After a duplicate posting occurred with a batch of funding allocations, clubs and course unions are expected to pay back debts to the UVSS
Photo by Aurora Campbell.
On April 22, the UVic Writing Undergraduate Course Union (UWUCU) received an email from the UVSS, informing them of an accounting error that left their account overdrawn by $590.69, former UWUCU President Brendon McCallum said.
McCallum says this came after he had turned the course union over to his successor, Riley Stiller, and only 12 days after all deposits and withdrawals for the Spring term were supposed to have been complete.
Each semester, clubs and course unions receive base funding from the UVSS — typically between $200-300. On top of that, groups are able to apply for additional funding such as travel pools or special grants.
In a statement to the Martlet, UVSS General Manager Dale Robertson explained that a duplicate posting occurred with a batch of spring funding allocations, resulting in various clubs and course unions being recorded as having received two payments instead of one.
On March 18, he said there was an administrative processing error which was only identified in mid-April. The exact number and names of clubs and course unions affected remains unclear, however there were 21 duplicate postings.
While Robertson said that most affected groups had not yet spent beyond their initial amounts of approved funding, a small number of groups had negative balances in their accounts as a result of the error. The negative balances ranged between “under $100 to approximately $600.”
This Side of West (TSOW) received a similar email on April 22, informing them of the negative account balance. Later, Robertson specified that TSOW had a credit of $300 that had been duplicated. To correct this, the club was left owing the UVSS $300.
Robertson told the Martlet that the remaining clubs and course unions that owe a sum of money to the UVSS have been “provided with flexible options to resolve their balances.”
These include applying for future semester funding, returning uncashed or pending cheques, and using funds generated by their own activities.
However, McCallum said he is frustrated with the situation.
“The UVSS made a mistake, and the course union is now on the hook to balance their books,” McCallum said.
The UVSS declined to comment on who is responsible for the error, but said it was “administrative” in nature and had been addressed internally.
TSOW and the UWUCU were both encouraged to ratify themselves and apply for funding over the summer term that could be put toward resolving the balances. TSOW was able to do so. The UWUCU was not on the list of course unions ratified on the May 11 Board of Directors meeting
Robertson said that only one course union is expecting to remain with a negative balance entering the Fall term, stating that they did not apply for ratification in time to be given Summer base funding.
While the options presented may resolve the club’s debts, they may affect certain clubs’ ability to operate normally next year.
“This accounting error could leave the UWUCU with no funding in the 2026/2027 school year,” said McCallum. The UWUCU is a brand-new course union striving to establish legitimacy, he said, adding that “this could be a major detriment.”
McCallum said that he feels poorly about turning over a course union that is “now saddled with debt even though no accounting error was made by [himself] or the other signing bodies.”
Robertson said that the “UVSS takes financial accuracy seriously and addressed the issue promptly once it was identified through reconciliation.”
He said that they are “reviewing internal procedures and strengthening account monitoring processes” to reduce the likelihood of any similar occurrences of similar issues.
