The outgoing station manager at a campus radio station in Guelph is blasting the provincial government for causing "psychological duress" with its Student Choice Initiative.

Vish Khanna, the station manager at the University of Guelph's CFRU 93.3, told CBC News that letting students opt out of what the government considered "non-essential" services was a petty attack on intellectualism, which will have long-term impacts on university communities.

"It's caused a lot of tension and strife and uncertainty, it's really psychological damage. And I think it's part of the point … to destabilize students and the people who work in universities."

The radio station was among a number of clubs, campus media, food banks and other support services that didn't know until October — after the fall semester began — how much money it would be getting through student fees.

On Thursday, Ontario's Divisional Court ruled against the Student Choice Initiative, saying that directives from the province are "not authorized by law and are inconsistent with autonomy granted universities."

A representative for the Ministry of Colleges and Universities said it is currently reviewing the decision, and the province could appeal it.

'The pain and suffering caused by this is immense'

At the end of October, and after more than two decades of involvement at the campus radio station, Khanna decided he would resign. And he isn't the only one.

"We've had some staff turnover already. People have either left or taken leaves to find other work," he said.

Khanna, who is also a music journalist and who has worked for CBC, acknowledges that people's reasons for leaving —including his own — are multifaceted. But he doesn't think anyone was thinking about it, prior to the announcement of the Student Choice Initiative in January.

Two positions have been purposefully left vacant, he said.

"That's really hurt the staff, because we're covering for those positions," Khanna said. "The pain and suffering caused by this is immense, and I don't know if the government took that into account."

What student unions are saying

Meanwhile, student unions at both the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University are waiting to see whether or not there will be an appeal.

Michael Beauchemin, president of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association, said he appreciates that the court decided the government's directive was unlawful.

"We're happy that, under a repealed version of the framework, we can protect our student advocacy fees and continue to advance student experience."

Zemar Hakim, the president of Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union, said they had moved money around to protect services they considered to be essential.

"Let's say this goes all the way to fruition and SCI gets cut. We'll have to go back to our old ways," he said. "I'm wondering what our administrative capacity to do so would be."