voting on October 14th, 2025
Yes: 434 votes
No: 23 votes

Total: 457 votes

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the SUO Chief Returning Officer, chiefreturningofficer@suo.ca