On Campus

Lakehead student reps can’t vote on tuition

Board chair cites conflict of interest rules

Are tuition hikes a “conflict of interest” for students who represent their peers? The chair of the Lakehead University Board of Governors certainly thinks so. A new bylaw requires the three student representatives to leave the room when changes to tuition are discussed and voted upon.

Michael Snoddon, president of the Lakehead University Student Union, thinks that the new bylaw—an apparent oddity among university boards—is unfair. “I think that this change in the conflict of interest bylaw silences students,” he told CBC News. He says LUSU may ask for a judicial review.

Colin Bruce, the chair of the board, said that the new conflict of interest bylaw covers all board members and was developed with legal advice. He said, “any solid reading of conflict of interest will tell you you cannot vote on something in which you have a financial interest.”

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