ksaleaks

The Kwantlen Student Association's (KSA) recent proposal to raise student fees for the Gallivan health and dental plan underscores a troubling pattern of financial mismanagement and questionable governance that demands serious scrutiny.

According to reporting by The Runner (runnermag.ca, July 2025), the KSA attributes the proposed fee increase to rising student claims and declining enrollment. However, consistently resorting to student wallets as the immediate solution to financial shortfalls bypasses deeper management accountability and spending discipline within the organization.

Significant expenditures continue to be directed toward discretionary events, such as movie screenings, religious celebrations, and club appreciation initiatives. Recent examples include over $6,200 spent on food and promotional items for a single event, alongside thousands more across similar activities. While promoting student life is important, prioritizing such spending amid planned fee hikes reveals a lack of financial prudence and insensitivity to students already burdened by escalating tuition and living expenses.

During a hard-won question period at the KSA’s last Annual General Meeting on March 28, 2025, students like current-sitting KPU Senate student representative Sheena Dela Torre raised valid concerns that student life events disproportionately favoured certain cultural and religious groups—particularly Punjabi, Hindi, and Muslim celebrations—while neglecting traditional Canadian holidays and other less-visible minority groups, such as Filipino, Spanish, and First Nations communities. This selective approach has inadvertently alienated many students, undermining genuine campus inclusivity.

Equally concerning is the KSA's track record in staffing key management roles with unqualified or ineffective candidates. Former Student Services Manager Yakshit Shetty was recently dismissed under unclear circumstances, raising legitimate questions about the transparency and fairness of hiring and termination processes. Our sources indicate Shetty may have received a substantial severance payout due to clauses related to unjust dismissal—once again highlighting irresponsible management of student funds.

Similarly troubling is Executive Director Timothii Ragavan’s reported inflated compensation package, despite delivering minimal tangible benefits to students or organizational stability. The secrecy around managerial compensation, financed entirely by students, is indefensible—particularly given Ragavan’s background as a CPA candidate, a profession expected to uphold stringent ethical standards.

As an aside, it is also interesting to note that Mr. Ragavan’s CPA candidacy status on LinkedIn has changed from being a CPA Canada candidate with CPA Ontario with an expected completion date of September 2023 to now 2029.

Multiple insider sources further inform us that these managerial appointments seem designed more to maintain internal political dynamics and the board’s status quo rather than genuinely improving student services or campus life.

Students at Kwantlen Polytechnic University deserve a student association that demonstrates genuine fiscal discipline and transparency. Before contemplating fee increases, the KSA should:

1. Rigorously review internal expenditures.

2. Reevaluate the compensation and effectiveness of its management team, and

3. Prioritize spending that directly enhances student welfare and educational outcomes.

Ultimately, the Kwantlen Student Association's responsibility is to represent students and support them from undue financial hardship, not to exacerbate it through avoidable fee hikes. A referendum for higher student fees should be a last resort after all other budgetary solutions have been responsibly explored and exhausted.

— 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.