THE
MUST BE A NEWS
COUNCIL Federation
LETTER
NEWS
of Students-University THURSDAY,
SURE
FEBRUARY
A
AIN’T
S
of Waterloo
PAPER
29, 1968
ith The Pe There are three major areas in which the Federation of Students must concern itself with communications. The one relating most directly to the student body is Council-constituent communciation, Some efforts were initiated this year to bring the Council closer to its constituents, The Council News is a report prepared by Council members to suplement Chevron coverage and present Council viewpoints. The newspaper cannot provide coverage of all the things that Council does, nor does it (or should it) always express the opinions that the student government would like to put forward. The Council News is a means of presenting Councillor’s thinking first hand. It is unfortunate that limitations on time and funds have prevented the publication of more newsletters. Council meetings are all completely open to the public a!nd in order to encourage spectators to attends, most meetings have been held in one or another of the residences. Unfortunately spectators at these meetings have little opportunity to talk to members, and they certainly don’t have a chance to get into the discussion. To remedy this, two Council Forums” were tried - that is, it was advertised that Council members would be available at some place at a certain time for some open discussion or individual conversation. Members otherwise have very little opportunity to meet most of the people they represent. The turnout was pretty depressingnext to nil in fact, but perhaps better publicity, regular time and place (the Campus Centre for example) might correct this in the future. Many attempts have been made to establish better communication with other sectors of the university. Faculty
and administration have repeatedly been urged to request Council minutes. (Anyone requesting a copy will be sent one after every meeting), minutes were requested in turn from other bodies, with little result, and Council has pressed for student membership on these other councils and committees, partly to facilitate communication. Appropriate persons and groups are informed immediately when Council passes a policy or requests information relating to them, and on a number of occasions, guests have been invited to come to Council to exchange information and views. In response to Council’s concern in this area, a joint student-faculty-administration committee has been formed to study the problem. Off-campus communications. aside from those with student organizations, such as OUS, CUS, and other councils, are a difficult problem. Depending upon the public media has been of little, and in some cases, of negative value. There are a number of programs, however, which have been begun which involve working relations with off-campus groups, Perhaps our best hope is to stimulate those programs of service to the community which will increase contact and understanding. A recent seminar was held by the Board of Publication to study communications, and it is to be hoped that its findings will be helpful to the incoming Council. The problem of communications is largely a symptom of some very fundamental ailments in the structure and atmosphere of the University, and ultimate solutions will necessitate a very broad and searching study of the university as a whole.
Council
in Session at the Student
Village. Meetings moved encourage spectators.
epresentin ‘3tudent participation in university government”-a year ago a nearly meaningless multi-syllable phrase. Today-common-place. With the publication of the DLBBerdahl report on university government in the spring of 1966 came an increased waareness of the effect of the university’s structure on faculty and students alike. All across Canada study committees were set up to make revisions to the existing hierarchies: most tinkered, few really started with the basics of what makes the university tick and who should be in charge. And debates among students became commonplace. “Tokenism” or “real involvement”? Recently in a speech at a conference on student government at U of T, Preisdent Steve Ireland summed it up this way: “The more subtle means (of destroying student governme/lt, the base for developing student power) are goi?lg to involute things like “unitary structures”, “conmunity governrneut”-a lot of words like that. The
to different
locations
this year to
e
problem is-whet1 is it co-optation and when is it a legitimate attempt to achieve some of those ends like “community with other people”, “mutual respect in the academic community” etc., etc.? With some individuals-faculty a/id ~id?~~i~listratio~l-I deal with, I know the conditions (for co-operation and mutual respect) are being met. With others, I think they are, and then I’m stabbed in the back. With still others we know damn well they’re playing around and grandly proposing their advisory atzd liaison committees in attempts to stifle and sidetrack studeli t interest.J’
Like other universities, the University of Waterloo set up a study committee, which after some haggling included three student reps. The Committee has now been deliberating for over 16 months and is currently studying the advantages of the single-tiered (merging the Board of Governors and the Senate) versus the traditional structure, as well as related matters
such as appointments, relations with the colleges, student involvement, and openness. The Committee hopes to make a public final report in April. Meanwhile, doors have been opening all over the place to student representatives. As well as those shown in the chart on paged, two students have been seated in the Engineering Faculty Council, non-voting student participants welcomed in the Undergraduate Affairs Group in Arts, and liaison committees established in Mathematics and Science. The effect of the Federation’s brief “A Proposal for University Government at the University of Waterloo”, written by Neil Arnason, Steve Flott, Steve Ireland and Peter Warrian, and adopted by Students’ Council last April, have been widely felt in the student community. Whether the Federation’s major proposal, a single-tiered system of government with heavy student involvement is accepted remains to be seen. But our foot is in the door!
OF On March 18, the Federation of Students will be moving into its new quarters in the Campus Centre. The absence of a centre of some kind has in the past been very detrimental to communication and a sense of unity, and social facilities have long been inadequate. In the 196566 year, when it appeared that the Centre might not be built, Council and the Coryphaeus exerted a great deal of pressure on the administration to begin construction. But the University finally went ahead with the building, and it is now almost ready for occupancy. Facilities will include lounges, a games room, music room, coffee shop, dining room, private dining lounge (available on reservation), meeting rooms, a bank,
and the Campus Shop .It will be a building for the use of everyone on campus, and should provide much more opportunity for socializing between the three estates-faculty, students, and administration. Since the Federation will be located in the building, it is hoped that more people will drop in to the offices, and become more familiar with its operation. The Campus Centre Director, Paul Gerster, hopes that the Centre will be able to sponsor its own educational and social programs. We have waited a long time for the Campus Centre, some would suggest ten years too long, but if it is successful, it could alter the entire character of the campus.
The primary goal of this year’s Q of E committee was to organize an enquiry into all aspects of undergraduate instruction at the department, faculty and university levels. We agreed that the study should not get bogged down with specifics or statistics. That is, we deliberately avoided any questions concerning particular professors or courses, and we felt that a survey of students’ thoughts and impressions rather than a fill-in-theblanks questionnaire would best suit our purpose. Our aim was to solicit student opinions on: methods of instruction and examination, programme flexibility and content, faculty-student communications, and the general purpose of a university degree. Various questions which we hoped would inspire student thinking along these lines were formulated and distributed among the student body, a separate questionnaire for each faculty. While the questions included represented the committee’s
emphasis on certain educational features, we stressed that any thoughts on any matters pertaining to undergraduate instruction would be welcomed. Faculty members were also encouraged to express their views on these topics, for we felt that the lack of communication between faculty and students was a major case of the dissatisfaction with university education experienced by many students. This leads to a second objective of the committee, that of establishing a significant and constructive communications link between the student body and the faculty. By expressing student opinion in the form of a summary of the submissions received, and by drawing valid conelusions from this summary, we hoped to provide basis for future constructive --. criticism of educational methods being employed at this university. Unfortunately the number of student submissions was too small to justify such a summary, so we are in the process of writing simply a working
paper on this year-3 programme. And because of the students’ lack of interest in contributing their own views in report form, we have decided to take a different approach for next year. The committee intends to stimulate undergraduate thinking on the quality of education using such methods as: an Orientation lecture for freshmen, a major Teach-In, and more weekend seminars along the lines of “Weekend in the Woods”. Once we have generated such thought and interest, we will then ask for submissions, but concerning only one facet of undergraduate education at a time. (For example, our first enquiry could quite likely be a discussion of lectures: their possible use as opposed to their present abuse). Here again we will be asking for student support. If we get it, we hopefully will accomplish our original goals. If not, it can only mean that the presently employed methods are acceptable to the great majority of students; and that a piece of paper is worth three or more years of your life.
ere The People’s The Federation of Students is in the last stages of rectifying its financial difficulties. In the past, the major social functions have presented major budgetary problems. In addition, there were numerous minor problems keeping track of finances when the business office of the university handled the Federation’s books and kept all our accounts. New policies and actions in the past few months have gone a long way to cleaning up social functions (hiring a house broker, rigid financial policies, convenient access to office and banking records). The incorporation of the Federation of Students, the hiring of a capable business manager, and a revamping of
NEXT:
policies and procedures have greatly streamlined and improved the day-today operations. When handling the accounts through the business office it was always very difficult to determine the up to date financial status of the organization. As a result of the overall effect of these difficulties, last year’s council left behind a twenty-three thousand dollar deficit. Some forms of government believe in deficit financing but we don’t! As you can see from the circle charts, a large portion of this deficit will be erradicatbd. The Federation budget year, unlike the Council year, is from May 1 to May 1. As a result many of these figures are projection and this write-off figure is anticipated
to be higher since all other projected expenses are expected to come in lower than estimated. The fact that this has been done in one year is proof of an improvement! You will notice that two of the Federation’s financitG1 endeavours are omitted in the circle charts, namely the aircraft and the Campus Shop. These are both set up to operate on a break-even basis by themselves. Their initial capital was obtained through loans and they operate with their own bank accounts. If at any time they show a profit they will contribute to the income circle and in the meantime they will continue to cover their operating expenses and gradually pay off their loans as they are doing at the present time.
ew General After a delay of four years, the current Council has written into legal form the by-laws cf the Federation. Always a dull, legalistic task, the by-laws were pushed to near the top of the priority list by the act of incorporation, April 27, 1967. The old constitution under which we operated from 1964 until last April was rewritten as Bylaw Number 1, and passed in a well-attended general meeting in January 8, 1968. By-laws for the four boards of Council and a by-law on general meetings and referenda were dealt with at another general meeting on February 19, 1968. At both meetings several amend-
together how much each will receive. These meetings are advertised in the Chevron and are usually held early in each academic term.
After deciding what they would like to accomplish, they project their income and then mold their expenses to fit within their means - the only way to run non-deficit government!
Once the budget is passed it is the responsivility of the Federation treasurer and business manager to check over the bills. They are watchdogs on behalf of the council and it is their duty to ensure that the funds are spent according to the intent indicated at the time the budget was passed. It is also their duty to be unbiased in the enforcement of Federation financial policies.
Within this new budget there will once again be an allocation for Clubs and Organizations. All clubs and organization presidents meet as a committee to put in their bids for this portion of the budget and they decide
After a new budget is passed, it is published in the Chevron. If you don’t agree with a portion of this budget or wish a portion of it explained-call a council member or the Federation office and express your opinion.
!fUlr. Yates
T
Services, academic or otherwise, are always a source of complaint in the University. The Library is no exception. Fifteen months ago the first protest -the bookstore sit-in exploded after constant complaints about bookstore operations. New rumours are flying about study-ins and pickets over inadequate library hours and resources. Council has been accused of being derelict in its duty in not brotesting the hours and resources of our libraries. Unfortunately the critics know little of the efforts of the Council to date. One of the first items of business considered by this Council in March 1967 was an extensive motion on general and circulation hours, faculty
With the new council comes the task of drawing up and passing a new budget for the coming fiscal year. When drawing up this budget, the new council and the new executive board will examine the present expeness and decide whether they should be continued as well as review all suggestions ofr new programs within the scope of the Federation.
borrowing privileges and student representation. These recommendations were submitted to the Senate Library Committee which accepted them often unanimously. However, inadequate operating budget and staff shortages prevented their implementation, according to Mrs. Doris Lewis, Chief Librarian. Discussions were held with Dr. H. E. Petch, Academic Vice-President, shortly after his appointment in September and Council was informed of the dissolution of the Senate Library Committee and the structuring of two library committees, one for each library. These policy-making committees each were to include 3 students (2 undergrads and 1 Ph.D. candidate) and
Rules ments were also presented debate ensued.
and lively
It should be noterd that referenda are no longer necessary for “constitutional” changes, these being done now at general meetings. To avoid “stacking” of meetings, notice of general meetings is given well before the meetings, calling for items of business for the agenda. All motions or items of business to be considered are then fully published in the Chevron before the meeting, giving all members of the Federation a chance to attend and vote on matters of interest to them.
meet very regularly to direct the operations of the libraries. Through the actions of the student reps on the Arts Iibrary Committee, hours have been increased. Monday to Thursday hours have been extended from 11 to midnight, Friday drops from 11 to 10, Sunday increases from 2 to 10 to 1 to midnight. Circulation, hitherto unavailable on Sunday, will be open from 1 to 5. In addition, the deans have responded to the need for study space and are making many rooms available for evening study. Council is pressing for these rooms to be open until 2:00 or 3 :00 a.m. University departments now occupying space in the library will not be moving out until the summer so that study space near the stacks will continue t obe limited. The problem of acquisitions is more difficult. While the holdings of the libraries are far from adequate, those holdings present are a high quality, so that straight numerical comparisons with other universities are not sufficient. Nevertheless? the administration has been made aware on many occasions of Council’s concern and the 1968-69 Council must continue to press for improvements. Co-operation in this effort must be forthcoming from individual classes, course clubs, and departmental unions. These groups must impress upon the faculty the inadequacy of library resources. Combined faculty and student pressure on the departments, faculty councils and budget committee could bring about the badly needed improvements.
dents’ Council and has all the usual duties of an office manager or exe&tive secretary of a professional association, being responsible for staff, accounting, financial records, purchasing, contracts and acting as secretary of the Students’ Council.
G. W, Yates
Federation accounts and office stall! have been under a new watchful eey since July 17. Mr. G. W. “Pete” Yates has served as Business Manager of the Federation since the resignation of Paul Gerster who left to become Director of the Campus Centre. Having spent 28 years (except during the war) with the Royal Bank of Canada, Mr. Yates has brought to the Federation a wealth of experience. He served with the bank in Hanover, Hayesville, Ingersoll, St. Catharines, Gravenhurst and Kitchener. He is married with four children, a son (graduate of WLU) and three daughters aged 19, 17 and 4. The Business Manager is responsible to the Executive Board of the Stu-
“It’s a far different atmosphere from the bank9’ Mr. Yates says, in a characteristic understatement. “The demands are different-I enjoy working wit11 students more than the customers in the bank.” The excellent financial position which the Students’ Council now finds itself, after inheriting a $22,000 debt last year, can be credited to the efficient teamwork of Mr. Yates and treasurer Ross McKenzie. “Most people who teach at colleges are doing it for very simple security reasons and they don’t like people to rock the boat even though they make a big thing about intellectual inquiry and all that. A professor will allow you to put down the administration but will get of/ended if you say the faculty is irrelevant, which they are, by and large, except for maybe ten people and they’re relevant as people because they’ve delfeloped a style of living that has relevance to other lives.”
David Harris, student president at Stanford University, quoted in Esquire, September 1967.
THEY Current
REPRESENT
list of students serving
(Most
on University
YOU!
Committees
as of February
of the following positions were achieved through of the past years Students’ Council)
Appointed
By the Federation
University
Operations
Council
Athletic
Council
-
President
-
7 students (to be named)
-
Peter Birrell Geoffrey Moir Tom Patterson
-
Pres. or delegate (ex officio) 3 other student appointees
and
-
Bill Roy Jeff Pearson
on the
-
President and Executive Board of the Federation Students.
Advisory Committee Enterprises
Advisory
on
Board
Council on University Development Provost’s Advisory Campus Centre
the efforts
of Students
on Student Affairs
President’s Ancillary
29, ‘68
Planning
Committee
President’s Ad Hoc Committee Communications
on
(ex officio)
of
INGS
The Federation of Students has hired a professional agent, Joe Recchia, with the title of Entertainment Co-ordinator. He will handle all bookings for the B.S.A., and instead of receiving commission, fixed monthly salary.
will
receive
- Martha Brook - Frank Bialystok - Geoffrey Moir -David R, Young
In the past, B.S.A* events chairman -Orientation, Homecoming, Winter-
Engineering, Mathematics & Science Library Building Committee
-
John Bergsma Dave Busch 1 graduate
ing. They
President’s Advisory Student Discipline Regulations
-
Bill Kirton Bob Cavanagh President and Chief Justice (ex officio)
Committee on & University
University of Waterloo Committee on the Study of University Government
- Steve Flott - Steve Ireland - Brian Iler
Residence Advisory Bldg. Comm. Development subcommittee
-
Otherwise
Committee
Minota Hagey Mem. Bldg. Committee
Steve Ireland Heidi Lukas Bill Snodgrass Richard Stuart
- Barbara Logan, - Pamela Tallon
Arts Library
Committee
- Vedah Hamon, Ron Trbovitch
Eng. Library
Committee
- John Bergsma - Jim Belfry - Chris Bruckschwaiger - 1 graduate student
Brad Munro,
held the positions but unfortunately
resigned during year)
President
Steve Ireland
Vice-President
Bob Cavanagh
Treasurer
Athletics:
the most
part,
Creative
Chairman,
Board of External
Chairman,
Board of Publications
John Shiry
Chairman,
Board of Student Activities
Brian Iler (John Willms)
Executive
Arts Board Relations
Members
Dave Blaney (Paul Olinski) Stewart
Saxe
With the new set up, the event chairman, who is now appointed almost a year in advance, consults with the Entertainment Co-ordinator, who has extensive knowledge in the field, makes all the arrangements, from preliminary negotiations to ingsing the contracts, to arrangin gfor the facilities, and many of the little details. Since he is on salary and not commission, the Co-ordinator will do his best to obtain the best price possible. Since it is always cheaper to sign an artist if he is performing nearby, the Co-ordinator will also contact other universities to arrange additional performances.
OVER For the first time, a comprehensive file on entertainment is being set up and maintained? by the Co-ordinator, in the Creative Arts Board Office, for the use of any student group. And, the services
of the Entertain-
ment Co-ordinator are available to any group recognized by the Board of Student L4ctivities, to book band sfor dances, or just to give advice. Mr. Recchia can be contacted through the Chairman of the Board of Student Activities. The Entertainment
Co-ordinator
is
responsible to the Board of Student Activities through a Booking Committee, chaired by the Chairman of B.S.A. with membership comprised of the Board Treasurer, Mr. Paul Berg, Director of the Creative Arts Board and the B.S.A. events chairmen.
A Good CornpromIse
To recapitulate: Council criticized the heavy emphasis on the costly and time-consuming inter-collegiate program, recommending a much greater emphasis on intra-mural and recreational programs, broader student representation on the Athletic 14dvisory Board, and transferral of the Board from the School of Physical and Health Education to the Federation of Students.
In the program area, we have seen a great improvement. The intra-mural program has been stepped up to meet
demands, and there have been very notable efforts to improve communications. The new building will hopefully be in use for next year, and the Athletic Department assures us that more time for casual recreation will then be available. It seems then, that further action should be lelayed until the new situation can be observed in operation.
Whie thle Department of Athletics is still part of the School of Physical Education, the School’s Director, Mr. Pugliese, has stated that this structure is for purposes of development, and that a Board that reports to the students might well be constitued in anoher five years. Council is not entirely satisfied with this arrangement9 but it is a good step in the right direction.
The Council continues to believe that Athletics should be student controlled, but there have been improvements in this area as well. Besides the President of the Federation, and the Chairman of the Men’s and Women’s Intramural Councils, who are students, there will now be three Council appointmented student members of the Athletic Advisory Board.
Council has decided that acceptance of this compromise for the present is the best policy. Were the Athletics Department to become part of the Federation of Students, students would be working closely with Athletics personnel, and it would be unwise to unduly strain relations without extremely pressing cause.
The budget must be approved by the Ancillary Enterpriess Committee, which includes three students. And the A.A.B. has constituted committees with student members to administer inter-collegiate sports and recreation programs.
Furthermore, there is a question of priorities. The Federation is reluctant to become embroiled in any disputes which may prove both detrimental to its more important programs, and unjustifiably disruptive of the atmosphere of trust and co-operation which must be encouraged in the university.
Speaker
Jim Lindsey
Secretary
Pete Yates (Paul Gerster)
ARTS
ENGINEERING
GRADUATE
Bill Bryce
Gary Wedlake
C. Peter Benedict
Tom
Brian Iler
William
Goddard
Jack McCollum
Richard
Kinler
Patterson Brook
Dave Witty
Joe Giver-is
Stewart Saxe
Bob Cavanagh
SCIENCE
(Frank
(Kelly Wilson)
Peter McWha
Bruce Bodden
Ron Rumm
Bill Snodgrass
Wayne
Bialystok)
Roman Winnicki
TH Student as nigger ?Well, we do have some legal rights.
lations which puts students in anything but a bad light-
Council backed four legal actions this year-three dealing with landlords and one common assault case. While only two of these ended in court, all four were successful.
The Federation also backed a second-year Arts student in an assault case which saw the owner of SimonsEastern convicted on December 12. Interestingly enough, the crown attorney’s office saw fit not to lay a charge and action had to be taken by the aggrieved party. Counsel Bob Morris successfully prosecuted on behalf of the student.
Tom Patterson Peter Warrian
(P. Fried)
Watts
Greg Miller Jim Robinson
(J. Willms) (T. Taylor)
In June the Executive took action in backing some 40 students presented with eviction notices by the landlord of Waterloo Towers Apartments. By a succession of meetings and correspondence and in the face of lock-out situations, the students? the executive and lawyer Rich Hobson successfully won concessions from the landlord such that the tenants could remain until the end of the summer term and have all damage deposits returned.
RENISON
Chalmers
inexperienced in the complex field of entertainment booking, and often had started booking much too late. No one person co-ordinated all of the bookings, and the same mistakes were made over and over.
Ross McKenzie
Chairman,
Martha
for
It appeared, as reflected by the strong wording of the Council resolutions, and by the Chevron headline? “Sports Fight Looming”, that a major pressure move was in the offing. Such action has never materialized, for a number of reasons.
THIS WAS YO COUNCIL {Names in parentheses
were,
Last summer the Federation Council adopted some strong policies on Athletics, criticizing the existing program, and pressing for changes in both the activities offered and the administrative structure.
- Tom Patterson Residence
a
land, Grad Ball and Summer Weekend-have each done their own book-
Appointed
Bus Service
CONFUSION
Bookings, long a sore spot for the Federation of Students, should no longer be a problem. As a result of a number of innovations, the Board of Student Activities, which is responsible for most of the major social events on campus, is confident that the mixups in concerts and entertainment over the past few years will seldom occur again.
Adams
ST. JEROME’S
ung) (Mike
Sheppard)
The case received considerable publicity in the Chevron and from the local radio stations. The K-W Record maintained its usual policy of ignoring any story on town and gown re-
The other two cases involved landlords and the withholding of rent and damage deposits. Both were successfully fought, one receiving publicity in the Chevron. According to Steve Ireland, Federation president, legal assistance is not available just for the asking. “We just can’t afford it and it is too time-consuming for the Executive. The cases we’ve backed have been, in our view, of benefit to th.e Federation as a
whole. They have shown local landlords and the courts that students are not going to be second-class citizens and accept unfair treatment.” Investigation during the summer the Ontario Civil Liberties Commission proved that the courts are stacked against tenants. Students can be discriminated against as student, since the law does not recognize social classes as it does race and religion, which cannot afEect renting procedures. The Students Administrative Council of the University of Toronto has a legal services program but the advice is provided by law students, therefore involving a minimal budget. Until a faculty of law is cteated here, or the office of Student Affairs can tee its way clear to establishing a legal counselling service, students will generally be on their own in solving their legal problems.
Why Cough Beginning next fall, you’ll be paying more at registration-five dollars per term-but it’s not another fee hike! In fact it’s not compulsory. It’s your contribution to the University’s Tenth Anniversary Fund, and you can get a refund, if you don’t wish to contribute, by applying within three weeks of registration at the Federation offices in the Campus Centre. The Tenth Anniversary Fund objective is $5,500,000-the University’s share of a $65 million building program. It will provide (and has provided, since some of the buildings in the program are already finished) more and better facilities, resulting in a better education. The five dollar per student per term contribution-which will be collected until $500,000 is raised-was Students’ Council’s unique solution to a difficult problem. Members were near unanimous in their support for some form of donation-they felt that students, as members of the University community, do have a definite responsibility to the University, along with the other members-faculty and staff -and society at large. The problem originally saw
was how. Council two alternatives-a
The Discipline The regulation of student conduct and the rights of universities to punish student offenders is becoming a contentious issue on campuses across Canada. Such cases as the attempt of the administration of McGill University to censure the student press for reprinting an allegedly obscene article from “The Realist” and the Kirk marijuana case at Western has brought the issue into full focus and the need for universities to codify their disciplinary procedures has become acute. At the University of Waterloo, the Presidents Advisory Committee on Student Discipline and University Regulations (PACSDUR) has been formed to sudy the problem and establish formal disciplinary procedures assuring protectiion for both the University and the student. This committee, chaired by the Provost, Prof. W. G. Scott, composed of five faculty members, four students and five administraors, has been meeting on a regular basis since December. The committee is studying a very comprehensive report on Student Discipline prepared by Mr. D. R. Young in the summer of 1966 for the Provost. This rep<;r details a highly structured judicl 1 system modelled upon that of the criminal courts. Following this model but simplifying the structure wherever possible, without jeopardizing the rights of the student, the committee is now detailing a workable structure. One of the main points of discussion is the role of the Provost. Should he sit in judgement or should he be someone a student in trouble may come to for advice? Most committee members would have him take the role of the student’s advocate, however, it is extremely difficult to find a more suitable person to oversee the disciplinary
Up 5 Bucks? compulsory fee, or voluntary donations. Both had drawbacks. The compulsory fee method has been used at other universities, but Council hesitated to impose it, or even to call a referendum, There are students who really can’t afford a higher fee, and it would be unfortuate to innflict the wishes of others-even a majorityupon them. Voluntary donations -wouldn’t be feasible either, said Council. A canvas of students would be time-consuming, would have to be done yearly, and owuld create mountains of paper-work for the University Finally, at Council’s January 22 meeting, Engineering reps Bodden and Cavanagh hit upon the ideal solution -a fee collected at registration from all students, but refundable, if desired. Councillors agreed, and voted to petition the University Board of Governors to collect the five dollars per term. To date, the student commitment has been the largest single donation to the Fund. It has served as a pace-setter for other donations. And, most important, it has shown that students have faith and pride in their University.
Priorities Students and faculty have in recent years been becoming ever more aware of their positions as members of society. Student governments have been taking stands on issues all the way from capital punishment to draft resistance, and students are being urged by many of their peers and by many faculty to stop ignoring the world off campus, to start becoming aware and active.
would find objectionable. I tmust always consider the effect of its actions: to act rashly, or to cause an unwarranted split on campus, serves only to alienate students from their Council, and is detrimental to ultimate success, even when the action is in itself consistent with the basic goals and principles. In light of the crucial necessity that our education be the very best possible, the priority programs of the 1967-68 Council have been studies of educational methods and the university environment. The chief of these was the Quality of Education program, which had the dual function of collecting information and views for the preparation of a report, and stimulating a questioning attitude by everyone in the university and a desire to actively take part in bringing improvements.
At the same time a number of students are taking considerable interest in the operation of thier universities and the content and methods of education, for years the extensive field of teachers and administrators. Students’ Councils in Canada are rapidly becoming much more than “toy governments” for building policies and Big Men On Campus to play with. Thus has required a lot of consideration about just where it is all going, and of how student government can fulfil1 its functions most effectively.
Another was the Study Committee on University Government, a university committee including three student members representing the Federation. It was their concern that the study be genuinely very penetrating, getting down to fundamental issues, and developing a truly new and better structure for the university.
One of the most imperative requirements is a good overview of the total institution, a sense of direction, and an ability to put things in perspective. First of all comes an awareness of problems to be solved: on campus, the viabiity of the student government itself, the improvement of our education, the creation of an open society in the university, cost of education, student aid; off campus: social injustice, poverty, racial inequality, war. But we can’t neglect the other activities; weekends, plays, concerts, athletics, club activities, and so on, are all essential parts of a complete community.
Meanwhile, there has been a considerable amount of publicity and pressure on faculty and administration aimed at achieving student participation as members in all aspects of university decision-making.
Then there must be a consideration of which problems are most important, and which can be dealt with by a students’ council.
Problem function A compromise be found.
Limited Funds
will
have to
Another area of contention is whether to have justice served by hearings before a single disciplinary officer or a group of jurors’ such as the Judicial Committee of the Federation of Students. Expediency rules for the former but he latter seems more just. It is likely that both systems will be utilized with the student offenders choosing the method he prefers. One more problem that the committee has to face is where University discipline leaves off and the jurisdiction of the criminal courts begins. In many cases an offense may be dealt with in either court. Very serious cases will be sent to the criminal courts while minor cases will be dealt with by the university. Each case will have to be dealt with on its own merit. Unfortunately it is the right of the University to proceed with its own disciplinary action even though a case is being tried in the civil courts. It is hoped that the committee will set strict regulations on the use of this right and will protect the student from possible disciplinary action from two sources. An interesting discovery during the study was that charges laid during university procedures had been worded differently than the equivalent charge in the criminal code to avoid violating the jurisdiction of the civil courts. Thus “theft” must become something like “Unauthorized Use and Detention of University Property.” A series of such charges will have to be worded to cover conceivable areas of University discipline.”
Council would be foolish and negligent to spend a lot of time on the parking problem when the quality of our education is in question. On the other hand, a long debate on the Viet Nam war with a resulting policy would be of questionable value. This is not to say that students should not be deeply concerned with such problems, and in fact, they have an obligation as citizens to act when they can. But Council must evaluate when such action will have actual value, or when it will be merely an empty academic exercise, consuming time and energy that might be spent really accomplishing something.
One type that we forming to rules and To use this criterion most irresponsible to to its constituents.
because
hear a great deal about implies constructures laid down by someone else. as a basis for responsibility would be one’s self, and in the case of Council,
A Council member must consider any matter in the light of his own conscience and intellect, and also in light of the opinions of the people he represents. Council will often lead student opinion, but it is responsible to the electorate, and must not act in ways which a great many
To stimulate interest and disseminate information, there have been steps initiated to improve communication, such as this newsletter. And the instrument of student government has been raised to a new level of effectiveness, through incorporation, a new set of by-laws, a complete review of all policies that have ever been adopted by Council, and a number of refinements in administrative procedures. This has been enormously time-consuming, but will be to the benefit of future Councils. To many this has seemed a quiet year; there have been no colourful draft-dodger type issues. It was felt that this type of issue would only divide the campus, accomplish little in itself, and distract attention from more important matters. In fact, are exciting ing to come ed as one Canada.
a great deal has happened this year, and there prospects for the future. This campus is startalive, and its Federation of Students is respectof the most effective student governments in
1967-68 has seen the near completion of the building of a structure of student government, along with many beginnings in putting that instrument to work in the quiet revolution taking shape in our University.
Published by the Federation of Students, University of Waterloo from time to time. Included as a Special section of the Chevron for off campus mailing. President of the Federation: Production Writers:
It is hoped that PACSDUR will complete its work within the next few months and a. smoothly operating disciplinary system will be in existence next September.
A second retreat was held in the fall term as a means of standing back from the whole situation, and regenerating the sense of perspective.
There is a revolution going on in our society, the result of technelogy and mass media, and it is apparent that Council can meet it most effectively by working for better education. Education, today more that at any past time, is the key to making people able to cope successfully with their world. Responsibility is another question to consider, there are so many kinds of responsibility.
In order to maximize the ability of Council to work efectively as a group, with a clear sense of direction’ the Council held the first retreat immediately after taking office. The retreat provides an opportunity for Councillors to spend a day or so together, in an informal setting, away from the University where they can get to know each other and talk about general concerns, free of the stifling formality of the Council meeting and the weight of minor and administrative problems.
Stephen W. Ireland
staff: Saxe & Ireland Calvert,
Cavanagh,
Iler,
Ireland,
McKenzie,
Patterson