Kwantlen students fund the Kwantlen Student Association with the expectation that when their money is spent, it produces something concrete: better services, stronger advocacy, or at the very least, clear outcomes we can evaluate.

That expectation matters when tens of thousands of dollars are spent on travel.

In late 2025, the KSA approved up to $35,000 in student funds for travel tied to external meetings in Toronto and Montreal. The respective delegations were:

Toronto (Canadian Federation of Students National General Meeting):

• Gurdit Singh (Faculty of Business Representative)
• Rohit Uppal (Faculty of Science and Horticulture Representative)
• Jagjivan Sran (Faculty of Arts Representative)
• Shawinderdeep Singh (Associate President)

Montreal (and Toronto external meetings following the conference):

• Paramvir Singh (President & Vice-President University Affairs)
• Harpal Singh (Vice-President External Affairs)
• Amanpreet Singh (Arts Representative)

That money covered flights, hotels, meals, and conference costs. Travel isn’t free, and no one is pretending advocating for student rights on a federal level and building relationships with other student organizations isn’t important… but once you cross into five-figure spending, the burden of proof shifts. Students are entitled to ask a simple question:

1. What was the ROI (return on investment)?

So far, the public answer has been underwhelming.

When council later discussed the Montreal visit, including meetings at Université de Montréal, the description boiled down to visiting offices, asking about services, and “having a chat.” When asked who exactly was met with, the response was vague enough to raise eyebrows. No clear organization. No named contacts. No documented takeaways that students can point to and say, this was meaningful.

That’s not a report. That’s a lazy travel recap.

If KSA representatives are travelling across the country on student money, meaningful post-trip reporting should be automatic, not optional. At minimum, students should see:

• who was met with (names, roles, organizations),
• what specific practices or policies were learned,
• what concrete actions will be implemented at KPU as a result.

Without that, “external advocacy” becomes impossible to distinguish from networking tourism.

The scale of the spending makes the lack of detail worse. $35,000 is not pocket change. That money could fund multiple clubs, campus events, emergency bursaries, or mental-health programming. When it’s instead used to “visit offices and chat,” students deserve to know why that was the best use of their fees, and what came out of it.

To clarify the claims made during council discussions, we have reached out to relevant organizations, including student bodies at Université de Montréal and its student association FAECUM (FAÉCUM) and the Canadian Federation of Students, to corroborate what meetings took place and what they involved. That kind of verification shouldn’t be necessary. The KSA itself should be providing that clarity proactively.

We must demand better standards from our representatives and executives at the Kwantlen Student Association.

Student representation isn’t measured by how far you travel or how many conferences you attend. It’s measured by what you bring back: in writing, in outcomes, and in changes students can actually feel.

Right now, the disconnect between the money spent and the substance reported is too wide to ignore. And until that gap is closed, KPU students are left asking a fair question:

Are our student fees funding advocacy, or just vacations?

Discuss...

— A Concerned KPU Student

Your words do carry weight. When used with intent, they can shift policies, spark dialogue, and protect what matters. 📩 Email KSA and KPU today.