The annual Student Budget Consultation is a critical part of how the Student Caucus works to ensure students have a voice in shaping our university.
Like most things in life, making change at TRU requires resources, and that requires being a part of the budget process. Each year, your budget priorities and service expectations are gathered through a two-stage consultation. A comprehensive survey records your opinions of and priorities from a wide range of your experiences, and a Town Hall let us ask you about key priorities in depth.
These priorities are compiled in a Report on the Student Budget Consultation and presented to university administration. The administration reviews the recommendations and distributes them to the responsible departments. Those departments must consider those recommendations when developing their annual budget requests and service plans. That means that your concerns are built into budget development – right from the start!
Current Recommendations
The following chart represents the recommendations made by students in the 2018/19 Student Budget Consultation and the progress that has been made in addressing these recommendations by Thompson Rivers University.
Parking
Response Status
1. Monitor and report on the implementation of the Sustainable Parking Framework and pricing rates and structures in terms of the effect on total single-occupancy vehicle use, demand management, and shifts to use of alternative transportation options;
3. Reconsider rate increases and investigate pricing rate, structure, and augmentation options that are more flexible to needs and sensitive to affordability and fairness;
1. Monitor and report on the implementation of the actions identified in the Food Services Response to TRUSU in terms of the effect on the expansion of food options in the form of food trucks and the redevelopment of existing outlets, on the provision of dietary accommodation and nutritional information, on the extension of hours of operation, and on the promptness of food service; and
1. Increase awareness and use of financial supports through both advertising and integrated communications and administration in related departments and processes;
4. Continue and report on the audit of financial aid offerings, and maintain a partnership with the Students’ Union to undertake a study of financial need amongst potential students in the region that TRU serves
1. Establish a comprehensive system of textbooks on reserve in the Library with sufficient copies to meet demand by investigating alternative funding arrangements such as Faculty or departmental budgets;
2. Establish an Open Textbook Grants Program, in development by a multi-stakeholder group, for instructors to create and adapt open educational resources for use in courses
2. Audit current food service offerings and develop plans to address nutritional deficiencies and establish a minimal standard for accommodation of dietary restrictions, traditions, and choices;
1. Increase awareness and use of financial supports through both advertising and integrated communications and administration in related departments and processes;
2. Create a multi-year classroom maintenance and upgrade plan that prioritizes classrooms and buildings to be addressed in order to ensure a comparable quality of learning environments for all students;
3. Audit the current stock of classroom equipment and technology for comparison against usage and needs and develops a management plan(s) for distribution, removal, and procurement;
4. Audit the current stock of classroom seating and develops a management plan(s) for distribution and replacement and immediately replaces any seating that fails to meet a minimal standard of quality for health and safety; and
The following chart represents the recommendations made by students in the 2016/17 Student Budget Consultation and the progress that has been made in addressing these recommendations by Thompson Rivers University.
Course Offerings
Commitment
Action
1. Offer courses in a transparent, sufficiently frequent, and reliable manner throughout all three semesters; that is coherent with program progression; and that facilitates effective student course planning
No Response
No Action
Academic Advising
Commitment
Action
1. Comprehensively and fundamentally review the provision of academic advising services
