Background
The MacEwan Student Centre building (a.k.a. Mac Hall) has been at the heart of student life at the University of Calgary since its beginnings in 1962. As the central social and community hub on campus, Mac Hall was expanded in 1987 through student funding to meet the needs of a growing population of 20,286 students at the time. Today, Mac Hall serves over 38,000 students and houses a wide range of services, businesses, and programs. Businesses operated by the Students’ Union (SU) generates more than $10.2 million in annual revenue; all reinvested into student-focused services, programs, awards, and events.
However, Mac Hall is aging, and it is time for us to reimagine this vital space for future generations of University of Calgary undergraduate students. This proposed redevelopment is aimed at ensuring Mac Hall’s sustainability and value to students, as both a social space and an important revenue source for subsidizing the SU’s provision of undergraduate student services, financial awards, programming and events.
Between August and September 2025, undergraduate students were surveyed over a six-week period to gauge their interest in the potential redevelopment of Mac Hall. Students identified: (a) places to eat and drink, (b) study, hangout and relaxation spaces, (c) physical accessibility features, (d) green spaces or iconic installations, and (e) academic and non-academic advising spaces as their top priorities for a potential redeveloped and expanded Mac Hall. Through the survey, students voted on which fee structure should be used if MacHall is redeveloped. Students opted for a phased fee, in which upper year students will be charged less and the lower year students will be charged more.
In line with students’ interest, the Students’ Union seeks to create a Mac Hall Redevelopment Fund (the “Fund”) to accumulate necessary funding for the improvement and expansion of Mac Hall to house vital services and physical spaces that address identified students’ needs on campus.
The Fund would be financed by a new SU fee subject to the following rules (the “Fund Rules”):
- The fee will be set in line with the table below;
- The fee will be applied to all undergraduate students enrolled in Fall and Winter terms;
- The Students’ Legislative Council may, by two-thirds majority vote, reduce the fee for one year if it determines that the needs of undergraduate students in a specific academic session, faculty, or program, outweigh the financial risks to the SU;
- The fee may be increased without a referendum after five years from its implementation, provided that any increase is tied to the Alberta Consumer Price Index and does not exceed an annual limit of 4 per cent; and
- The SU will stop collecting the fee once the Mac Hall redevelopment and expansion have been completed and fully paid for.
| Year of study (starting Fall 2026) | Applicable fee per Fall and Winter term |
|---|---|
| 1st year | $ 30.00 |
| 2nd year | $ 20.00 |
| 3rd year | $ 15.00 |
| 4th year | $ 12.50 |
| 5th year and higher | $ 11.25 |
Question
Do you support implementing a fee, as outlined in the table above and subject to the Fund Rules, to finance the Mac Hall Redevelopment Fund starting in the Fall term of the 2026/27 academic year?
- YES
- NO
If the majority of students vote “Yes” the proposed SU fee will take effect beginning in Fall 2026 to support the Fund. If the majority vote “No”, the referendum process will conclude, and no new SU fee will be introduced.
Please refer to the Referendum FAQ page for additional information.