The University Students' Council (KSU) has said that there exists no financial motivation to boost KSU's income at the expense of students or student organisations.
The KSU was responding to claims made by three organisations on Monday.
On Monday Moviment Graffitti, Pulse and S-Cubed issued a statement saying that the KSU Freshers' Week should be a week during which new university students will have the opportunity to meet other students, to speak to different organisations, meet fellow student activists and to familiarise themselves with the University of Malta. "Instead, this week is going to be taken over completely by the many companies which sponsor the Kunsill Studenti Universitarju (KSU) and which will occupy the central spaces at the University of Malta," they had said.
The three organisations had said that " "The central quadrangle in front of Students' House, Parking Number 4 and the space leading to the Gateway building are going to be dominated by private companies and commercial enterprises which have nothing to do with university students' educational experience. During a week where we are supposed to be celebrating the work of students, the KSU chose to serve the interests of private companies whose only purpose is profit," the organisations said.
The KSU on Wednesday issued a statement on social media.
"In response to the statement released by Moviment Graffitti and Pulse regarding the organisation of Freshers' Week, KSU expresses its disappointment with the misleading claims. The KSU Executive works tirelessly to enhance student life and deliver enriching university experiences. There exists no financial motivation to boost KSU's income at the expense of students or student organisations. Freshers' Week funds are essential to support KSU's operations and initiatives, with the majority of revenue supporting Kokka Fondi, a diverse funds programme directly benefitting students. The remainder of the funds go towards the organisation and promotion of yearly projects such as the KSU Career Finder, artistic and cultural events including Students Fest, and a multitude of policy and educational campaigns. Without these funds, KSU cannot function and students cannot benefit from these initiatives."
"Despite these financial necessities, student interest remains our primary focus when planning Freshers' Week and drives our decision-making. Over the past years, we have introduced several changes to better promote student organisations, such as moving the area closer to the library from the previous location in Car Park 4 and redesigning stand layouts based on feedback. For weeks prior to the event, KSU engaged in consultation with organisations and held an Admin Forum to hear concerns. Consistently, Moviment Graffitti and Pulse failed to participate in these discussions, only choosing to make a statement after the event began - criticising without providing actionable solutions to improve their perceived issues and advance the standing of student organisations at Freshers' Week. As a Council, KSU has consistently demonstrated that we will always promote the students' best interest and listen to constructive criticism to improve and better serve the student body as far as it is feasible."
"It is also clear from the resounding lack of endorsements, that student organisations have not echoed these grievances, undermining the narrative being pushed forward by Moviment Graffitti and Pulse that the organisations are 'second-class citizens'," KSU said.
"Ultimately, KSU is dedicated to improving student life and fostering an active, vibrant community, where students are encouraged to challenge the status quo and advocate for meaningful change."