By Vanessa Broadbent (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 8, 2014
A bus, a blueprint, and a building kept the Student Union Society (SUS) busy at their most recent board meeting. From October 30 to November 4, SUS will hold a referendum to increase shuttle bus service between Chilliwack and Abbotsford, and to expand service to Langley. Students will have the option of increased service between Chilliwack and Abbotsford for $3.50 per semester on top of the existing shuttle fee, and/or add the Abbotsford and Langley route for $5.45 each semester.
SUS believes the increase in shuttle service is necessary; it was noted that at least 85 students are left behind by full buses each week. Should the referendum pass, an extra bus will run in the morning and early afternoon, and the shuttle will run more frequently in the evenings. The service between Abbotsford and downtown Langley would include four to six round trips daily. If the referendum passes, the changes will start in winter 2015.
SUS president Ryan Petersen explained the importance of increasing the service as put forward in the referendum.
“People are aware of this service, and are planning their courses around this service — and realizing that if they live in Chilliwack, they now have a viable means of transportation to Abbotsford and vice versa,” he said.
“The downside is that we’re at full capacity for a lot of the runs, which makes it difficult for those students trying to get to campus to catch their classes.”
SUS is also in the process of creating their 2015-18 strategic plan, also presented at the meeting. Petersen explained how the plan will affect SUS’ decision-making in the future.
“This has been a work in progress for ourselves over the past few months. We’re taking time to figure out what our society is, and where we would like to see it going,” he said.
They also approved a mandate for the purpose of the new Student Union Building (SUB) that will be opening next year. It states that the space will be “dedicated to enhancing the quality of student and campus life, and to fostering a spirit of inquiry.”
“It’s supposed to be a very special and unique place for students, staff, and alumni to go and explore the other avenues [within] post-secondary education,” Petersen explained. “We don’t want it to be another office building. We want it to speak to our membership.”
