URSU must vacate campus office, commercial space after U of R terminates lease
'As a result of the University's loss of confidence in URSU's ability to serve and represent students, additional steps have been taken heading into fall,' U of R president Jeff Keshen said in a statement posted on Facebook Friday afternoon. 'Effective immediately, the university has terminated its main lease agreements with URSU, meaning URSU leadership is required to vacate office and commercial space it occupies on campus.'
URSU, with on-campus office space on the second floor of the Riddell Centre building, also managed the multi-purpose room space and the Lazy Owl bar and restaurant below.
The Lazy Owl will be closed until further notice and the university's hospitality services unit will take over the booking of the multi-purpose room space, according to the statement.
'Existing tenants – including Extreme Pita and Gong Cha, Campus Dentist, the Carillon, the Women's Centre, UR Pride, the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG), Engineers Without Borders, and World University Service of Canada (WUSC) – will continue to operate in their premises,' Keshen said in the statement.
Conflict continues
This is the latest development in the ongoing conflict between the university and its students' union, which became public earlier this year.
The U of R stopped providing student levies to URSU on Jan. 1, 2025, after it said it attempted to engage URSU's board and management to resolve its financial issues during the previous year.
URSU's most recent audited financials from 2023-24 show a $1.36-million operating deficit, which has been growing since 2021.
On April 2, Keshen announced plans to terminate the university's fee agreement with URSU as of Aug. 31 due to concerns about financials and 'a loss of confidence' in the students' union.
The fee agreement has been in place since 1989.
On April 24, URSU filed a lawsuit against the university in an attempt to force the delivery of 2025 student fees and pause the termination of the fee agreement until the legal dispute was settled.
Last week, Regina's Court of King's Bench dismissed the students' union's request.
Core student services to continue, says U of R
In Friday's statement, the U of R reiterated it won't be disbursing funding to URSU for the fall semester and 'has processes in place to ensure core student services (including health and dental benefits, and U-Pass) continue without disruption.'
The students' union has historically also distributed funding to various student groups and associations. The statement said the university will ensure that the organizations 'that rely on student fees for their ongoing operations' will get them.
'The university remains committed to working with student leadership that demonstrates a commitment to good governance and sound financial management in the best interest of students,' Keshen said in the statement. 'We encourage students to get involved and to make the changes necessary to result in an effective and accountable student representative organization.'
Related
Court denies injunction to force U of R into paying URSU student fees
A timeline of events between the U of R Women's Centre, UR Pride and URSU
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