the journal Queen’s University
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Vol. 153, Issue 27
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F r i day , m a r c h 2 7 , 2 0 2 6
Campus Radio raises AMS budget deficit balloons to concerns over AMS over $850K in nine-month update referendum process Queen’s Pub
Station says communication, oversight, and transparency issues put its student fee at risk E mmet P aradis Assistant News Editor CFRC 101.9 FM is calling for greater transparency in how the AMS runs referenda after narrowly renewing its optional student fee in Fall 2025. In an interview with The Journal, Dinah Jansen, executive director of CFRC, Queen’s campus and community radio station, said the station isn’t trying to frame the issue as a dispute solely between CFRC and the AMS, but as a broader concern about how referenda were administered. “The lack of organization, the lack of personnel, the lack of training, the lack of communication, the lack of working forms, everything was really just a gong show,” Jansen said. CFRC receives funding through an optional AMS student fee of $8.22. Jansen said the station passed its most recent fee renewal by a narrow margin, at just over 52 per cent, and would’ve faced an existential threat if it had failed. “We’re the longest running campus station globally, the second oldest radio station in Canada, we would ultimately have to wrap up our operations probably after a year,” she said. Jansen said CFRC had wanted to undergo its triennial review in the winter 2026 referendum cycle but was told in August 2025 that all groups under triennial review would be required to participate in the fall referendum instead. In a timeline document shared with The Journal, CFRC said it raised concerns at the time that fall campaigns historically see lower turnout, which increases the percentage of “yes” votes required to meet approval thresholds. She said this put the station at an “existential risk” because a failed renewal wouldn’t have guaranteed another chance in the winter cycle and could’ve forced the station to attempt the more difficult process of establishing a brand-new fee. The same document alleges that the station later discovered 11 triennial review groups appeared in the winter 2026 cycle, despite CFRC having been told by the AMS that all such groups would run in the fall. Story continued on page 2... OPINIONS Nolan Su-Hackett: Chat, are we cooked?
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including working to increase QP’s presence on campus, considering improvements to how the Pub’s physical space looks, and other factors within their control. In addition to QP, clothing store Society 58, formerly known as Tricolour Outlet, also J onathan R eilly underperformed its projections. Senior News Editor Expecting a $19 surplus at the end of April, the service has veered off The AMS’ budget is falling short its expectations and is in a $72,000 of projections, with recent deficit as of Jan. 31. financial figures suggesting lower Nurzynski explained this student engagement with services deficit was due to an expectation than expected. of increased sales that ultimately Announced in an updated didn’t materialize. They projected report on the AMS’ finances this sales increase given their new during the Corporate Annual location on campus, moving from General Meeting on March 24, a garage tucked near the bottom Vice-President (Operations) Elena of campus into the JDUC, which is Nurzynski explained that between located near student hot-spots such May 1, 2025, and Jan. 31 of this year, as the ARC and Stauffer Library. the Society ran a $852,202 deficit. “We were optimistic that [that This nine-month check-in figure our new space] was going to draw is already over $300,000 higher higher foot traffic to our service, than what the AMS and we had high originally projected expectations to end the year at. with our sales. Nurzynski, They didn’t along with AMS materialize President-elect the way that and current Board we were of Directors Chair anticipating,” Dreyden George, Nurzynski said. sat down with G e o r g e The Journal to added that discuss what’s the biggest GRAHPIC BY CLAIRE BAK declines have leading to the Chart depicting the projected deficit and actual deficit. current financial been in clothing picture, and why it differs from the “We are evaluating the business and merchandise sales, but said projections. model on an ongoing basis and lower supplier and delivery costs The pair explained that much making sure that this is a business have helped offset much of the of the discrepancy between the that makes sense for the AMS to revenue loss, leaving Society 58’s budget and the current financial have, and that it’s one that students overall financial picture healthier state reflects the outdated data the want and feel good about having on than QP’s. AMS had access to when creating campus,” Nurzynski said. AMS-run coffee shop CoGro their budgets. She added that there’s been is also projecting an increased Of the $852,202 deficit, increased engagement with deficit. As of Jan. 31, the service $570,777 can be attributed to the the Food Bank, which suggests is in a $92,441 deficit, down from newly revitalized Queen’s Pub student wallets in general may the $559 surplus projection at the (QP), which initially projected a be tighter, leaving less room for beginning of the year. $13,382 year-end surplus at the extra spending. The pair explained that the beginning of the year. Nurzynski Aside from external factors, reopening of The Brew likely shifted said this projection was made using George highlighted there are some customer traffic and sales five-year-old data—when the pub still “soft goals” the AMS can away from CoGro, and there wasn’t was last open—but things have undertake to tackle the deficit, enough reliable historical data to
shortfall comprises more than half the Society’s overall deficit
changed since then. “There were some factors that were unknown. Student drinking patterns on campus, how Queen’s alcohol policy would impact our pub operations, how the pub would financially compete against off-campus competitors, these were things that we couldn’t necessarily predict until we saw our first year actually open and operating,” Nurzynski said. George explained that QP’s financial difficulties became clear at the end of October, as the Board didn’t want to judge the summer months or the beginning of the school year too harshly. Once identifying there was an issue, the Board brought forward its concerns in November, leading QP to begin employing cost-cutting measures. These included adjusting the hours of staff, working to get better deals with vendors, and saving on other miscellaneous expenses.
BREAKING: FAS Interim Dean Bob Lemieux prematurely departs Queen’s
Principal appoint Bill Nelson to fill the role
Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane announced in the Queen’s Gazette that Bob Lemieux concluded his term as Interim Dean of the FAS at the end of the day. Bill Nelson M eghrig M ilkon currently the FAS associate Editor in Chief dean (teaching and learning) and responsible for University With four months left in his term Quality Assurance Processes, and no permanent dean in sight, the experiential learning, and learning Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) is outcomes, and also a professor of turning to its second interim leader. Population Ecology in the Biology On March 26, Principal and department—will serve as Interim Dean until a permanent Dean is EDITORIALS appointed, expected by July 2026. Journal Editorial Board: “I would like to thank Dean Poilievre’s podcast Lemieux for his contributions to the appearance fuels division and university and to the Faculty of Arts undermines accountability and Science over the past year and a half,” Deane said in the Gazette @queensjournal
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statement. The University didn’t specify the reasons for Lemieux’s departure in the Gazette article. Appointed Interim Dean of FAS on Aug. 1, 2024, Lemieux has led the University through its budget deficit, the PSAC 901 strike, and a series of town halls addressing FAS budget concerns with students. The search for a permanent dean for the FAS is expected to be completed this summer, with a dean hired by July 2026. This is a developing story and will be updated…
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Situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.
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Since 1873
NEWS Yael Rusonik: Students voice concerns over transparency and equity in selecting a new SPS director FEATURES Marijka Vernooy: The Mansion’s sudden closure leaves employees and student groups
SPORTS Noah Cyr: Men’s Hockey season ends in USports National quater final ARTS & CULTURE Daniel Gill-Sitoski: Queen’s Theatre Troup’s “Death Trap” balances comedy and suspense with precision budget accurately for how the two services would perform separately. Before The Brew closed in 2020, both operations shared one budget, so this was the first year in five years that they were running side by side under a different budget structure. On a broader note, Nurzynski admitted that they had “an aggressive budget” this year, but explained they now have much more solid data to go off of moving forward. “We’ve gotten a better understanding of student spending habits, how students interact with the pub, and what events students are interested in seeing. [...] I’m definitely optimistic that next year’s budget will inevitably reflect a more realistic budget model than, maybe necessarily, what we have for this year,” Nurzynski said. The update wasn’t all bad for the AMS, though. The Orientation Roundtable (ORT) portfolio actuals were under budget by roughly $70,000, largely due to cost-saving measures surrounding uniforms, room rentals, and staff training. The AMS also ended up receiving more in investment returns than expected. George explained the AMS had budgeted for about $348,000 in returns, but by Jan. 30, their actual market returns were $934,986. With this revenue, the AMS ran a $82,784 surplus from May to January when the deficit was subtracted. He explained this was mainly because foreign market returns were stronger than expected, and those are especially hard to predict because they depend not just on how investments perform, but also on currency exchange rates when money is invested outside Canada. As a result, the stronger-than expected returns helped offset the operating deficit and turned theAMS’s overall financial position into a net surplus rather than a net deficit as of Jan. 31.
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