By Ben Hoffman
CJSW has asked the Graduate Students’ Association for financial help to continue operation amidst plans to relocate.
The station has brought a referendum question before the GSA to ask graduate students whether they would accept a levy of $4 per student per year. The levy would go towards the station’s operating budget.
“We’ve never had a levy from the grad students,” said CJSW Office Manager Andrew Wedderburn.
Wedderburn said the reason for bringing this to referendum now is the impending office upgrade, which has been in the works for about three years. The upgrade would see the station moved from the MacEwan Student Centre basement to the third floor of the building.
“Because we are planning to expand next year, we’re looking at an $800,000 cost,” he said. “In order to maintain the quality we give to the students, we need to look at ways to get more money.”
The proposed $4 per student per year translates to approximately $16,000 in the budget. The GSA approved the referendum question in January.
“[CJSW station manger Chad Saunders] submitted a proposed referendum question to me, which was then reviewed by my internal standing committee and forwarded to the Graduate Representative Council in our January meeting, where the council approved it to go forward as a referendum question as part of the general election,” said GSA Vice-President Internal Kevin Douglas.
So far, the response to the proposal has been mostly positive.
“As someone who has been a volunteer with CJSW for over three years, I am pleased that they are going to expand into the new space,” said Douglas.
CJSW staff are also optimistic.
“It’s time to move, it’s time to expand,” Wedderburn said. “I hope the graduate students will be excited. Now it’s finally time to move forward.”
The GSA currently hosts the radio show “Piled Higher and Deeper with the GSA” on CJSW Mondays at 8 p.m.