A deep dive into the arguments for and against the abolition of the CSU GPA requirements
Yasmine Modaresi (she/her) // News Editor
Freya Emery // Illustrator
The Capilano Student Union (CSU) is a democratically run government and the only official student governance organization at Capilano University. A foundational value of the CSU is that it exists to serve CapU students and their interests, making it a body of governance designed by students, for students. The goal is to represent the interests and welfare of the student body as a whole, regardless of whether they are domestic or international, full-time or part-time, or traditional or mature learners. To meet these broad goals, the CSU and its members organize to collectively pursue projects of advocacy work and provide services such as legal aid, academic support, access to clubs, and health and dental plans. They also organize events and activities for the student body. Needless to say, being a member of the CSU is a demanding job to take on, and because of this and other factors, the consensus at the CSU, until recently, was that all candidates for democratic election into the CSU, as well as current members, must maintain a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. However, this long-standing bylaw has recently been unanimously approved for amendment in Fall of 2024.
As a democratic student government, the goal of the CSU is to represent the best interests of the student body. As previously mentioned, this goal includes representing all members of the student body. Although the detailed reasoning behind the appeal to the GPA bylaw is not publicly available, analyzing the nature of student government in the past, and in the present across institutions can provide intriguing insight into the pros and cons of such a change to the current bylaw.
To begin, what exactly inspired this interest in revoking the GPA bylaw? Many students had come forward expressing concern for the bylaw, and requesting that a 2.0 GPA maintenance be removed as a requirement, which is a request that has been considered very carefully. One of the most obvious reasons for this appeal—which was stated as a factor by some of the students advocating that the bylaw be overturned—is that as a democratic organization, the CSU must give all students equal rights in elections and facilitate a system where the student body can decide who their leaders are. With the current bylaw, students who may be desirable leaders to the student body, or possess a range of important skills aside from those related to academia, are automatically disqualified if they fail to meet GPA requirements. As stated in the official appeal draft, “Restricting students to stand in CSU elections on the basis of academic standing is taking a right away from them.”
Despite the very valid concerns of the GPA requirement threatening the democratic foundation of the CSU, there are some benefits to student success that are linked to a minimum GPA requirement. For example, the bylaw encourages a healthy balance of commitments; students who desire to become active in school governance are required to only take on as much as they can handle, thus balancing professional and academic responsibilities. Additionally, CapU strives to maintain a reputation of academic excellence and integrity on par with those of other reputable universities and colleges within the province. However, the bylaw cultivates exclusivity that is not in the interest of democratic organization in student government by excluding capable and passionate individuals from participating in student governance. Minimum GPA requirements can lead to an undervaluing of non-academic skills and experience, such as leadership, communication, networking and organizational skills that are predominantly gained through hands-on experience outside of academic pursuits (e.g., political involvement, volunteering with nonprofits, work experience, etc).
Discussions surrounding the relationship between student leadership experience and academic responsibilities are not unique to the CSU. Whether it is a conversation between a secondary student and their high school academic counsellor, or this current discussion, examining how democratically run student government can maintain internal structure while simultaneously promoting the best interest of students is a topic that is always relevant. The reality is that the proposal to repeal the GPA requirements for student council members and interested individuals within the greater student body presents a plethora of complex issues, both sides of which (i.e. pro versus opposed) can successfully be argued for or against. On January 28th, 2025, the Governance Committee will be hosting a general meeting to discuss the details of the appeal.