BUSU Responds to Student Concerns Over SUDS

By now, I am sure that most of you have heard the rumor that there was a possibility of SUDS being shut down for the remainder of the school year. Unfortunately, I can confirm that as of February 13, SUDS will be closed for the rest of this academic year.

SUDS is operated by the SUDS Board, which has representatives from BUSU, students-at-large, faculty, alumni and university administration. At the last SUDS Board meeting on January 29th, operational control of SUDS was given to BUSU until April 30th. Until the passing of the motion on January 29, BUSU was not in control of SUDS. The SUDS Board also accepted the resignation of the SUDS Manager effective February 21.

In our discussions at February 3rd’s BUSU Council meeting, there were two main reasons for the decision to close the bar for the remainder of the term:

1) Bar Manager: with the recent resignation of the bar manager, there is not enough time to feasibly advertise for, hire and train a new manager. This would also be difficult at best to find a manager willing to work for a maximum of 10 weeks (including any training period). SUDS operates on a September to April basis, and managers are hired on term contracts.

2) Operational Losses (year to date): SUDS is running an operational deficit of over $40,000 this year. This means that since opening in September, the cost of operating SUDS has exceeded revenues by over $40,000. The SUDS Board does not have money to cover these losses, so they fall to BUSU to cover. While the bar provides a valuable service to the campus, it is currently unsustainable in its current operational form.

BUSU has recommended to the SUDS Board that an AGM be held of the membership to hear the ideas, concerns and suggestions on SUDS, and how we can reinvigorate our campus bar. We will keep you informed of the date and time of the AGM if and when the SUDS Board decides to hold one.

Closing the bar for a couple months was a tough decision to make and we did not make this decision lightly. We know many of you look to SUDS for a place to have a game of pool between classes, hang out with friends, relax after that tough midterm, or party the night away at one of the many socials. This is why we hope you will work with us in the coming months to ensure that SUDS is able to come back with a new business plan and be better than ever.

If you have any questions, or would like any rumors that are flying around campus addressed regarding SUDS, please feel free to contact the BUSU office.

We look forward to working with for the benefit of SUDS.

Sincerely, Stephen Montague President, Brandon University Students’ Union