Engineers Without Borders sent to referendum over financial concerns

EWB is officially heading back to referendum following concerns over budget transparency and financial oversight

The McMaster Students Union Student Representative Assembly voted unanimously on Nov. 17, 2024, to send Engineers Without Borders McMaster to referendum after citing significant concerns about the organization’s financial practices and operational oversight under Bylaw 9. The vote is set to coincide with the 2024-2025 presidential election.

A memorandum from the Associate Vice-President of Academic Planning and Finance Maheera Choudhury on Nov. 3, 2024, outlined concerns about EWB's operations.

Key issues included the lack of guaranteed benefits for McMaster students despite a $12,500 contribution to Engineers Without Borders Canada’s fellowship program, which selects fellows from universities across Canada. EWB also faced a four-month delay in accessing its bank accounts, raising questions about financial oversight.

Each McMaster undergraduate student currently pays $0.41 into the group.

The committee noted that the group did not provide accurate financial figures for 2022-2023 and failed to present a concrete plan for reallocating funds previously reserved for the now-paused fellowship program. EWB was also sent to referendum that year, facing similar concerns of financial oversights.

At an SRA meeting on Nov. 3, 2024, EWB Co-Presidents Elizabeth Yorke and Gopal Uppalapati presented their budget plans for 2024-2025 in compliance with Bylaw 9.

In the meeting, Yorke claimed that the fellowship program had been paused due to restructuring at EWB Canada. To address the gap, the co-presidents proposed alternative uses for the budget, including charity events, case competitions, local field trips and sustainability workshops. The presentation lacked a cohesive budget plan.

At the Nov. 17, 2024, SRA meeting, Declan Sweeney, McMaster Students Union vice-president (finance), emphasized the finance committee’s stance that EWB had failed to meet key criteria for financial transparency, responsibility, and adherence to its mandate. Sweeney reiterated concerns raised in a Nov. 8, 2024 letter and urged SRA members to prioritize accountability for student groups funded through Bylaw 9.

During the meeting, MSU President Jovan Popovic, echoed these concerns.

“The biggest thing the SRA has to hold these Bylaw 9 groups accountable [for] is whether or not they’re sticking to the mandate, looking at financial transparency and financial responsibility,” said Popovic.

Finance Committee member Kevin Hu described EWB’s operations as a “misuse of student funding,” while SRA representative Zachary McKay voiced the group’s lack of a clear spending plan for the current or upcoming fiscal years.

The unanimous vote sends EWB to referendum during the MSU presidential campaign voting period. Students will vote on whether to maintain EWB’s student fee or cut funding in January 2025.

This is an ongoing story.