The Queen's Journal, Issue 2

Page 1

Fine arts

BFA admissions to reopen Recommendations proposed for dealing with future suspensions B y Vincent M atak and J oanna P lucinska Journal Staff Queen’s will reopen admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts program for the Fall of 2013, Associate Dean of Arts and Science Gordon Smith said. Students were informed of the decision to reopen admissions on

June 12 in an email from Smith. “It was always a strong possibility that we would reopen admission in 2013 the way we have just done,” he told the Journal. “I think it’s important for people to understand the incredible amount of work that’s gone into this the past eight months, on the part of students, all the BFA faculty. We met with all kinds of

faculty stakeholders.” Smith said the final decision was formally announced to staff in a meeting on June 12, several hours before the email was sent. The suspension to Fine Arts was announced in November. “A review of the resources available to the BFA Programme in the immediately foreseeable future Gordon Smith, associate dean of Arts and Science said it See Fine on page 6

Photo by Gina EldEr

was heartening to receive comments from students after the suspension.

T u e s d ay , J u n e 2 6 , 2 0 1 2 — I s s u e 2

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mental health

administration

Report calls for changes

Copying concerns New copyright licence questioned

Commission seeks student input

B y R acHel H eRscoVici H olly tousignant Journal Staff

B y H olly tousignant News Editor Resources for dealing with mental health on campus could be getting an overhaul in the coming years, if the Principal’s Commission on Mental Health has any say. The commission is seeking input after releasing their discussion paper on June 18. The 57-page paper, titled “Towards a Mental Health Strategy for Queen’s,” outlines the commission’s recommendations for dealing with issues surrounding mental illness on campus. The commission’s chair, Dr. David Walker, said he was nervous about how the paper would be received. “A bunch of us sit for a year nearly and listen and write and then you wonder if you’re completely off the map, or did we leave things out, are we anywhere close,” he said. Dr. Walker was chosen by Principal Daniel Woolf to head the commission, which first convened in September 2011. The five person commission met weekly with various groups and individuals until April, when they began putting their report together. The committee was made up of faculty and administration and one student, Roy Jahchan, MPA ’11 and Law ’13. The members weren’t mental health professionals. The paper is organized in a four-level pyramid structure. Each level included specific recommendations for the University. “It’s got 80 plus recommendations,” Walker said. One part of the paper discusses the changing role of Health, Counselling and Disability Services (HCDS). “There is a long-term recommendation that the University See Report on page 5

The What’s Cheer? Brigade led a musical march during the Porch Jazz event at the Kingston Jazz Festival on Saturday. See page 11 for full story.

Photo by Gina EldEr

and

Students could be facing $22.50 in new student fees this fall if Queen’s signs a new copyright agreement. The agreement would change how copyrighted materials are accessed and paid for. The decision has caused a stir among student groups and other Queen’s community members. In May, Queen’s signed a non-binding letter of intent to support the model licence. The letter of intent commits Queen’s to making a final decision by June 30. Queen’s opted out of a previously proposed agreement with Access Copyright in 2011. The original agreement had included a fee of $45 per full-time equivalent student (FTE) which has since been reduced to $26 after negotiations between Access Copyright and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), a group that represents universities across the country. See No on page 4

Criminal Charges

Student charged and in custody

Shu Wang possessed substances that could be used to make explosives, police allege B y Vincent M atak Assistant News Editor Shu Wang, ArtsSci ’14, is still in custody at a provincial detention centre after being arrested for mischief, weapons dangerous and possession of an explosive substance on June 12. Kingston Police were called to Wang’s Brock and Frontenac St. Home on June 12 at 5:30 p.m., after nearby residents heard pellet gun shots and saw damage being done to a garage door, allegedly

by Wang. The Emergency Response Unit seized what appeared to be replica pellet guns, knives and materials that could be used to create explosive devices. Wang had his first video remand on June 11. He underwent a showcause hearing, another name for a bail hearing, last Wednesday, as well as another video remand on Friday. Kingston Police Constable and Media Relations Officer Steven Koopman said he didn’t know the

outcome of the show cause hearing Koopman told the Journal on and video remands. June 13 that the maximum charges He did say, however, Wang could face are between five that Wang’s investigation is to ten years in prison. “slowing down.” “Obviously the maximums are “The immediacy and the danger rarely reached,” he said. of the crimes, as well as the loss Matthew Sullivan, Sci ’13 lived of evidence, has been relatively with Wang and four other students contained,” he said. “What we’re last year. He said Wang wasn’t a waiting for now is following dangerous person. up with detectives with search “He’d walk around the house warrants, as well as interviews with with [his pellet gun], but never the involved parties.” pointed it at you,” he told the Police are still awaiting results Journal on June 13. See Wang on page 6 from the OPP Explosives Unit.


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