2 | Page 2 | 01.23.2012
What’s on 23 MON
This week, may we suggest...
Our Campus
One on one with the people who make UBC
AMS>>
Voting begins for AMS elections Another year, another election for students to ignore. For those who aren’t too busy playing Angry Birds in class, come to the SUB, cast a vote for the AMS elections and take part in determining your school experience. Voting runs from January 23-27. JOSH CURRAN/THE UBYSSEY
24 TUE
AMS>>
26 THU
Ben Cappellacci, who spent the last four months in Paris, decided when he returned to UBC to run for AMS president.
AMS>>
Ubyssey President’s Debate: 2:30pm @ Centre for Student Involvement
Andrew Bates Senior Web Writer
Join The Ubyssey as we pin down the candidates with tough questions. Watch how high the bun on Alyssa Koehn’s head gets as we grill them. You haven’t voted yet.
25 WED
AMS>>
Last debate: 6-9pm @ Totem Park commons block Candidates for the VP External, VP Academic and Board of Governors races will be pitted against one another in a verbal battle of wit and wisdom. Chances of survival: medium-high to high.
27 FRI
You haven’t voted yet?! The debates are over, you have no excuse for missing this. Do you know how much of YOUR money the AMS is in charge of every year? MILLIONS. You shouldn’t just let them do what they want with it; make them do what you want with it. The elections are coming to a close, hurry up and cast your vote.
AMS>> Voting ends; results party Polls close at 5pm. The elections results party is held from 7-9pm at the Gallery. Good thing it’s not at the Pit, like last year. Seeing the dim faces of those who didn’t win became just so much sadder in the dark Pit.
U
Got an event you’d like to see on this page? Send your event and your best pitch to printeditor@ubyssey.ca.
THE UBYSSEY January 23, 2012, Volume XCIII, Issue XXXIV
EDITORIAL
Coordinating Editor Justin McElroy
coordinating@ubyssey.ca
Managing Editor, Print Jonny Wakefield printeditor@ubyssey.ca
Managing Editor, Web Arshy Mann webeditor@ubyssey.ca
News Editors Kalyeena Makortoff & Micki Cowan news@ubyssey.ca
Copy Editor Karina Palmitesta copy@ubyssey.ca
Video Editor David Marino
video@ubyssey.ca
Senior Web Writer Andrew Bates abates@ubyssey.ca
Graphics Assistant Indiana Joel
art@ubyssey.ca
Culture Editor Ginny Monaco
culture@ubyssey.ca
Senior Culture Writer Will Johnson tloren@ubyssey.ca wjohnson@ubyssey.ca
Sports Editor Drake Fenton
sports@ubyssey.ca
Features Editor Brian Platt
features@ubyssey.ca
BUSINESS
CONTACT
Business Manager Fernie Pereira
Business Office: Room 23 Editorial Office: Room 24 Student Union Building 6138 Student Union Blvd Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 tel: 604.822.2301 web: www.ubyssey.ca
business@ubyssey.ca
Ad Sales Ben Chen
advertising@ubyssey.ca
Accounts Sifat Hasan
accounts@ubyssey.ca
Webmaster Jeff Blake
webmaster@ubyssey.ca
STAFF
Andrew Hood, Bryce Warnes, Catherine Guan, David Elop, Jon Chiang, Josh Curran, Will McDonald, Tara Martellaro, Virginie Menard, Scott MacDonald, Anna Zoria, Peter Wojnar, Tanner Bokor, Dominic Lai, Mark-Andre Gessaroli, Natalya Kautz, Kai Jacobson, RJ Reid
feedback@ubyssey.ca Print Advertising:
604.822.1654 Business Office:
604.822.6681 advertising @ubyssey.ca
ijoel@ubyssey.ca
Art Director Geoff Lister
President profile: Ben Cappellacci
LEGAL
The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Monday and Thursday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles. Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your
phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. All letters must be received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff. It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.
After he finished his exams, Ben Cappellacci looked out of his window at the Seine river in Paris and knew he had to come back. “I was sort of sitting around with a few of my friends that I had met there and I realized, well, what’s next? What can I do next with my career and my life?” For Cappellacci, returning to run for AMS president seemed to be the answer. “I realized that the AMS kind of still needed some direction, especially in this transition time. It needed a way to go forward. “It needs to sort of refocus on some of the things it was doing well and reinforce in things it wasn’t doing so well.” Cappellacci, 22, was born in Toronto. He’s in his fifth year of international business, and has been involved on campus from day one. He worked with SafeWalk and served on the UBC Senate. In 2010-2011 he broke into the executive, earning a spot as AMS VP Academic. Cappellacci’s portfolio
dealt with governance, university services and international students. “It was very taxing. There were a lot of challenges within the AMS executive, on Council, within the university,” he said. “When the time came for elections, I decided that I wasn’t going to run. So instead I went to Paris.” For four months, Cappellacci’s Go Global program took him to the Institut d’études politiques de Paris (SciencesPo), a de facto academy for the country’s political elite. Cappellacci described SciencesPo as competitive and unique in its teaching, with no exams but “many, many” papers. Luckily, a familiar face was able to help him out. The year before, Cappellacci befriended a student at UBC who was from Paris. “Because I was the only person who could kind of speak French, I ended up being his big brother, his mentor in the fraternity,” he said. “It turns out one of his friends was a student also going out on exchange, but he happened to be living in this beautiful apartment over the oldest
bridge in Paris called the Pont Neuf. “So out of my window I could see the Seine, I could see the Louvre and Notre Dame. Just a beautiful bachelor pad.” According to Cappellacci, the difference in approach to student engagement between UBC and SciencesPo taught him what the true power of the AMS is. “[At SciencesPo] there’s no sense of campus, in the sense that there isn’t an isolated area. That alone really changed a lot about the way students interact,” he said, noting that their student union threw some parties and minor events. “But there wasn’t this sense of very large presence or a voice articulating students’ interests and needs.” Compared to Paris, the possibility at UBC to focus on students is a strength, he said. “The idea that we can have a vision that as students we can get together and unite and work with university and other organizations to really make a difference really became apparent to me,” Cappellacci said. “The potential for the AMS really came to light.” U
U
Get the dirt on the AMS and party with your pants off
COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE
SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS
Intro
01.23.2012 |
Be cyncial. Be removed. But still vote. Coordinating Editor Justin McElroy Search the internet and you will find plenty of wise and witty quotes about elections, democracy and voting. None of them are flattering. The act of casting a ballot, in the abstract, is increasingly seen cynically. Politicians are held in lower and lower trust. We expect those we vote for to lie, deceive and obfuscate; our only hope is that they do so for the betterment of policies we agree with. And yet, we’ve dedicated an entire issue of The Ubyssey to the
AMS elections because we think they matter. Every student has an opinion about their university experience—from the quality of classes, to the cost of housing, to the lack of campus spirit. But very few people are in a position to actually do anything about it. But the five AMS executives are. They operate the SUB, provide plenty of services in a $30 million budget, and negotiate with the university and government on a variety of issues every month. The two students you elect to the Board of Governors are. They’re only two people on a 21-person board—but that board is responsible for approving everything that goes on at our billion dollar university. The five people you choose to
sit on Senate are. Exam databases, summer semester and broad-based admissions are issues they’re currently dealing with—but if you have thoughts on how education can be improved at UBC, they actually work to make it happen. We’re not going to claim that the best candidate will be elected if you vote, or that anything will change if you decide to ignore the circus this week. But we understand that it’s hard for the majority of students to be involved in bettering the university. There are scholarships to keep, midterms to cram for and buses to (and from) Surrey to take. So take the chance to be involved at a minimal time commitment this week. Educate yourself. Decide what issues matter to you. And vote. U
3
Table of Contents
4 Brain space
Candidates are focusing on mental health issues as planks in their platforms. What can the AMS do to help student mental health?
By Drake Fenton
Has online voting increased turnout? Though online voting at UBC was introduced almost a decade ago, it’s unclear what impact the shift has had on voter turnout. Voter turnout has been declining over the past three years. In 2009 and 2010, voter turnout was 14.4 and 13.2 per cent respectively. In 2011, only 11 per cent of the student population checked off AMS ballots, and it was also the first year that no paper was used in the voting process. The lowest in recent history, however, was 2008, with 6.4 per cent turnout. Carolee Changfoot, the AMS elections administrator, said she felt last year’s decline was due to advertising failures. “It’s hard to tell...I don’t know why the numbers went down last year. I feel like it purely is from a promotional standpoint.” The Elections Committee has taken multiple approaches to online voting since its implementation in 2003, using different software like UBC’s WebVote system, which was accessed through UBC’s campus wide login (CWL). For the last election in 2011, the AMS began using the online company Simply Voting.
The Simply Voting system is not integrated with UBC’s CWL, since it hasn’t been purchased and the login information would have to be outsourced to the provider. Though it caused serious concern among candidates last year, students will again be emailed new individual logins and passwords before the voting period begins. Changfoot said that the AMS is looking to purchase the Simply Voting software for the 2013 elections, which would allow for the integration of CWL. To combat the declining voter turnout trend, Changfoot said she will focus not only on online promotion, but also on maintaining a strong presence on campus. “I find them both equally important, because you need that visible presence on campus to reach out to people, otherwise people aren’t going to feel that the AMS really cares.” During voting week, the Elections Committee will have polling booths set up in 17 locations around campus, including the SUB, Totem, Vanier and Ladha, for a total of 190 hours. Changfoot said that these booths will represent the
public image of the elections. “We’ve made a special effort to interview the poll clerks and to make sure that we get very vibrant, energetic people who are willing to go out there and really get people to vote.” These poll clerks will also be a key component of online advertisement through social media. “We’re trying to get all the poll clerks we hire to contribute to this online media promotion by changing their Facebook status, by putting it on their display pictures,” said Changfoot. But online advertising is also part of the turnout strategy. “[Online voting] allows students to vote at any time they want. Especially since our campaign is such an online media focus, students will then have instant access whenever they see it.” To Changfoot, promoting the image of the AMS and maintaining a significant presence both on campus and online is integral to increasing voter turnout. “You may have access online, but if you don’t feel like you’re being connected to the cause, you’re not going to vote.” U —Natalya Kautz
Condorcet...what’s that? The preferential system used in the AMS elections that was nearly dropped last year is back for this year’s voting season. The Condorcet system, first used by the AMS in 2007, invites voters to express their preference for multiple candidates on a ballot using a ranking system. It is a preferential voting system that tries to choose a candidate that is the most preferred by all voters. “Condorcet was implemented because it is more reflective of peoples’ opinion of who they thought would make the better candidate,” said AMS elections administrator Carolee Changfoot. Each time a candidate is ranked higher than another on a ballot, they receive a vote against that candidate. The person who receives the most votes of preference over all other candidates wins the election. If a candidate is not “ranked” by a voter on a ballot, they are automatically ranked below all other candidates. If this does not determine a clear
DAVID ELOP/THE UBYSSEY
Condorcet has been criticized as difficult to understand, but many think it’s much fairer.
winner, then the election is resolved by a system known as “ranked pairs.” “I think it changes the candidate’s game plan by that the candidates are trying to be the best candidate,” Changfoot said. The system was put in place over the previous plurality system after it was suggested by UBC mechanical engineering professor Antony Hodgson and was then recommended by the 2007 engagement reform committee. Alex Lougheed was VP Academic at the time and was in favour of the switch.
“Sure, the system is more complicated, but it is radically fairer,” wrote Lougheed in an email to The Ubyssey. “Some people complained about having to learn something unfamiliar. I questioned why they were at a university.” The system was nearly removed last year as WebVote, the AMS’ voting program which uses first-past-the-post, couldn’t be modified in time to allow for the Condorcet system. First-past-thepost is a simple plurality system where everyone gets one vote for one candidate. After a vote from Council, the AMS opted to use a Condorcetfriendly system, Simply Voting. “Simple plurality voting systems are rife with flaws. They encourage tactical voting, permit wasted votes and encourage two-party systems,” said Lougheed. “They yield results often offensive to the electorate with the sole benefit of being simple.” U —Andrew Bates
7 Whistler Lodge
The AMS is seeking your permission to sell its venerable Whistler Lodge. Execs claim it’s hemorrhaging money. Can it be turned around?
By Colin Chia
Features
An
aly sis
!
The frat vote The past three years has seen an explosion of Greek involvement in student politics. How do we account for their success, and what happens when leadership positions are monopolized by fraternity members? P 18 Left for dead? The campus left has been adrift for the past couple of years, following several high profile implosions in 20092010. Why has tuition all but been taken off the radar as in issue in the past two years? P 17
Centre for Student Involvement Is the university-led association capable of producing real, critical student leaders? Or has it simply become a mill for training gladhanding UBC cheerleaders? Brian Platt reports. P 16
Issues Sustainability
P4
Broad-based admissions
P5
Governance
P5
Lobbying
P6
Summer Semester
P7
Candidates VP Finance
P8
VP External
P8
President
P9
Board of Governors
P 12
Senate
P 13
VP Academic
P 14
VP Administration
P 15
Issues
01.23.2012 |
4
MENTAL HEALTH >>
Presidential race keys in on mental health
Drake Fenton Sports Editor
Student mental health has emerged as a hot-button issue in this year’s AMS presidential race. From the onset, student mental health has been a focal point for presidential candidate Matt Parson. Fellow candidate Ben Cappellacci has also made the issue an integral part of his platform, and while candidate Alyssa Koehn hasn’t included mental health in her platform on her website, she has also addressed the issue’s importance. While mental well-being wasn’t discussed in last year’s elections, Parson explained that the issue came up this year. “[It’s been] identified by the university as something they haven’t done a really good job in,” he said. The 2009 National College Health Assessment (NCHA) didn’t paint a bright picture either. Collecting data from roughly 300 schools throughout Canada and the United States, the NCHA determined that 36 per cent of UBC students who took their survey felt so depressed that it was difficult to function. Furthermore, 57 per cent of UBC respondents—compared to the 45 per cent average—said they felt that things were hopeless. Each presidential candidate has different solutions for how to tackle the issue once they get into office. Cappellacci said that UBC students who suffer from mental health issues are provided with excellent service from the university. “Counsellors, access to psychologists [and] UBC counselling services are all actually quite excellent in terms of [the quality of] their service delivery,” he said. What has failed, though, is not the existing services, but rather communication between the
JOSH CURRAN/THE UBYSSEY
In a 2009 survey, the National College Health Assessment found that 57 per cent of UBC respondents felt at least once in a 12-month period that things were hopeless. The average across 300 schools throughout Canada and United States was 45 per cent.
university and students to create a more complete mental health plan, according to Cappellacci. “The thing I think is lacking— and where I think the AMS can really play a role—is uniting both the university’s administration policy on this with student initiatives and making a more comprehensive approach to mental health.” Koehn said the biggest issue the AMS must address is communication.
“I know [the AMS] doesn’t support some of these initiatives on campus as much as they could,” she said. “I think there is definitely room. The AMS [can] support these initiatives that UBC is offering and make sure that our students know about them.” According to Koehn, communication problems make it hard to judge the scale of the issue. “A large part of the discussion is whether there is a student demand
for it or...a communication problem,” she said. “[Are] the services out there and being supported by many different departments around the university, and we just need to help communicate to them better?” Like Cappellacci and Koehn, Parson said there is a need for better communication and better integration between the AMS and the university. As president, Parson said he
would conduct an academic audit. “[It would] systematically go through each [academic] policy and determine whether there is anything that could be changed to have a decrease in students’ anxiety and stress levels.” But while Parson said he understands the importance of communication, he feels that the true problem students face is the stigma of admitting they have a problem. “For the students that do utilize [services], it is not an issue of them finding [them], it is more them getting past the barrier of feeling that they don’t need help,” he said. Parson wants to influence students’ perception of mental health, and thinks that while it may seem like an unrealistic expectation, if the AMS takes baby steps to eliminate that stigma they may eventually reach their goal. “I don’t think any one real action can have that monumental paradigm shift,” he said. “If there was to be something that is large enough to have that type of effect, I would say that it would be the potential of how we are going to repurpose the current SUB.” Parson hopes that when the new SUB is built the AMS will be able to create a “holistic wellness centre” in the old building. The centre would have everything brought into one area, from counselling services to healthy food options. “This wouldn’t just be a place you go when you have a problem, this would be a place you go to when you want to feel more healthy and conscious of your well-being. So if you are entering this building there is less stigma attached to it.” The next presidential debate will be held on Tuesday at Vanier Place from 6-9pm. U
VP FINANCE>>
Financial aspect of sustainability to be focus of sole VP Finance candidate
Scott MacDonald Staff Writer
Tristan Miller is the sole candidate running for VP Finance in the AMS elections. If successfully elected, as even unopposed candidates must win a yes/no ballot, his first priority in terms of sustainability will be to improve the AMS Sustainability Fund, which was created through the March 2011 referendum. “This school year we’ve only handed out about $20,000, but the fund has about $120,000 in it,” said Miller, who currently serves as vice-chair of the AMS Finance Commission—a position created in lieu of an associate vice-president position. He said that getting more faculties involved might help get more projects started on campus. “It’s great when we can work with Engineering students on projects and Land and Food Systems students,” he said, adding “They’re actually putting this into practice and they need a little extra money to make their experiment work. To me, that very local injection of funds is a great way to get
sustainability off the ground here at UBC.” Current VP Finance Elin Tayyar said that the student union isn’t taking sustainability as seriously as it should. “The AMS claims to be sustainable, we claim to value sustainability and have it as a priority but that’s not necessarily true. I don’t think it is as big as a priority throughout the culture at the AMS…as it should be,” said Tayyar. He said that he believes the pursuit and success of sustainability projects leans heavily on the candidate. “There’s no natural gravitation towards sustainability projects and so you really need someone to spearhead it, someone who really cares,” said Tayyar, who went on to comment on how out of all the major funds sustainability funds around North America, the AMS Sustainability Fund is one of the most innovative. But while the fund would be at the top of Miller’s list for sustainability reform at the AMS, he might not be pushing as hard for green goals. When asked whether he had any big projects in mind for
sustainability should he be acclaimed as VP Finance, he took the economic route rather than the environmental one.
The AMS claims to be sustainable, we claim to...have it as a priority but that’s not necessarily true. I don’t think it is as big as a priority throughout the culture at the AMS. Elin Tayyar VP Finance “Not in the modern, very environmental sense—as much as I think that is very important. For me, I’m focusing on the financial sustainability aspect. “We’ve talked about sustainability as the ability to persist over time and right now our finances are not doing that. Making our financing more sustainable is what I want to focus on in my term.” U
GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
01.23.2012 | Issues | 5 AMS ELECTIONS >>
GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
Governance: time to take a stand? Will McDonald Staff Writer
Governance at UBC is currently in a state of limbo. The provincial government passed Bill 20 in 2010 as an interim solution and took over jurisdiction of UBC from Metro Vancouver. However, almost two years later, little progress has been made to determine a new structure for municipal governance on UBC lands. As the highest governing body at UBC, the Board of Governors effectively has the final say in any new developments to the governance structure on campus. Eleven of the 21 members are appointed by the provincial government, and UBC is both land owner and developer—leaving little room for oversight. The seven candidates competing for the two UBC-Vancouver student representative seats on the Board will have a direct voice in the future of UBC’s governance. However, Sean Cregten is the only candidate making governance a centrepiece of his platform, proposing to separate non-academic lands from academic areas and create two separate councils. “This is a university and it cannot be called a town. That’s an absurd idea,” said Cregten, who is currently serving as Associate VP Academic and University Affairds for the AMS. He also emphasized the importance of preventing market housing near University Boulevard. “That’s a really big danger because then we can’t split off the institutional and the
PETER WOJNAR/THE UBYSSEY
non-institutional and we get this weird thing where residents do have a say in institutional decisions.” BoG candidate Mike Silley said it would not be productive to come up with his own plan for governance. He recommended hiring a third party to suggest possible governance structures for UBC and working with students to develop the best option. “Instead of just deciding right away, have those consultants come back with some options…and make it a collaborative effort between everyone who shares this campus,” said Silley.
GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
BoG candidate Erik MacKinnon said he has no platform on governance. “What I want to see personally change is entirely irrelevant to this position, because I’m representing students,” said MacKinnon. “If students believe…that we need to push the administration or push the province in a certain direction, then I’ll be the first person to champion that.” BoG candidate Matt Parson was wary about committing to one governance structure prematurely. “It’s a tough thing to really hammer out, to suggest a final form at this stage when
discussions haven’t really been hashed out. “Whatever happens, it’s going to be a critical mass that needs to be reached as students and residents take arms against UBC. Once those two parties form a common message, it becomes an unavoidable message that they can’t ignore,” said Parson. According to Sumedha Sharma, who is running for re-election, the board is currently in the preliminary stages on governance, and it is too early to make concrete plans. “I don’t know what the exact vision I see… but I definitely want to create a process in which we can engage students, engage residents on campus and create a strategy according to what do we want to see and how do we effectively represent everyone on campus.” BoG candidate Justin Yang said that the appointment system to BoG is problematic and that the number of elected officials needs to be reconsidered. However, he didn’t think he would have the power to change the situation. “Adjusting ratios of who’s represented and how, I think would be amazing…[but] it’s not going to be BoG that decides. It’s going to be someone recommending options and they’ll choose, ultimately.” BoG candidate Tagg Jefferson originally declined to comment on governance. “I don’t know enough about the topic to be able to make a good statement on that, but I think that’s something obviously that I need to learn.” In a subsequent interview Jefferson said he would work to encourage extensive consultations on governance. U
ADMISSIONS >>
Senate candidates discuss broad-based admissions
Andrew Bates Senior Web Writer
It’s a good idea, but they would like to tweak it. Broad-based admissions is a program that considers both grades and extracurricular activities in high school students’ university applications. As UBC prepares to expand the program from a few faculties to the entire university, candidates for this year’s Senate elections— Barnabas Caro, Montana Hunter, Dawei Ji, Kiran Mahal, Katherine Tyson and Justin Yang—are generally supportive, but have some conditions. “I think it’s very good,” said Ji. “We need to take a holistic approach with how we evaluate students, especially as high school averages are getting so high [due to] grade inflation. “My only fear is this is going to create more resume padding...I
think people should do things because they want to, not because they think that they need it to get somewhere.” The program was adopted first by the Sauder School of Business in 2004, and the Faculty of Arts
We need to take a holistic approach with how we evaluate students. Dawei Ji Senate candidate soon followed suit. One in four new students choose the method, and according to a December enrolment report, the program will be spreading to all direct-entry programs for the Winter 2012 session. “It’s going to take different faculties different amounts of time to
kind of get the right formula to get the right students that they want,” said Yang. “In Sauder, you’re looking for a different student than the Faculty of Arts.” It has been suggested that recruiting more engaged students on campus could help solve a broader problem with engagement at UBC. Mahal agrees. “I think that students who aren’t used to balancing both in high school are not as inclined to start to do that when they’re in university,” she said. Caro suggested taking the measures one step further by adopting the co-curricular transcripts and institution-verified lists of engagement activities used at the University of Windsor, University of Guelph and Acadia University, among others. “It’s an incentive to get people involved,” Caro said. “Many students around campus would agree with me in the fact that student
involvement’s a great thing; you don’t do it unless you’re pushed, but when you do it, you love it.” “It’s a sticky topic,” Yang said, mentioning that the idea came up a few years ago and created little momentum. “I think it’s a great idea in concept, [but] I think nobody is ready to tackle the issues of implementation.” Additionally, issues have been raised around what criteria the applications use to determine high school engagement. “I think it needs to be looked at so that we’re not just encouraging people who already have a lot of extracurriculars because of their family background,” Tyson said, worrying about students who missed out because they had to work part-time jobs. “Those are real-life experiences that can sometimes take away from your grade-point average that I think that we’re not focusing on.”
Hunter said it was important to encourage students to express “unusual” interests. “Otherwise, you’re going to get the same type of people who do their student leadership stuff, get their 95 per cent, et cetera,” he said, noting Sauder’s broad-based criteria have remained the same for years. “Once again, reaching out to the same type of people.” Mahal, president of the Science Undergraduate Society, said that Science should fully adopt the program because engagement is an aspect of university people often miss, pointing to her experiences in the AMS Externship program. “I get students emailing me back after they’ve graduated,” she said, noting they had trouble securing internships. “They might have been very academically inclined, but they didn’t have that mentality. “That’s what’s going to get you a job...not just your degree.” U
6 | Issues | 01.23.2012
Presidential candidate eyes BC lobby group
LOBBYING>>
Creation of provincial lobby group has eluded AMS for two years Arshy Mann COURTESY OF THE NEXUS
Hundreds of students across the province rally at the BC legislature earlier this year to advocate for more post-secondary education funding
Federal lobbying without CASA Tanner Bokor Staff Writer
Stepping out onto the national stage—alone. The AMS VP External is meant to lobby organizations outside of the university on behalf of student interests. But after the AMS opted to withdraw membership from the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) in December 2011, the AMS has been left with no lobbying body on the federal level. Sole VP External candidate Kyle Warwick, who agreed with the AMS’s decision to leave CASA, said that the student union can make efforts on their own. According to Warwick, going independent will allow the AMS to present individual messages. “By being independent, the AMS can now advocate for issues, such as funding for the Broadway rapid rail, which are not priorities with the other schools in CASA,” he said. Warwick said he’d still work on specific federal initiatives like
infrastructure, copyright law, aboriginal students and international students. When asked whether Warwick would support the AMS aligning itself with another federal lobbying organization such as the Canadian Federation of Students, Warwick said no. “Council has already decided that CASA was not a good fit for the AMS,” Warwick said. “I absolutely oppose joining the alternative group, the Canadian Federation of Students, as it has frequently taken an excessively ideological approach towards advocacy.” However, current AMS president and former VP External Jeremy McElroy disagreed that the AMS can be represented federally without CASA. “It isn’t about money, we have plenty of that now that we are not members,” McElroy said. “With only one VP External, limited staff and more pressing municipal and provincial issues, I don’t think the AMS will have much
time or energy to dedicate to federal lobbying.” Warwick said advocacy should be taking place at a provincial rather than federal level. With pressing issues such as the U-Pass contract negotiations and rapid transit line discussions taking place in the near future, the AMS should focus its resources towards those areas. But McElroy disagreed. “I’ve always believed strongly in federal advocacy, especially advocating for the creation of a national strategy on post-secondary education,” he said. “I relied almost exclusively on CASA to this end, as Vancouver is a long way from Ottawa, and one school among hundreds has a much smaller voice than many working together.” With the creation of a new University and Government Relations Advisor responsible for advising the AMS on external lobbying issues like student loans, Warwick said that the AMS will be more effective in streamlining the AMS’s advocacy priorities to be more effective for student interests. U
Managing Editor, Web
The creation of a provincial lobbying group to rival the BC wing of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) has become the white whale of AMS politics in recent years. After two years of efforts, the initiative, spearheaded by former VP External and current AMS President Jeremy McElroy, has not come to fruition. But presidential candidate Ben Cappellacci has pledged to continue the endeavour, if elected, using a different approach. “I think a lot of symbolic activities—efforts to work together on maybe more minor issues before collecting to a bigger one—is the approach we should take on this,” he said. Kyle Warwick, the only candidate running for VP External, agrees. “What we’ve seen before is that in two cases we’ve had an attempt to create a top-down model of a lobby group, wherein you have bylaws attempt to be drafted [and] you try to have all of the bureaucratic apparatus...before you have any actual cooperation.” He pointed to the Where’s the Funding campaign (WTF), a joint initiative by seven BC student unions including the AMS, as a possible starting point for a more structured lobby group. “We don’t necessarily want to grow that quickly into a bureaucratized group with mandatory membership fees, complex bylaws and all of these things, but we can see that’s been moving along very well,” Warwick said. “[And] it’s very clear that there’s appetite for further cooperation to develop out of that.” The WTF campaign is focused on advocating for the elimination of interest on student loans, re-establishing provincial needs-based grant programs and increasing post-secondary funding. According to McElroy, previous efforts to get a group off the ground failed primarily because of executive turnover at other student unions. But he went on to say that the climate in BC has changed. Last year, the University of Victoria Students’
Society successfully left the CFS, while the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) and the CFS recently settled a lawsuit that resulted in the SFSS also withdrawing from the organization. Both of these organizations are part of the WTF campaign, which is planning a province-wide campaign at the end of the month in anticipation of the throne speech. McElroy said that any possible future organization would resemble groups in other provinces such as the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance or the New Brunswick Student Alliance.
The relationship with the province has become even more complicated with the issue of UBC governance. Ben Cappallacci Presidential candidate Cappellacci said that the creation of a provincial lobby group would be especially opportune for UBC students presently because of UBC’s unique governance situation. The governance of the university endowment lands was transferred to provincial jurisdiction two years ago as a result of Bill 20. This was seen as an interim solution, with a more permanent framework to be developed in the near future. “The relationship with the province has become even more complicated with the issue of UBC governance,” said Cappellacci. “And I feel like a dedicated focus toward that would eventually allow that student position to be really represented.” He went on to say that executive turnover at other student unions presents one of the greatest challenges to getting an organization off the ground. The other challenge lies in the reservations about formal lobbying organizations in the wake of the many lawsuits with the CFS. “[But] I think those reservations can be easily quelled when we actually start realizing how good it is to work together and how much we can achieve.” U
01.23.2012 | Issues | 7 VP ACADEMIC >>
Summer semester still needs work, says candidates “
Natalya Kautz Staff Writer
Though the VP Academic and University Affairs portfolio is wide-reaching, the topic that most divides the candidates this year is their stance on developing the summer semester. The current proposal for the summer semester looks to standardize course start dates and lengths, meaning that more intensive three-week courses would generally no longer be offered. The candidates reacted differently to the loss of the three-week courses. Kiran Mahal described herself as a “huge advocate” of their removal, citing personal experience taking a three-week course. Mahal characterized the stress of the accelerated learning rate as “not healthy for mental health,” and that she had found the quality of education in the summer term to be significantly less than the regular year. Bahador Moosavi also came out in support of the removal of short courses. Moosavi argued that the creation of more six-week courses would guarantee that “the summer term is sustainable in faculties like Engineering, where there are no three-week courses and the courses that are offered are very limited.” However, both Carven Li and Iqbal Kassam thought the university should continue to offer intensive courses to students. Li argued that the university should try to accommodate many types of learners. “I think that they should definitely keep some of the intense courses for students who learn better at a more intensive rate,” he said. Kassam agreed, and said that three-week courses offered flexibility to working students. “I honestly just like the way it is now; I like the flexibility.” The manner in which the summer semester is developed will
“
Party Rock Scrap the summer term and install an exchange program to Ibiza.
Carven Li I think they should definitely keep some of the intense courses for students who learn better at a more intensive rate.
VP Academic candidates on summer semester
“
“
Iqbal Kassam [UBC] could have a much busier campus life if we just made it possible for more students and more professors to live here.
Kiran Mahal Not healthy for mental health.
“ also impact campus life and the financial health of businesses during that season. Though the candidates agreed that a more lively campus during the summer should be encouraged, their strategies to achieve it varied. A lively summer term is dependent on the expansion of yearround student housing on campus, argued Moosavi, “because it guarantees the traffic that’s needed to support those [campus] businesses over the summer.” He said that expanding the course offering during
the summer term will “make the AMS stronger in terms of lobbying the university, especially in housing.” Mahal thought similarly, and added that the increase in yearround traffic will also give the AMS more sway with TransLink over the creation of rapid transit to UBC. “I think that there is potential to keep this campus vibrant all throughout the year, and I think that’s what everyone wants.” Maintaining student services during the summer was prioritized
by Li. He advocated for more four-month course options in the summer, “so that AMS services like Safewalk and tutoring are more feasible during this time.” However, he also acknowledged the difficulties surrounding maintenance of a year-round campus. Kassam argued that a lively campus in the summer required more housing, “in particular for the faculty.” He pointed to commute times of both professors and students as being problematic, and maintained that students “could
Bahador Moosavi The summer term is sustainable in faculties like Engineering, where there are no three-week courses.
have a much busier campus life if we just made it possible for more students and more professors to live here.” A very different approach to the summer term is envisioned by joke candidate Ian “Party Rock” Campbell. Though it might not be financially sound, the idea to “scrap the summer term, and install an exchange program to Ibiza” might be favoured by the student population. Plus, as Party Rock put it, it will most definitely “make UBC a more fun place.” U
WHISTLER >>
Selling lodge supported by VP Admin candidates Colin Chia Contributor
With one week to go in the AMS elections, both candidates for VP Administration are calling for students to vote to sell the Whistler Lodge in the upcoming referendum, amid concerns about expensive renovations and falling revenues. According to an AMS report in December, while revenue from students has remained stable, a drop in visits from the general public due to competition from other hostels in Whistler is responsible for a $60,000 drop in revenue from 2010 to 2011. VP Administration candidate Caroline Wong supports the sale of the lodge, and while she expects the referendum to fail, Wong believes it will raise awareness of the financial difficulties the lodge is facing. “It’s uneducated students who don’t know that the Whistler Lodge is creating a loss for us right now and burning a hole through our pockets.” But for those who regularly take advantage of the lodge, it is a valuable service for cash-strapped skiers. “As as student you don’t have much disposable income,” said Katherine Valentine, president of
the Varsity Outdoor Club, whose members originally built the lodge in 1965. “To have a cheap place to stay in Whistler, that’s an amazing advantage for students,” she said. Charlott Johansen, president of the Ski and Board Club, thinks a lot can still be done to solve the lodge’s problems before selling it. “This comes as a shock to everyone,” said Johansen, who said not enough was done by the AMS to inform students that the lodge was in trouble. “I don’t understand what they’re saying when they say that student usage is going down because obviously it’s not.” There have also been problems with an inconvenient booking system, management and lack of publicity, she said. “The push needs to come from the AMS and clubs like us and try at least one last-ditch effort before selling it off.” Wong said $150,000 in repairs are needed immediately, but ultimately the lodge should be kept as a service if students want it. “The lodge would have to remain operating if that’s what the students want, but it will probably have to be put to a referendum another year.” If the lodge is sold, Wong said the interest earned from the savings
could be used in other ways to support winter sports. “I would like to propose other solutions and collaborate with students to find the best way to help our skiers and snowboarders in the future.” The other candidate in the race, Elaine Kuo, is also looking at other ways to accommodate students going to Whistler if the lodge is sold off. Regardless of whether the referendum passes, Kuo said the AMS “should definitely provide some way of lodging students up at Whistler at a cheap price,” adding that the AMS could subsidize lodging expenses for students instead. Like Wong, Kuo also expects the referendum to fail. However, she would invest in renovations and review the management of the lodge if students vote against selling it. “If students overwhelmingly vote against selling the Whistler Lodge, I am open to any means possible to really renovate the lodge and make it more comfortable for students,” she said. However, Kuo said that the AMS would need to work with groups like the Ski and Board Club. “I would love to help them maybe fundraise enough to do some minor repairs and renovations to the lodge.” U
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL KINGSMILL
Whistler Lodge, seen here, has been a financial drain on the AMS for years.
Candidates
01.23.2012 |
Kyle Warwick Fifth-year Political Science
1
Vice President
External
Your represenative to the politicians outside of university
T
he VP External is in charge of lobbying different levels of government to advocate for policies on behalf of UBC students. This is done in a variety of ways—meeting with politicians, preparing policy documents, working with other student associations—but the specific policies the VP External wants to pursue are up to him or her. Previous VP Externals have focused on lowering tuition, reforming student loans and building better relationships with other student unions. For the first time in many years, the VP External will not be working in conjunction with a federal lobbying group, as the AMS is set to leave the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).
Tristan Miller Fourth-year Arts
1
How closely do you think the AMS should work with clubs and other subsidiary organizations in terms of their finances?
I think the AMS should work very closely with clubs and subsidiaries in terms of their finances. That’s basically what I do now, as vice-chair. It’s important for us to give students the tools they need to make their clubs successful, as many clubs have no executives with financial experience at all. It can be overwhelming for them at first as few clubs have transition reports (or people never fill them out). Treasurers’ training is a big part of that. Not to mention keeping an eye on subsidiaries to make sure they are spending student money wisely, and making it compulsory for them to plan ahead.
What sets you apart from the previous VP Finance, Elin Tayyar, and what do you plan to do differently? Our general mindset on best practices is not all that different, however, we take a different approach to solving problems. For me, communication is key. I plan on engaging interest groups earlier in a policy creation setting, rather than pushing through a policy without consultation, even if it’s a good one. In the case of the [Whistler] Lodge, for instance, we should have contacted Ski and Board in the beginning and asked their opinion. That doesn’t mean we don’t move forward with our plans if we believe them to be the best option, but giving people a chance to have their voice heard, and to be included in the process, is important. You never know, Ski and Board may not have been so opposed to the referendum if they had had greater awareness and involvement. 2
3
How do you plan to turn around the current AMS financial situation and
How will you use the additional lobbying money left from the AMS’s decision not to join CASA?
While federal lobbying is important, in recent years it has come at the expense of provincial advocacy. The current president and VP External have made important strides to address this shortfall. I plan to build on these initiatives. Previous efforts to establish cooperation between student societies in BC failed because they attempted to create a perfect set of bylaws and a large bureaucratic apparatus, without first working together on basic advocacy campaigns. My plan is to first hold joint advocacy events with other student societies and to gradually build a cooperative group, rather than attempting to rush into a overly formalized and bureaucratic provincial lobbying structure. Fundamentally, we can learn more about cooperation between student societies from actually cooperating, rather than from having lawyers attempt to tweak a set of bylaws for a provincial lobbying group.
A large majority of the money that we have saved has already been committed to the office of the new university and government relations advisor. The remainder of the funding should be targeted HACKSPEAK>> towards issues that have the greatest impact on the largest CASA—The Canadian Alliance number of students. This means of Student Associations is our advocacy campaigns should a national organization that be refocused towards the issues of lobbies the federal governstudent loan reform and improved ment on student issues. The transit to campus. AMS was a founding member of CASA, but had been ambivalent towards it for several 2 Do you believe there is years. They voted to leave in a better alternative to November. CASA? What will you do provincially? Leaving the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) was the right decision. However, the other federal student lobbying group, the Canadian Federation of Students, is an even worse choice for the AMS. The AMS, as one of the largest student societies in the country, can still launch viable federal advocacy without being part of a federal lobbying group. This is important for issues such as aboriginal education funding and graduate research funding, which are determined by the federal government.
8
3
Some other universities have been eliminating the VP External position. Why shouldn’t we?
Advocacy is one of the key goals of an effective student society. All students are affected by issues such as transit to campus and student financial aid, and advocacy on these issues has led to some major wins for students. It is also crucial to note that each of the five AMS executives currently works considerably more than 40 hours per week. Without a dedicated VP External, it would be impossible to reshuffle the large volume of external advocacy work to other departments. Without this position, effective advocacy simply would not get done, and students would lose their voice on crucial issues such as transit and financial aid.
rectify its debt, even if the referendum to sell Whistler Lodge and AMS Art Collection pieces fails? Here’s hoping they don’t fail. But if they do, it will mean we will have to closely examine the services review, and see where we can find better value for students. This also means we are going to have to consult students on what they care about most, then make some difficult choices and cut spending. The simple fact is, we spend more money than we consistently generate, and that’s not sustainable, and students aren’t likely to vote to raise their fees again. Promoting the development of the Endowment Fund is another way we can begin to turn around our finances. 4
If you only had the opportunity to accomplish one goal during your term as VP Finance, what would it be?
If I could only achieve one goal, it would be to leave the AMS in a more stable financial condition than it has been in the past. Continuity is something sorely lacking, in part due to the transient nature of university life. The short turnover of executives, all bringing different visions to the portfolio, has caused the Finance Commission’s policies to be in continual flux. Bringing some consistency to the department through a three-year plan, hopefully adopted by Council, could begin to stabilize the AMS finances, ensuring future students have the same funds, if not more than we have now. HACKSPEAK>>
Endowment Fund—A collection of money that is used to generate interest that the society can spend accordingly. In the current referendum, a question involving the fund asks to entrench the rules of the AMS Endowment Fund as a bylaw. That would mean that any withdrawals by Council from the fund would require permission through referendum. According to the referendum question involving the fund, the interest will be used to “advance the mission of the society.”
Vice President
Finance
Looking after your money, SUB businesses and sustainability
T
he VP Finance is responsible for the financial affairs of the AMS. They take office in February and are responsible for presenting the budget in the summer. In addition, the VP Finance oversees the finances of the businesses and services the AMS runs out of the SUB, working with various managers to ensure they are financially solvent and valuable for students. They are also a signing officer for the AMS, treasurer for CiTR, AMS Events, Council and the resource groups. They are responsible for overseeing the sustainability portfolio and are a member of a variety of UBC committees.
01.23.2012 | Candidates | 9
Alyssa “AJ”
Koehn Fifth-year Poli Sci/Geography
Should the AMS be more focused on providing services or increasing student engagement on campus? 1
From left to right, cutouts of the six most recent AMS Presidents. And the GSS President. He’s the one in the middle.
GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
President
Who’s brave enough to lead the society?
T
he president of the AMS is the leader and spokesperson of UBC’s student society. As such, they chair the executive committee, oversee the actions of the vice-presidents and are responsible for setting the agenda of Council meetings. Typically, they choose a few areas to focus their time and energy each year. Recent presidents have made athletic fees, tuition and relationships with the university high priorities on their agenda.
Ben Cappellacci Fifth-year Commerce
Should the AMS be more focused on providing services or increasing student engagement on campus? 1
These two areas do not have to be mutually exclusive. The Alma Mater Society can and should engage with students through showing value. One of the ways this can be accomplished is through the strengthening of our students services. Having served as the coordinator of Safewalk, I know firsthand how providing efficient services can foster greater student engagement.
Who has been the best AMS president in the last five years and why? Who missed the mark, and why? Every president has had their strengths and weaknesses. I can reflect more accurately about the impact of the last three presidents, being that my involvement in the society has spanned this time period. Blake Frederick was a passionate individual who was a strong advocate for student issues. He played a large role in saving the [UBC] Farm (along with Mike Duncan) and provided a very activist perspective in the UBC community. Unfortunately, he had his shortcomings. The most glaring was of course the UN complaint issue, where Council feedback was not solicited and the complaint was forwarded through no consultations. Obviously, this resulted in the success of Bijan who provided a contrasting approach to the university, but perhaps a similar approach to Council. I worked very closely with Bijan as the VP Academic and University Affairs. What is now public knowledge, I had my differences with his approach and stance on some major 2
issues. Bijan was an exemplar of a successful relationship with the university. The AMS benefited greatly in this attribute, mainly with the signing of the SUB lease. However, he also shared Blake’s reluctance to share information with Council. The result of this was the failure of the initial budget as well as the impetus for the censure motion. Although leaving my position with a very adversarial relationship with Bijan, I did learn a lot from him as a president. His work ethic and enthusiasm for achievement were unparalleled. As VP Academic and University Affairs, I also had the pleasure of working closely with Jeremy. Jeremy was a skilled diplomat and an excellent public speaker. I think he was very deserving of the presidency and as the spokesperson of the society. I think his experience serving under the aforementioned presidents resulted in the atmosphere of the society being slightly more constructive, especially during the fall months. Jeremy has his own weaknesses, in my opinion. Mainly, it is his reluctance to take a vehement and strong stance on issues that may prove controversial. I think it is important that the president fights for what he or she believes is right. While the ultimate decision is that of Council’s, the president should not shy away from expressing his opinion. 3
What role should students play when it finally comes to developing a governance structure for UBC? The main objective of the AMS should be to ensure awareness of what issues are impacting students while allowing for an easy and effective way for students to voice their concerns. Throughout my year as VP Academic and University Affairs, I
was involved in a number of consultations, whether done by UBC, AMS, UNA or TransLink. While we failed in some respects, I saw a progression towards more effective consultative processes with the advancement of my term. I believe we need to use several mediums of communication to adequately communicate with the student body. I think students should play an integral role in formulating the governance model. I plan to make that a priority of my term. At the end of the day, this university exists for the education of our student body; not for residents, not for our professors, and not for the UBC administration.
What will be your presidential legacy if elected? I think the AMS has lost sight of its purpose and direction. I believe the AMS exists to strengthen student influence, cultivate academic achievement and inspire student culture. I hope the legacy I leave will be to set a long-term vision that is based on these principles. 4
Name one thing UBC is doing really well and one thing UBC is doing really poorly. I think UBC is effective in multiple aspects of education in isolation: we have strong research, competent and dedicated faculty and excellent student services. However, I believe the biggest weakness is bringing these factors together to provide a better experience for students. I think the AMS can play a large role in bringing students and groups together with a collective consciousness that emphasizes the value of community. I think the AMS needs to play a more active role in ensuring that students are the highest priority to the university. Students need a capable individual who is able to adequately and effectively advocate for student interests. I believe that with competent leadership, we can improve the lives of students while ensuring our community continues to foster the leaders of tomorrow. 5
The focus should definitely be on increasing student engagement with the society. A student society needs to understand the students it represents and the best way we can do that is to engage them [in] all aspects of the society. The biggest issue to me is that students who are involved on campus in other areas don’t want to connect with the AMS. When your student leader population doesn’t understand the value of the student society, you have a big problem. Sadly, I think this describes the current state at UBC. In order to engage students in the broadest sense, the AMS needs to first build and maintain an authentic working relationship with student leaders from all corners of campus. This looks like an AMS that supports student-led initiatives and whose executive and councillors attend events run by groups such as Peer Programs and Undergraduate Societies in order to see how the AMS can better support their work. Of course, this is not to say that current AMS-run services are not important. They are a valuable piece of the society. In some cases though, the university holds more expertise and is better equipped to run student services. If there are services needed by students that the AMS is lacking but the university provides, the AMS should collaborate with the university to shape and improve these services. The AMS would know the needs and wants of students best and could help shape the services that the university provides, or is willing to provide, for its students. A great example of somewhere we could do this is mental health and counseling services. Duplication of services isn’t a best practice. The AMS should work to ensure all necessary services are covered between AMS-run services and UBC-run, but AMSsupported, services.
Who has been the best AMS president in the last five years and why? Who missed the mark, and why? To me, the best president was Mike Duncan. Mike brought an energy to the society and inspired students to find out about the role of the AMS. I was once told, “You either know Mike Duncan or know someone who knows Mike Duncan,” which says a lot about the former visibility of the society across campus. Mike was known for his ‘interesting’ approach to networking, but it worked because he was authentic in his approach. He also had the best interests of the society in mind. He chose an achievable goal that was relevant to student needs, and fought tirelessly to achieve it. (Duncan successfully reduced the cost of Athletics fees to students). He focused his energy on one or two battles, rather than making muddled attempts on many projects, all while maintaining a strong executive team. I think he represents a president who knew how to balance his efforts for the strongest results while engaging the student population. 2
That said, no one is perfect; every president probably missed the mark more than once in their term. While some did more than others, critiquing them at this point lacks value and I’d rather learn from their successes than focus on their mistakes.
What role should students play when it finally comes to developing a governance structure for UBC? 3
There are 8000 students living in UBC residences every year. This makes up half of the residents of UBC, not counting those students living in on-campus housing not run by [UBC] Student Housing and Hospitality Services. These students absolutely need some sort of representation in whatever governance structure the university decides to adopt. How that representation looks becomes challenging as living in residence is often short-term and does not provide residents a permanent address. What role students play is going to be difficult to figure out, but it needs to be a permanent one with a vote in this future governance structure. Because the student residents pose a challenging situation, what the AMS needs to do right now is ensure that a consistent, strong student voice on behalf of campus residents is heard as governance structures are developing. The AMS needs to be present and speak up to ensure that these 8000 residents are being accounted for from the start. Then, once governance structures begin to take shape, the student voice will ideally be naturally taken into consideration. If it is not, we have already been there establishing our views and we are in a great position to up the fight to ensure students are represented.
What will be your presidential legacy if elected? The real legacy is not what a president accomplishes but what the society as a whole can achieve under their term. If elected, my presidential legacy will be having a unified team of VPs who have succeeded in accomplishing the smart, achievable goals we set together. My legacy would be to facilitate a high-functioning society that students can relate to, and count on, to support their needs. 4
Name one thing UBC is doing really well and one thing UBC is doing really poorly. One thing I see the university doing really well is providing and encouraging students to be a part of co-curricular involvement experiences. I’m really impressed that this is a focus of the VP Students portfolio and I look forward to seeing “Enriched Educational Experiences” as a part of our transcript someday soon. As for things UBC is doing poorly, I’d love to see more of a focus on improving student communication, engaging students in the campus planning process, and advocating holistic approaches to learning and health. 5
10 | Candidates | 01.23.2012
The past three
presidents Jeremy McElroy 2011-2012
Acheivements Jeremy McElroy was elected in the wake of two presidents who failed to communicate properly with Council and student constituencies. His platform could essentially have been a pledge not to screw up. There was little to politically divide students this year and no real scandal to rile the crowds. He was able to lead a far more cohesive executive team, giving VPs more free reign on their projects, especially in comparison with Ahmadian’s presidency.
Shortcomings But McElroy’s term was not without a few hiccups. Allowing Council to debate executive raises (even if he did recuse himself) midway through his year in office almost sparked a student referendum, and his vision for lobbying was lost when the AMS finally left CASA and failed to move forward on a provincial lobby group, despite him laying the groundwork as VP External the year before.
JOSH CURRAN/THE UBYSSEY
The Imagine Day rally includes a speech from the AMS president—the most public thing a president does all year.
Matt
Parson
Bijan Ahmadian 2010-2011 Acheivements Bijan organized the UBC’s Got Talent show to benefit the United Way. Also, the agreement to build the new SUB was finalized with UBC during his reign. Shortcomings He was a hugely controversial figure during debate over whether to allow $700 from the Social Justice Centre to be donated toward a Gaza aid flotilla. After AMS Council voted to approve the donation, he took it upon himself to speak to the National Post about his plans to investigate whether the recipient organization had any ties to terrorism. He was also criticized for being too cozy with UBC administration during land use negotiations, and for later mounting a highly critical attack campaign against Jeremy McElroy (who ultimately succeeded him as president). An AMS Council motion to censure him for reasons such as these was defeated by only one vote, and he brought his own personal lawyer with him to the Council meeting when this motion was read.
Blake Frederick 2009-2010 What he’s known for Caring a lot about reducing tuition. In fact, this relates to the next point: his controversies.
Controversies Frederick’s term started off on shaky ground. After being initially disqualified and then re-qualified due to slate like activities, Frederick continued on to more controversy. In November 2009, Frederick made a human rights complaint to the UN, and nearly got impeached for acting without the permission of Council. However, since the referendum question regarding his impeachment failed to reach quorum, he was allowed to stay in office.
Accomplishments Really, it’s hard to say. Perhaps it was helping the student body reveal their thoughts on tuition. In the same 2010 referendum which failed to impeach Frederick, a question that asked “Should the AMS actively lobby for reduced tuition fees and increased government funding?” was overwhelmingly in favour with 3844 votes for and 910 votes against. But it was later found that the question didn’t reach quorum. U
Fifth-year Biology
Should the AMS be more focused on providing services or increasing student engagement on campus? The Alma Mater Society’s mandate is very clear; it is, quite simply, to serve the students of UBC in all areas of their life, be it academic, social or personal. The AMS exists to provide services to students and that should be the focus, but when we begin to focus solely on the internal side of operations we deviate from our mandate. When students are engaged with their student society we are better able to direct our efforts towards having a refined pulse of students at UBC. In addition to better knowing how to serve students through a connected student body we would have a higher level of utilization as well. If I had to choose one focus, it would be on student engagement because I feel that this is the area that we are currently lacking most in, and improvements in regards to involvement will spill over to us being better able to provide services. 1
Who has been the best AMS president in the last five years and why? Who missed the mark, and why? I would say that in the past five years the best president was Michael Duncan. Mike did a phenomenal job of interacting with students and being a very visible figure on campus and as a result he, and by association the AMS, became recognizable to the whole UBC community. Under Michael’s presidency he did a great job guiding an organization free of controversy which is critical to the AMS to appeal to students. What really set Mike apart from other presidents was that he had a legacy project, athletic fees, that produced a tangible benefit to students. The role of the president is a very difficult one and generally attracts students who are genuinely only trying to make the 2
student experience at UBC better. Sometimes these students lose sight of the fact that they are here to represent students and feel that they know what’s best regardless of what their executive, student council or the general student population believes. The president in the past five years who has strayed the farthest in my opinion was Blake Frederick. I don’t think that Blake’s will was ill and I actually agree in principle with what he was advocating for when he approached the UN with the human rights complaint. My real qualm was the secretive fashion that he took which purposefully removed students from the discussion.
What role should students play when it finally comes to developing a governance structure for UBC? UBC’s governance structure currently provides the university with a nearly complete state of autonomy. Status quo is most definitely the university’s favoured option, but this is not a legitimate final option as communicated in Bill 20. The onus is on UBC to provide a suggested final governance model and if we are going to see a model that has a form of real student governance, there needs to be a significant level of student pressure towards the province. For this pressure to be effective it needs to be in combination with other relevant groups around campus such as residents, faculty and staff to make our combined voice unavoidable. Hopefully through this advocacy the process of producing the proposal of governance at UBC can be opened up beyond just the administration. Ideally the process could take the form of a working group championed by someone removed from UBC with strong representation from all relevant stakeholders. If the students want to have their voices heard on the topic of governance, it is critical that they make it obvious and partner with other groups that also care about the 3
process not being only championed by UBC.
What will be your presidential legacy if elected? Presidents are remembered for things that they have done completely different than past years. One thing I hope to do completely different than past years is my approach to connecting students with their society. It seems that with every election season that comes around there are presidential candidates that approach the issue of student apathy and lack of communication usually through countless top-down strategies. It’s almost always the same stream of thinking, like getting students to “like” a page or “follow” a stream—the alleged paradigm-shifting social media solution that no one else has thought of yet. I hope my presidential legacy will be a change in thought of how the president and by extension AMS approaches students and connects with them. Through my campaign pledge I commit myself to actually interacting with students every working day with the very real consequence of losing a third of my week’s wages to be donated to the AMS Endowment. For more information on my pledge please visit my website, mattparson.ca. 5 Name one thing UBC is doing really well and one thing UBC is doing really poorly. 4
UBC does a decent job at providing students with learning opportunities outside the classroom, such as the possibility to get involved with anything from going on exchange and taking a co-op term to helping out with Terry Talks and SLC. An area that UBC has self-identified as doing quite poorly is their ability to deal with the deteriorating state of student well-being, and I’d have to agree with them. The issue of student well-being has gained increased notoriety as the statistics become more alarming and public and the time delay in UBC addressing this problem is obvious. I look forward to working with the university in helping taking a more holistic and proactive stance to helping students remaining healthy during their time at UBC. While I have the chance to whine about UBC I have to add in the fact that I feel they do an absolutely terrible job providing walkways that are covered from the rain, which I feel we’d all have to agree is a fairly pertinent inconvenience in Vancouver.
01.23.2012 | Candidates | 11
Fifth-year English Honours and Cell Biology & Genetics
Justin Yang GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
Successful Board reps must both work well with the university, while making sure they effectively advocate for student interests.
Board of
Governors
A student voice in UBC’s decision-making
T
he Board of Governors is UBC’s final decision-making body, responsible for the management and administration of the university. As the day-to-day affairs of UBC are left to executives, it deals largely with managing long-term financial and property matters: passing budgets and resolutions, approving buildings and overseeing land use amendments. It is comprised of 21 members: President Stephen Toope, Chancellor Sarah Morgan-Silvester, 11 members appointed by the provincial government, 3 elected faculty members, 2 elected UBC employees and 3 elected students (1 from UBC-O, 2 from this campus). In addition to the five yearly board meetings, members sit on a variety of committees which operate throughout the year.
Fifth-year Biology
Matt Parson What do you think is the most important issue on campus and how do you plan to address it? 1
In the near-term, the most important issue on campus is municipal governance. In the long-term, ensuring affordable housing stock for students, faculty and staff is key. As the most recent VP Academic and University Affairs of the AMS, my office has been involved in shaping policy and advocating for both these issues. I will bring my expertise and the research that was developed over the last year to the table. Ultimately, it’s a competition around who can shape the message that Board members are hearing. If I am concerned that Campus and Community Planning is missing the point, I will leverage my relationship as a fellow Board member to offer alternative views to my colleagues in both the public and private sphere until all views are considered.
As one of only three student representatives on the Board of Governors, how will you ensure that the student perspective is heard? 2
As a member of the Board, it is important to remember one’s
fiduciary duties. The Board is composed of a variety of people, not because it’s meant to act as an interest group, but to ensure a broad range of perspectives are heard to do what is in the best interests of the university. If other Board members are aware that I take my fiduciary duty seriously, they will trust my perspective regarding the student experience and give it equal weight with all other necessary considerations. Only when trust is built will any perspective be taken seriously. To position oneself as an interest group would be to relegate oneself to barking from the sidelines. [It’s] appealing to some peoples eyes but that would not be in the best interests of students. 3
university’s and AMS’s part in addressing this issue, I would likely abstain rather than vote yes. Last year, the Board promised to conduct a strategic session on improving the affordability of education and I would push for this to take centre stage over my term. I would like to see a revision of Board Policy 72 to decouple it from the broken provincial student aid system and managed separately as a starting point.
In recent years, student BoG members have often abstained from votes on tuition increases. Would you abstain on tuition votes? How would you push UBC to make education affordable? 4
In an era of mounting debt and rising costs, preventing tuition from rising would be ideal. However, I would only vote no if I believed the budget could maintain academic quality without increasing tuition, but a raise was still being proposed. To vote no based on ideals would be a violation of fiduciary duty. Furthermore, as adequate work has yet to be done from both the
The most important issue is the question of affordability in its myriad forms: housing, post-secondary education, etc... As someone who works two jobs, I’m aware of the challenges of pursuing an education which is essential for a livelihood. I intend to approach the Board of Governors with a strong work ethic, an open mind and a firm position on some key issues. A successful student representative to the Board will be able to establish and maintain an ongoing dialogue between administrators and students while also being able to understand other campus stakeholder groups including faculty, staff and residents. I have both the skills and the experience to accomplish these goals.
As one of only three 2 student representatives on the Board of Governors, how will you ensure that the student perspective is heard? A multi-pronged approach is necessary to ensuring that a multiplicity of student perspectives is communicated to the Board. It’s important to work within the AMS to gain insight into the ongoing work that it is doing and how it can be complementary to work on the Board; however,
As one of only three student representatives on the Board of Governors, how will you ensure that the student perspective is heard? 2
What is your position on Gage South?
I believe Gage South lies at the heart of our campus and offers much to student life and as such, this character must be preserved. I do not believe that housing designed for non-UBC affiliated residents would be appropriate and I’m particularly cautious about the realities of faculty or staff housing in this area. The interface between student activities and young families has proven to be problematic.
What do you think is the most important issue on campus and how do you plan to address it?
Fourth-year Integrated Engineering
Tagg Jefferson What do you think is the most important issue on campus and how do you plan to address it? 1
Student representation on building projects. For future development projects in Gage South and general student spaces, it is important to include student and alumni voices in groups that have actual decisionmaking power, not just poorly conducted consultation sessions. Spaces like the new SUB, the Alumni Centre and the Engineering Student Centre have included students and alumni in all aspects of the projects and have resulted in flexible space designs the users are very happy with. I will work to leverage these precedents and my strong working relationship with administration to make sure that student and alumni input is not just heard, but acted upon.
If elected, I will promptly schedule time to sit down with clubs from across campus to reach as many students as possible. I can’t promise baked goods and weekly barbeques, but I will commit myself to reaching out beyond the standard meeting requirements to undergraduate societies, the AMS executive, student senators, student interest groups, Greeks and any other group with a particular concern.
What is your position on Gage South? I am concerned with the nuts and bolts of the issue: if student or faculty/staff housing, both of which are desperately needed, is to be built in the area, leases need to be carefully drafted such that they cannot transition to market housing at a later date. From a planning perspective, examples like the proposed Aquatic Centre replacement neglected perfectly viable and potentially better alternatives such as renovation. Instead of the administration simply presenting and defending their proposals, I will work with other students to push from the Board
it is also necessary to gauge student input outside of institutional means—this means grassroots work with a variety of other, sometimes marginalized, students. All of these perspectives can be communicated to the Board coherently and cogently by “speaking their language”—that is to say, demonstrating the ways in which student needs are closely aligned with those of other stakeholder groups on campus and the campus at large. 3
What is your position on Gage South?
Gage South, insofar as it is possible, should be student-centric in every aspect. Located in the heart of campus, it must reflect the values of the vibrant student community to whom it is central—UBC came into being as a result of the Great Trek, so it behooves the Board to remember the ideals espoused at that time. I can say that I have reviewed the options presented regarding Gage South and have found them somewhat lacking; market housing has no real place in the Gage South area.
In recent years, student BoG members have often abstained from votes on tuition increases. Would you abstain on tuition votes? How would you push UBC to make education affordable? 4
Tuition increases tied to inflation shouldn’t be contentious but attempts to increase it beyond that should be scrutinized immensely. I wouldn’t abstain if I truly didn’t believe 100 per cent the case that tuition needed to be increased past inflationary levels—I would vote against. UBC needs to start doing two things: figuring out a financial aid system that works better and is reflective of student needs as well as to coordinate lobbying efforts to increase funding for post-secondary education and work on the student loan system.
level to continue consultations with all relevant voices being heard and actually considered. I don’t believe it would be responsible for any member of the BoG to decide how to vote before reviewing all relevant facts. The Board makes long-term decisions for which all viewpoints, stakeholders [and] possible outcomes must be very carefully considered. I will make my voting decisions on all topics when I feel that I am as well-versed on a given topic as I can be from both the student and administration viewpoints.
In recent years, student BoG members have often abstained from votes on tuition increases. Would you abstain on tuition votes? How would you push UBC to make education affordable? On the point of affordability, I strongly agree with increasing financial aid for students, whether academic, need or participationbased. One very interesting possibility would be to help develop Enriched Educational Experiences (official university recognition of students’ participation in extracurricular activities) to include a stipend or bursary for successful completion of a module. Students could receive payment for their extracurriculars.
12 | Candidates | 01.23.2012
Sean
don’t need non-student housing in Gage South.
Cregten
Fourth-year Arts
What do you think is the 1 most important issue on campus and how do you plan to address it? I want to see the successful, prostudent completion of the Gage South and University Boulevard area plans, with affordable student housing on University Boulevard. The final form of these areas must put students first, and I would be an unswerving advocate for that, as I have been for the past two years in my role as AMS VP Academic. As one of only three student representatives on the Board of Governors, how will you ensure that the student perspective is heard? To make an impact, it is vital to build a coalition with interested stakeholders on any given issue, be 2
Mike
Silley Fifth-year Arts
What do you think is the most important issue on campus and how do you plan to address it? 1
The most important issue for students on campus is affordability. This involves everything from tuition, student financial aid, student housing options, food options and even teaching methodologies—courses with less textbooks are more desirable to some students due to the high cost of textbooks. Addressing affordability to students should be the number one issue for the board to be discussing. I plan to bring up the tough questions like, “What price will students have to pay in order to have a world class university?” These are the types of questions that should be asked, and students should have their say.
they on the Board, students, administration or others. I would build on my existing relationships with Board members and administration and reach out to those I don’t know. A clear, reasonable voice can go a very long way, and I have the initiative and experience necessary to reach out and make those contacts count.
What is your position on Gage South?
3
Gage South should not include any housing that is not for students. We cannot muddle the centre of campus with non-student housing projects and the planning for the area must be flexible enough to accommodate the current and future transit needs of the student population. We need more buses, we need more bus shelters and we need room for rapid transit. We
As one of only three student representatives on the Board of Governors, how will you ensure that the student perspective is heard? 2
Currently I am serving as VicePresident Administration of the AMS. In my role as VP Admin, I have always endeavoured to make my office as open to student interests and concerns as possible. I plan to continue this mindset if elected. If students bring up legitimate concerns with me, I plan to help those students solve their problems regardless of whether or not it relates to the Board. Regarding public consultations, the university shouldn’t just be asking what students think, they should be listening and actively discussing with students what this campus should look like. Instead, the university has attempted to shut out the public and the media from planning groups that affect us all. This is not the right way to go about gaining trust. 3
What is your position on Gage South?
Gage South should be designated academic. It is near the heart of campus, and the argument by some
Sumedha
Sharma Fifth-year Science
What do you think is the most important issue on campus and how do you plan to address it? 1
One of the most important issues that the Board has a big role to play is one about governance. A lot of issues on campus are influenced due to the governance structure, be it parking tickets, regulation by RCMP, zoning and development on campus, et cetera. As of present, UBC works as a developer and an approval body as well, which brings about its own set of challenges. Since Bill 20 has been passed, UBC Board has a responsibility to engage the stakeholders on
campus—students and the residents of the campus—to create a dialogue around governance. I plan to engage students as much as possible to create a strategic plan for democratic governance of the UBC campus. I hope to create a strong student voice to ensure that this new body is truly democratic in nature and concerns of the stakeholders are heard and addressed.
As one of only three student representatives on the Board of Governors, how will you ensure that the student perspective is heard? 2
Erik
In recent years, student BoG members have often abstained from votes on tuition increases. Would you abstain on tuition votes? How would you push UBC to make education affordable? 4
No. I don’t believe that tuition should be raised unless the university has an absolutely dire financial need to do so. Tuition increases should be treated as a last resort by UBC, not as the rule, and in general I am opposed to them. Student representatives voting against a tuition increase should not be a big deal. In addition, international students need security in terms of what to expect for tuition for the entirety of their degree and I would push for a tuition guarantee that does this for the length of an international degree—be that four years or seven. Students should not subject to unnecessary tuition uncertainty, especially where there is no provincially mandated cap as with international students. that we need non-student housing there in order to boost business revenue during the summer is ludicrous! Instead of focusing how to develop the campus into a UTown, the university administration should be focusing on how to develop a university. They should be seeking solutions like fleshing out the summer semester so the discussion for additional market housing would no longer be valid.
In recent years, student BoG members have often abstained from votes on tuition increases. Would you abstain on tuition votes? How would you push UBC to make education affordable? 4
I plan to vote against tuition increases. I also plan to push UBC Food Services to see how they can lower their food prices. Many students feel like they are being gouged left, right and centre. By the end of their time at UBC, the average student graduates with $27,000 in debt. Whether it is at the UBC Bookstore, rez cafeteria, paying tuition athletic fees, students should not be seen by the administration as cash cows. This is unacceptable, and I plan to make the voice of students clearly heard at the board level. The Board gives student representatives a lot of opportunities to be able to bring up concerns—which are numerous, even outside the formal meeting. I am the only candidate in this present race with relevant experience and understand how to be an effective representative on the Board. I will leverage my experience and my association with the Board members to be able to ensure that student perspective is heard. 3
What is your position on Gage South?
I believe that Gage South should be reserved for academic purposes. This area serves as the heart of campus with a dynamic student life. This forms an essential part of the culture of student community at UBC and I would like to see this area develop with a student-focused approach. On the same, I believe that there is a strong need to address housing options for staff and faculty and options must be considered, but the identity of the Gage South area
MacKinnon Third-year Pharmacy
What do you think is the most important issue on campus and how do you plan to address it? 1
First: thanks for the opportunity to share my thoughts with students—I am working to earn their trust as the best candidate for a student representative seat on the UBC Board of Governors. I believe the most important issue at the Board level is inadequate representation from BoG representatives in recent years. Our BoG reps have been consummate professionals but sadly have been a bit shy in voting how the majority of students actually feel. For instance, I found it astonishing that our BoG reps would abstain instead of voting “no” on tuition increases; I would love to meet students who are interested in paying higher tuition. Once elected, I will ensure that students have a firm, strong voice on the Board that is willing to stand up for their interests.
As one of only three student representatives on the Board of Governors, how will you ensure that the student perspective is heard? 2
I’m confident that I am the candidate that is best positioned to ensure that students both hear about and have a say in Board decisions. My blog baldtruth.ca is very well-read throughout the campus; although I have committed to toning down the cussing and ranting once elected, students can rest assured that I will continue to bring up all issues that are important to us as a community and seek feedback on how students would like me to pursue results. 3
What is your position on Gage South?
Gage South. It’s a polarizing issue for a number of students who raised their voices through the petition led by UBC Insiders earlier this year. My position is simple: I’ll push for whatever the as a student-centred area should not be compromised. In recent years, student 4 BoG members have often abstained from votes on tuition increases. Would you abstain on tuition votes? How would you push UBC to make education affordable? I am a strong believer in making education affordable and accessible to students. Since April, I have been working on a Housing Action Plan to suggest affordable housing options for students—undergraduates, graduates, post-doctoral students, as well as staff and faculty. I have brought concerns forward about the increased cost of living in Vancouver and paying for tuition and incurring other expenses. I took part in a strategic discussion with the UBC Board and members of the UBC administration to discuss the growing need for more needs-based awards and increase bursary support. In addition, I am in discussions
majority of students want, as that’s my job. I am confident that Campus and Community Planning is amenable to having good ideas brought to the table, including those that come from students. If students truly believe that the Gage South area should not be repurposed, I will ensure that message is heard loud and clear.
In recent years, student BoG members have often abstained from votes on tuition increases. Would you abstain on tuition votes? How would you push UBC to make education affordable? 4
Unless students decide that they would like a tuition increase, I can assure you I will vote against it. UBC Finance has a ton of very intelligent staff and I’m 100 per cent sure that Pierre Ouillet (UBC VP Finance) and his team can get the job done without lock-step 2 per cent tuition increases every single year. In 2011–2012, the tuition increase reflected just $13.8 million of an approximately $900 million budget, and perhaps this money can be found elsewhere. Thanks again for the opportunity to contribute! Students can check out my platform at baldtruth.ca. VOTE MACKINNON FOR BOARD OF GOVERNORS! HACKSPEAK>>
Place and Promise— Stephen Toope’s overarching strategic plan for the university was implemented in 2009. The Board of Governors is responsible for seeing through this plan.
to create a strategic plan collaborating the lobbying efforts of both the AMS and the UBC Administration for student financial aid reforms on the provincial and federal levels. The question of increased tuition is an important one and must include extensive student consultations with both undergraduate and graduate students. In the past, students such as graduate students have expressed concerns such as the corresponding need to increase TA salaries, designing the PhD program to be able to complete the program in four years (thus saving them the extra financial cost). UBC increases tuition based on the provincial recommendation on the basis of cost of living (two per cent) and not according to the Higher Education Price Index (three per cent) for domestic students. I do believe that there is a need to continue to make sure that students do not feel the brunt of the increased cost of living on all the ends including tuition, and I want to explore avenues such as increased funding for need-based awards and other financial aid reforms.
01.23.2012 | Candidates | 13
Dawei Ji Fifth-year Pharmacy
I don’t necessarily agree that Senate doesn’t attract as much attention. I think that Senate attracts a lot of attention. For example, Access Copyright is huge. There are a ton of students in my classes who are extremely disappointed about the restrictions on what professors can post in their PowerPoint slides. The discussion about the agreement and its costs was not brought to BoG or Council for an opinion, it was brought to Senate. The non-academic misconduct policy is also 1
SENATE
Dealing with your classes
The Senate is responsible for the academic governance of the university. All major changes to campus academic policy must be passed at monthly Senate meetings, chaired by UBC President Stephen Toope. Five students are selected by the entire student body to sit on the Senate, but each faculty also elects a student representative—giving students nearly 25 per cent of the seats on Senate and allowing your opinion to reach the highest level of power.
Montana Hunter Fourth-year History
The Senate is the highest academic body on campus—its decisions regarding courses, exams, scholarships, et cetera, affect the day-to-day life of students just as much, or more, than BoG or Council. We’re all involved in academics at a university, so the Senate plays a huge role in student lives and should be a 1
Barnabas Caro
THE QUESTIONS 1 The Senate is one of many boards on campus but doesn’t always attract as much attention as Council or BoG. What makes it a priority for candidates? 2 In the debate over honorary degrees for Japanese-Canadians, there was tension between AMS Council and Senate over both
bodies’ positions. What are the limits of Senate’s responsibility on campus? 3 What sort of academic principles and standards should this institute maintain? When they conflict with the student interest, which is more important?
Katherine Tyson
Third-year Political Science
Senate is the only way in which UBC students can have an active say in academic policy at their university. It also gives us as students a chance to speak to profs and administrators on a one-to-one basis 1
Kiran Mahal
Fourth-year Biochemistry
The Senate is the highest governing body for academic issues on this campus. We are all here to get an education and join a community of academic scholars. The number one thing on the mind of most students at UBC is academics. There are no shortage of academic concerns or questions within each department and faculty at UBC. Student senators need to make an effort to inform students about what they do, what Senate does and how students at large can voice their concerns. 1
Justin Yang
Fourth-year Political Science
Both AMS Council and the 1 Board of Governors are important in their own ways to the lives of UBC students, and Senate is just the same—all three have their role to play. Senate deals with the academic lives of students; from admission to UBC, to the creation of academic policy and curricula, to working with academic appeals, to recognizing excellence in the UBC community through nominations, awards and tributes. Students come to university for a wide variety of reasons and each of them experiences unique opportunities, but one thing is experienced by all students while at UBC: academics. This is what binds all students together during their time at UBC, and the Senate is the institution that guides this crucial experience. This is why the Senate is a priority. 2
AMS Council and the Senate often work together to create
positive changes for UBC students in their academic lives, but sometimes issues come up that create diverging opinions. This divergence can be healthy as both AMS Council and the Senate comes from different perspectives that generate diverse discussion and parameters. UBC is a world-class institution, and students come to this university because of its high academic principles and standards, and these should be maintained and improved upon. It is in the students’ interest to have the resources and opportunities that such principles and standards generate, but it is also important that students have the ability to become well-rounded individuals with different types of growth experiences. When these different interests of students come into conflict it is important that the situation is mediated and a resolution can be found. 3
Fifth-year Arts/Science
While Senate’s role might seem unimportant when compared with the role of other bodies such as the Board of Governors, it actually affects students in genuinely tangible ways: approval of new academic programs, overseeing academic strategies regarding international learning, and determining admissions policies for the university at large. Some other roles, such as the approval of awards and honorary degrees, are less urgent but nevertheless important. Additionally, in spite of its size when compared to other governing 1
garnering a lot of attention. I think Senate is a priority because issues like these impact every single student on campus. Senate is the highest academic governing body on campus. Issues beyond academics such as the budget, UBC’s land use and financial aid (awards, scholarships, bursaries, et cetera) are off limits. 2
Senate should hold a commitment to keeping tuition low and increasing accessibility to student academic resources (such as online resources, learning spaces and libraries). Senate should also hold a commitment to excellence in getting the best research faculty. In any conflict with student interest, students should always be kept as a priority. Students form the base of any educational system, and students should be put first. Always. 3
priority. One reason Senate doesn’t receive as much attention as some of the other governing bodies at UBC is because it works so slowly. It’s not flashy. The Senate was within its responsibility during the debate over honorary degrees. The AMS external committee should have made a greater effort to reach out to the Senate—a failing on its part but one that I hope we shall learn from. Both the student senators and the AMS should make a greater effort to reach out to each other. 2
3
The student senators exist to insure student interests are defended and we should speak up if a proposal compromises student interests. I can’t imagine a situation where a student senator would vote against the interests of students without a very good reason.
and let them know what issues are important to us, [that are] garnering also a lot of attention. I think Senate is a priority because issues like these impact every single student on campus. I believe the Senate’s most important role on campus is to increase student awareness that the Senate exists and also let them know what it does and how it is relevant in their lives. 2
It’s our role to represent student interest in the Senate, no matter what. We will of course be polite but we cannot lose sight of our mandate. 3
This debate showed a disconnect between student senators and AMS Council. Both bodies exist to represent the interests of students and in many cases one may have more information than another regarding certain issues. Mutual trust and understanding needs to be established between the two to ensure that we are all on the same page fighting for student interests and show the university that students have a united front. 2
Senate should maintain principles of creating an accessible, student-focused, collaborative academic environment at UBC. When conflict arises it is important to explore the issue and have student senators view it from all angles. We cannot necessarily say that one always overrides another, but as student senators we should always aim to bring forth the perspective of the students. 3
bodies, Senate’s composition is very heterogeneous, comprising librarians, faculty members and members of the convocation—all of these people are potential allies to student senators. Senate’s responsibilities, as outlined in the University Act, extend only so far as to address issues of an academic nature, including admissions, courses of study, awards, libraries, academic discipline and degrees. 2
UBC is a truly world-class institution that should be focused on providing an exemplary and affordable undergraduate education to enable students to become leaders of the future. At its core, UBC was founded by student action (i.e. The Great Trek) and must remain staunchly student-centred in practice and in policy. I don’t see a divide between UBC’s mission and the interests of those whom it serves. 3
More online Videos of all the candidates, exclusive president and BoG debates and much, much more on the AMS elections—all at www.ubyssey.ca/ams.
14 | Candidates | 01.23.2012
Fourth-year Science
Fourth-year Arts
Carven Li
Kiran Mahal
How will you promote a balance between UBC’s plans for campus development (Gage South, et cetera) and the demand for student housing?
How will you promote a balance between UBC’s plans for campus development (Gage South, et cetera) and the demand for student housing?
An enforceable designation ratio. The university has already made commitments to house its staff and faculty, and 50 per cent of students. We are the biggest population on campus and we must remain a priority in campus-central housing. I am ready to engage with faculty and staff unions and develop an equitable housing proposal.
UBC has an aggressive plan for student housing but what is being overlooked is that areas such as Gage South are the ideal place for student housing. The centre of campus is the heart of student life and that is where student housing should be. We need to have a clear stance on affordable housing for students, in accessible and central areas. Campus development and student housing should not be seen as trade-offs.
1
Vice President
What do you think of UBC’s restructuring of the summer term? Does more work need to be done on developing the summer term system at UBC? Why or why not?
Academic
2
Your representative for all levels of academia
T
he VP Academic and University Affairs is in charge of overseeing both the AMS’s policy on academic life at UBC and issues specific to campus governance. As such, they sit on a host of boards and committees. The VP Academic and University Affairs typically employs a number of part-time commissioners and associates who focus on specific areas of interest and advocate to the university. In previous years, these issues have included campus housing, the UBC Farm, teaching evaluations, the “War on Fun,” first-year seminars and governance on campus.
What do you think of UBC’s restructuring of the summer term? Does more work need to be done on developing the summer term system at UBC? Why or why not? 2
Third-year Arts
Iqbal Kassam How will you promote 1 a balance between UBC’s plans for campus development (Gage South, et cetera) and the demand for student housing? At this point, I do not believe that “balance” is what students need. Students need a VP Academic that will lobby for every single extra non-market bed that UBC can be pressured into creating. I believe that the key to creating enough demand for student housing in order for UBC to be able to make it affordable for all students lies in increasing popularity and viability of the summer semester; if more students are interested in taking courses in the summer, less beds will be empty for one-third of the school year, which would translate into more revenue for the Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS). This, in turn, should allow UBC to bring housing costs down so students are not paying above-market value prices to live on campus.
I believe that flexibility is extremely important to maintain in the summer semester. I support the inclusion of three-week courses, twomonth courses, four-month courses, even six-month courses that run into the winter term of the following year. Many students require that level of flexibility in order to complete their degrees, despite retaining full time employment. I do not believe that UBC should be in the business of deciding whether or not students can handle three-week long courses. If a student believes that he or she can handle the intensity, and that the concentrated curriculum is appropriate in the context of his or her academic objectives, he or she should have that choice available. More work does need to be done including a greater variety of courses in the summer semester. I believe the first step to this is a campuswide student academic consultation through which students can inform UBC what courses they plan to take in future semesters. This would help UBC create an academic curriculum tailored specifically to students’ needs, and avoid wasting resources on courses students have no interest in taking. Again, the summer semester is critical to making UBC housing financially viable, both for the university and for students during the other two semesters. If enough demand is generated for courses in the summer, I believe that on-campus housing would become
significantly more affordable for all students. 3
How should the AMS approach its relationship with the UNA?
I believe that the AMS should pursue a close relationship with the UNA, and collaborate on issues significant to both students and residents under the jurisdiction of the UNA. Ultimately, despite the negative attitude held by students towards all private housing on campus, private housing in the neighbourhoods has been vital in addressing the problem of a lack of faculty housing. I believe that there is more common ground that can be found on a variety of issues, and that leveraging a close relationship between the UNA and AMS will lead to positive outcomes for both parties. 4
Should students have a right to access professor evaluations?
Absolutely not. First of all, from a legal standpoint, there are all kinds of barriers that would prevent this from happening, even if it was a good idea. Ultimately, these evaluations are written by students in order to provide constructive criticism for the professors, criticism tailored to address perceived flaws or potential improvements by professors. If students had access to these evaluations, students would begin writing them for the benefit of other students, as opposed to for the benefit of the professors. We do not want teaching evaluations to become a glorified, UBC-funded ratemyprofessors.com.
I am thankful for the restructuring as students who always work full-time and do not prefer intensive course loads can now choose some four-month courses. The term needs to offer more four-month courses. Expansion will draw in students who can promote residence life and make AMS services like Safewalk feasible.
How should the AMS approach its relationship with the 3 UNA? The AMS must work closely with the UNA to keep check on university governance over land use. I learned many concerns of UNA residents from being at the Wesbrook and Gage South consultations. I will consult students and UNA on a long-term advocacy plan for a more democratic city structure or governance—a well-publicized plan pressuring the university to respond actively and open discussion with the province. 4
Should students have a right to access professor evaluations?
They are under the BC privacy legislation. However, the AMS should advocate faculties to encourage releasing evaluations because students’ low response rate is due to the lack of transparency on these results. Let’s bi-win. HACKSPEAK>>
UNA—The University Neighbourhoods Association represents residents of the non-acadmic lands on campus. There is often contention between these residents and students. To remedy this and facilitate communication, the VP Academic sits on the UNA Board. The UNA is struggling to gain more power in UBC’s governance.
1
What do you think of UBC’s restructuring of the summer term? Does more work need to be done on developing the summer term system at UBC? Why or why not? 2
Restructuring the summer term is a step in the right direction, but more work needs to be done in terms of courses offered and their structure. We need a shift in the perception of the summer term. It needs to be a viable option for students to complete degree requirements while maintaining the value of education. It shouldn’t be a way to check off requirement or simply “get through” courses. Regardless of what time during the year a student takes a course, they should receive the same quality of education. 3
How should the AMS approach its relationship with the
UNA? UNA members contribute immensely to the campus community through volunteer work and involvement. While their needs may not always overlap with students, the AMS needs to make an effort to understand their position and work towards developing viable and collaborative solutions that benefit both parties, especially in the upcoming issue of governance. 4
Should students have a right to access professor evaluations?
This issue is a complex one as it deals with the right to privacy of professors as well as the quality of learning for students. While a full release of evaluations is not the best course of action, we can look at alternatives that fulfill the needs of the university, professors and students. Students have a right to know how evaluations are being used to determine future employment and that their feedback and input on their own learning experience is being taken seriously.
01.23.2012 | Candidates | 15
Graduate Mining Engineering
Bahador Moosavi How will you promote a 1 balance between UBC’s plans for campus development and the demand for student housing? UBC has a target of housing 50 per cent of the student population on campus. However, UBC has been pushing to designate Gage South, which is the heart of student activity on campus, as “non-academic.” Students have strongly opposed this
and the proposed plan for market housing in this area, and would like to see it designated as “academic.” This does not contradict UBC’s development plans by any means, as student housing is still allowed in academic lands and staff and faculty housing can be moved eleswhere by transferring density of other areas, such as Wesbrook Place. What do you think of UBC’s restructuring of the summer term? Does more work need to be done on developing the summer term system at UBC? 2
The summer term definitely needs more development. One of the main reasons UBC is encouraging more market housing on campus is to support the existing businesses on campus all year, especially over the summer when there [aren’t] many students around. Also, there’s a trend towards 12-month contracts for student housing. With this, it would be absolutely beneficial to students and UBC if the summer term was developed to its full potential. The current work of the VP Academic’s office in this regard should continue.
3
How should the AMS approach its relationship with the UNA?
Specially during the discussions around UBC governance, building on the existing positive relationship with the UNA is essential to the AMS. 4
Should students have a right to access professor evaluations?
There’s obviously a lot of demand from students to be able to access professor evaluations, but the main arguments against releasing them include privacy issues and the fact that these evaluations are created to provide feedback to the professors to improve their teaching and releasing them would discourage this. I believe that UBC should look into the current teaching evaluation (especially since it’s not currently used effectively) and develop a new system which has two components: one that aims at providing feedback to the professors with the other directed towards the needs of future students.
It’s a rock, so...geology?
Party Rock 1
How will you promote a balance between UBC’s plans for campus development and the demand for student housing? First, the university should turn MacInnes Field into the world’s largest outdoor dance floor. Once that’s in place, Gage South development should go ahead as planned with two conditions. There must be at least one bar per floor and the building exterior must be completely covered in high power colour-changing LEDs. Overflow student housing can move into The Ubyssey’s offices.
1
How should the AMS approach its relationship with the resource groups?
The relationship between the AMS and the resource groups has definitely been tense at times. However, the resource groups provide valuable services for students and it is important for the AMS to maintain a civil relationship with them. I envision the AMS as acting the part of an older sibling; frequently checking in to Fifth-year English Literature make sure everything is functioning with the resource groups and asking if they require assistance, but mostly allowing them to serve students in their own way that they think is best.
Elaine Kuo
VP Adminstration
SAC, clubs and everything in the SUB
M
uch of the work of the VP Administration in past years has been overseeing the building of the new $103 million SUB, scheduled to be completed by September 2014. However, with construction slated to begin on the building next month, the VP Administration’s other tasks will gain in prominence, including chairing the Student Administrative Commission, which oversees, approves and resolves disputes within all student clubs. They also oversee the AMS Art Gallery, hire special event coordinators, organize Clubs Days and oversee the AMS’s equity program. Finally, the VP Administration is in charge of activities in the current SUB as well as any improvements and renovations made to the building, such as the $80,000 renovation to create more club space in 2009. and answer all resource group questions promptly and adequately. We value our resource groups and as VP Admin, I will work to provide a link between resource groups and the AMS administration. Second-year Arts
Caroline Wong 1
How should the AMS approach its relationship with the resource groups?
The AMS should increase its communication and administrative support for our resource groups. In order to improve the working relationship between both parties, the AMS must prove its accountability
The Whistler Lodge is being put to a referendum. Do you feel this is an important service for the AMS to continue to offer to students, or something that can be done without? 2
The Whistler Lodge is an important historical building of the AMS and Varsity Outdoor Club and has functioned as a unique service for students. I am interested in preserving the heritage of the building but will explore several options for the future of the lodge depending on student feedback from the results of the referendum. For example, if the students decide to sell it, an option is to use the funding to subsidize our winter skiers and snowboarders.
How do you think the AMS has fared in the past year without an Equity Office (which was eliminated in the 2010 budget) and a reduced Safewalk service? What services do you think the AMS should be focused on expanding? 3
This past year under the VP Academic portfolio, the AMS equity commissioner role was combined with the international student commissioner role. Though I have worked alongside this commissioner in the planning of the December 6 Memorial and Action on Violence Against Women, I am excited to see the report on his progress. Through an interview with the current Safewalk coordinator for the ongoing AMS Services Review, I was able to collect data to be analyzed for the effectiveness of the service operating in its current budget. It is clear that the service is restrained by its budget if
What do you think of UBC’s restructuring of the summer term? Does more work need to be done on developing the summer term system at UBC? 2
The Whistler Lodge is being put to a referendum. Do you feel this is an important service for the AMS to continue to offer to students, or something that can be done without? 2
The AMS Whistler Lodge is certainly a valuable service for students in clubs as well as undergraduate societies that use the lodge for their retreats. However, given the high cost of maintenance and repairs I am open to selling the lodge. I am aware that the Ski and Board Club has intentions of taking over the lodge and I think provided that they have the means to do so and keep it open to all UBC students, it could be a viable option. If students overwhelmingly vote against selling, I would take a closer look at making small-scale renovations to improve the comfort of the lodge. the coordinator wished to increase Safewalk hours but I look forward to helping to complete the Services Review project in order to assess which services the AMS should focus on expanding in the upcoming year.
The summer term should be scrapped entirely; in its place, we need to start a summer exchange program to Ibiza. Summer is for partying, not studying. Think of the cultural exchange we could all experience! 3
How should the AMS approach its relationship with the UNA?
Everybody just have a good time. Should students have a right to access professor evaluations? Party Rock supports full transparency on this issue. I mean, come on, I’m sitting on the Knoll for the whole campaign period. My whole life is on public display! It is a little lonely up here though. Please come visit me. I love you all. 4
How do you think the AMS has fared in the past year without an Equity Office (which was eliminated in the 2010 AMS budget), and a reduced Safewalk service? What services do you think the AMS should be focused on expanding? 3
Eliminating the Equity Office budget in 2010 was not necessarily a negative thing for the AMS. The role of the AMS should be to lobby the university to improve student life so the university running the Equity Office instead of the AMS can be viewed as positive. I believe the AMS services should fill a gap that isn’t filled by the university so services such as Safewalk, Speakeasy, the Wellness Centre and Volunteer Connect should be expanded and better promoted to serve student needs as they are very valuable resources for students. The Clubs Benefits Fund can either be seen as underused, underpromoted or overfunded. How would you make the service as useful as it can be? 4
Speaking as a club executive myself, the criteria for applying for the Clubs Benefit Fund is rather vague, which is why few clubs are applying for the funds. I would make the criteria more specific by providing concrete examples of events that are eligible. I would also better promote the Clubs Benefit Fund by adding a category to the club awards given out at the AMS All Presidents’ Dinner for the club that made the best use of the Clubs Benefit Fund. VP Admin, I will work with the Communications office and SAC to ensure that all clubs know about this resource and how to apply for it.
HACKSPEAK>>
The Clubs Benefits Fund 4 can either be seen as underused, underpromoted or overfunded. How would you make the service as useful as it can be? The Clubs Benefit Fund is a fairly new fund that is highly underutilized due to a lack of communication and club awareness. As
Clubs Benefit Fund— The Clubs Benefit Fund was established as part of last year’s fee increase referendum. It is a pot of money that clubs can apply for, but many think it has been under-advertised and poorly implemented.
16 | Feature | 01.23.2012
Students UNDER DEVELOPMENT THE UNIVERSITY IS POURING MORE RESOURCES THAN EVER INTO THE STUDENT DEVELOPMENTOFFICE, AND IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE STUDENT GOVERNMENT AS WE KNOW IT. by Brian Platt Features Editor
O
n January 25, there will be a birthday party at the Centre for Student Involvement (CSI). The party is for the CSI itself. That day will mark the two-year anniversary of the university’s signature project in the realm of “student development.” The definition of student development depends on who you ask. Most faculties have their own student development officers, each of whom has slightly different priorities. On the whole, though, it involves providing students with opportunities and resources to make them feel supported and encouraged during their time at UBC. Today the CSI has grown into the staging grounds for most of the major events you see at UBC throughout the year, including the Imagine Day orientations, Terry Talks and the Student Leadership Conference (SLC). It also hosts a steady flow of meetings, workshops and minglers for smaller student groups. The idea of the CSI came up a decade ago in the office of Brian Sullivan, who was VP Students at the time. “It was driven by requests by students for access to certain kinds of services,” says Janet Teasdale, the senior director for Student Development and Services. “There were quite active groups of students that were saying, ‘We don’t have a place to access resources.’ “One of the things that Brian [Sullivan] felt strongly about was supporting student leadership, and supporting peers helping peers, students helping students.” After many years of planning, the centre was designed by a group mostly consisting of UBC alumni. Located in Brock Hall, it is characterized by plushy chairs, open workshop space and entire walls made of whiteboards. The concept of university-funded student development programming isn’t new. UBC has sponsored programs such as Residence Life, Go Global and Counselling Services for many years. The office of the VP Students has been around since 1999, with Sullivan as its first holder. But the CSI is different. For the first time in its history, UBC is providing a well-resourced physical space devoted entirely to producing student-centred events. The department that runs the CSI has an annual budget of just under $1 million, which includes at least 9 full-time staff and a myriad of programs in partnership with other university departments. But if the CSI is doing all of this programming for students, where does that leave the student union and its affiliated clubs and constituencies?
ALEXANDRA DOWNING/THE UBYSSEY
As more and more students get their first taste of leadership training and event organization through the university administration, the effect it has on our student government in coming years could be huge.
Overlapping mandates, different perspectives When boiled down to its essentials, the CSI is simply a work space for students and university departments to use for their projects. Margot Bell, the associate director for student development and the de facto manager of the CSI, says that with its prominent location in Brock Hall, the centre also acts as an entry point into university life for new students. “It really is about that storefront, for lack of a better word,” says Bell. “What we try to do is act as that coaching and referral place for students to really understand the landscape.” Sometimes this means referring students to the AMS or undergraduate constituencies. Other times it draws students to programs based out of the CSI, the biggest of which are the SLC, Imagine Day orientations and the Conference on Learning and Academic Student Success. When asked whether an overlap exists between the mandates of the CSI and the AMS, the first thing anyone involved with the CSI will tell you is that the two entities work as a complement to each other. Actually, the first thing they will do when asked is scrunch their face, because it’s not something they think is much of a concern. “I don’t see it as, oh, if you don’t want to be there, come here. It’s not even close to that, philosophically,” says Bell. “There’s so much opportunity to work to the mutual purpose of improving student life on campus. We just come at it from different perspectives.” “It’s very important to have both,” says Tanya Shum, who got her start in the CSI working as an Imagine Day group leader. Today she is an elected executive in the Arts Undergraduate Society. “They both offer services to students, and are all about getting students involved in the community.” Yet the CSI operates as an alternative to the AMS in some significant ways. Perhaps the most important difference is in institutional leadership. In student politics, new leadership comes in almost every year, depending on who wins the election. And as anyone who goes through a student election knows, the best candidate doesn’t always get the job. This means that the AMS, and every
club and undergraduate council on campus, goes through cycles of good leadership and bad. Sometimes very bad. The CSI, meanwhile, hires staff who stay on the job for years. “They tend to be [former] students who were really engaged in their day,” says Bell. “Often a mentor, or a leadership program they were involved in, really made a difference to their experience, and they essentially want to give that back to the community.” This gives the CSI a level of consistency and professionalism that a student union, based on its democratic structure, will never be able to match. But it also gives the CSI a different atmosphere. “In the CSI there’s student development officers who oversee the projects, so you get support there,” says Shum. “They have an idea of where they want things to go, they can make sure things go in the way that the CSI would like it. In the AUS there’s also support, but it’s in a different way. It’s more student support in one and staff support in the other. It’s just two different ways to learn, I think, and I really appreciate both ways.” “The opportunities are different,” says Teasdale. Students who work on programs such as the Student Leadership Conference are within a framework that has certain bounds. “The bounds, for example, around our commitment to intercultural learning, our commitment to equitable environments, our commitment to student life that addresses significant barriers to student participation—that’s unwavering. And it may not be in the AMS. Now it may be, I’m not saying that it’s not [all the time]. But certain commitments are not going to disappear in the work that students do in the CSI.” There is a certain flow that is developing between the CSI and the AMS. CSI programming establishes an environment, based on certain principles, for students to grow their leadership skills in. Those students then apply that experience to other areas of interest—which, for many, includes student government. “Student development is more of cultivating leaders and people who haven’t been involved,” says Shum, “and then student politics is more the voice of the students.”
the AMS presidency is Alyssa Koehn. Unlike her two opponents, Koehn has never sat on AMS Council, though she has coordinated AMS programs such as Firstweek. Koehn’s main involvement on campus has been through UBC-sponsored programs, including Residence Life and UBC Rec. Most recently she was co-chair of the massive Student Leadership Conference that took place on January 15. The SLC is a flagship program of the CSI. Candidates who have come up through the CSI will be especially well-versed in how the university works, which is advantageous in AMS election races. But student unions often see themselves as tasked with pushing back against policies and practices of the university administration. Sometimes this involves outright antagonism. When the CSI first came into existence in January 2010, the outgoing AMS president was Blake Frederick, who had attempted to file a legal complaint to the United Nations over tuition costs. In 2008, the VP External was arrested in protests over a proposed underground bus loop. The compendium of AMS executives involved in antiuniversity activism is lengthy and well-documented. (This isn’t a hard and fast rule, obviously; Frederick’s successor as president was Bijan Ahmadian, whose closeness to the administration was such that he had even worked as a research assistant to President Stephen Toope before winning the election.) If future AMS executives are increasingly likely to come out of UBC’s student development, will our student union be less likely to challenge the university? “There’s definitely a worry there, because they are coming up through university stewardship,” says Gordon Katic, who was a coordinator for this year’s Terry Talks—now based out of the CSI. “That was a very big worry of mine, especially when I started. But in my experience, the CSI has been a place that has nurtured critical engagement. Certainly I’ve been controversial, but I haven’t had any pushback or anything like that. I’ve had nothing but support.”
Taking on the university
If Teasdale is right, then the CSI is firmly supportive of constructive disagreement with the university— but done in a certain way. “Some students want to change this place,” says Teasdale, “Some of them want to change it through elected office, and others want to change it through direct engagement
Of course, CSI programs exist for their own sake, not simply for training student politicians. But it is undeniable that the CSI is now providing a steady stream of candidates into student societies. This year, one of the candidates for
A matter of personality
ALEXANDRA DOWNING/THE UBYSSEY
with the university. And that’s what [the CSI] is. This is changing the university on behalf of students, through direct and purposeful engagement with the university.” Andrew Carne has viewed the situation from both sides of the divide. Between stints as an AMS councillor, he worked for UBC’s land use planning department. Yet nobody would accuse Carne of biting his tongue when criticizing the university. “I think it allowed me to be more critical in a way,” he says of having worked for UBC. “I saw from the inside, and saw [that sometimes] the problems were as bad as we actually thought they were. “I would say on the whole that the concern is a little bit overblown. I think it comes down to what kind of person, as to whether or not they’re going to think for themselves or whether they’re just going to take in what’s fed to them.” Katic agrees with that. “As with anything, it all depends on the people involved. They have to be brave enough to see critically.” For her part at the CSI, Bell stays focused on what she sees as the centre’s core mission. “I would hope that students can make their choices and that as an institution, we provide that real continuum of opportunities. Some that will stay out of the political realm, some that will be in the political realm. “A university wouldn’t function without its student government. You need students to really push and work with the university. It’s up to students to choose where they want to lead, essentially.” U
01.23.2012 | Features | 17 VP ACADEMIC >>
MICHAEL THIBAULT/ THE UBYSSEY
Former AMS president Blake Frederick was very vocal in his opposition to the Olympics, and led a number of small protests on campus. He and then-VP External Tim Chu filed a human rights complaint with the UN over tuition increases.
Left behind Micki Cowan News Editor
During the 2011 AMS referendum, students were asked the following question: “From now on, should the AMS lobby for reduced tuition fees for both domestic and international students?” Despite overwhelming support— with 8737 students voting in favour (87 per cent) and 1304 opposed— the AMS’s official policy on tuition is not for reducing fees. Instead, the AMS supports capping it at the rate of inflation: an approximately two per cent increase every year.
The rise of the left Tim Chu, AMS VP External from 2009-10, said it’s been hard for leftwing students at UBC. Traditionally, this campus has been more conservative than others in Canada. Nonetheless, Chu— who self-identifies as left-wing— managed to get elected in 2008. Years of double-digit tuition increases in the early 2000s (after former premier Gordon Campbell lifted a six-year tuition freeze) brought affordability of education to the forefront. At that time, student politicians publicly advocated for lower tuition. Activist groups on campus, most notably the Students for a Democratic Society, were vocal about the rising costs of post-secondary degrees. But their victories were shortlived. By 2010, the campus atmosphere surrounding tuition had changed. “When I ran after the United Nations incident, I was the only candidate that believed in reducing tuition fees. I was the only
candidate that kept talking about it,” said Chu. “And the other candidates...It’s them not wanting to expose their own political position, because they know that once it is exposed students will be angry.”
UN complaint In 2009, Chu and AMS President Blake Frederick decided to take student financial concerns to the next level. They lodged a human rights complaint on uncontrolled tuition fees to the UN—acting on behalf of the AMS without first getting support from Council. There was immediate outcry by AMS Council and the student population at large, criticizing the complaint as a political stunt. Council unanimously asked for the resignation of Frederick and Chu. When both refused, Council attempted to impeach the executives. Legal advice later revealed that impeachment would require a student referendum. Instead, Council effectively handcuffed the two by curtailing their responsibilities for the duration of their term. Chu said he’s happy that the complaint sparked discussion on affordability. “What happened with the UN complaint was it really polarized the campus and really drew clear lines that existed on this campus, but has never really been exposed because we didn’t talk about those issues,” he said. “You saw those people who did not struggle to pay their tuition fees at all come out speaking against us. And at the same time you also saw Council meetings where 200 students would show up
wanting to talk about their tuition levels.” Gordon Katic, former vice president of Allies UBC and involved member of the Social Justice Centre, said that it was the UN complaint that initially got him to pay attention to student council. “It was actually the UN complaint that got me interested in AMS politics in the first place,” said Katic. “The action that they took—despite what you feel about its political merits—the response it elicited was really disappointing to me…I think there’s a discussion to be had there about what Canada’s policy is, how much money they’re putting into post-secondary education that didn’t happen because it just got too personal. [It] became too poisonous and too political.” But the complaint didn’t just inspire those who were sympathetic to Frederick and Chu to take action. Two months after the UN complaint in 2010, Bijan Ahmadian was elected AMS president. Ahmadian was in favour of increasing access to financial assistance, rather than lowering tuition. Chu himself was defeated in his bid for re-election as VP External, finishing last in a four-person race. Then in 2011, a group of candidates who were seen as left-wing—including Katic, who ran for VP Administration—were all soundly defeated. Chu thinks that the candidates he was running against didn’t mention lowering tuition because they were for tuition increases. “I’m leaning towards it was because they don’t believe in reduced tuition fees and they just don’t want to say that out to students because
The campus left has been in the woods since 2009’s UN tuition complaint. How can progressive voices break into student politics anew? they know that students will be opposed to it.”
Change in flavour When asked if the UN complaint inspired him to run for presidency the following year, Ahmadian’s response was clear. “Absolutely,” he said. Ahmadian saw Frederick and Chu’s more rebellious approach when it came to working with the university as a threat to the SUB renewal project. “The whole UN situation led me to believe that the most critical project the AMS had ever undertaken was under severe threat,” he said. He stressed the importance of having a president rebuild relationships within the university community, with UBC’s alumni association and the University Neighbourhoods Association. “I didn’t think there was anybody better than me to do that.” Ahmadian won the 2010-11 AMS presidency, running against Natalie Swift, Pak Ho Leung and Sean Kim. Ahmadian disagreed with focusing on tuition, and instead highlighted increasing access to financial aid for students during his campaign. “There really wasn’t any way we could fight the tuition,” said Ahmadian. “UBC is already taking a loss on the tuition. Essentially UBC is limited to increase its tuition by the cost of living every year, but the actual cost of delivering education increases by what’s called the higher education price index, and that’s about usually a per cent higher than the cost of living.” Andrew Owen, an assistant professor in the department of political science at UBC, said that
Ahmadian’s tactic is quite common in politics. “If candidates witness former elected officials getting burned by an issue, they may be inclined to avoid that issue. It could be [the UN] episode made it apparent to voters that candidates have very little influence over this issue, so any claims to reduce tuition may not be seen to be credible, therefore candidates are avoiding it,” said Owen. Ahmadian was followed by current AMS President Jeremy McElroy, who has taken a similar stance on tuition. In this year’s election, there are no candidates who are campaigning with a pledge to reduce tuition.
Credibility lost? Why has it been three years since we’ve had a president stepping forward with a platform to reduce tuition? Clearly, something has changed. Owen said it may be that the promise of tuition decreases is now connected to the UN complaint in people’s minds. “The UN episode may be the predominant lens through which students view the question of reduced tuition now,” said Owen. “If a candidate says I’m going to reduce tuition, people assume you might be the kind of candidate who’s going to take this relatively radical action.” So with the UN complaint fresh in students’ minds and the Campbell tuition increases that were capped in 2005 all but a faint memory for the student body, the campus left is going to have to work hard to make tuition an issue worth running for again. U
18 | Feature | 01.23.2012
The frat vote
GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
In the last two years, more than half of the AMS executive has come from the fraternities. When the InterFraternity Council chooses its endorsement list, how much attention should the candidates be paying? And what does its influence mean for the rest of campus? By Jonny Wakefield
I
t’s not much of a spread—a few bags of Doritos and a couple cases of Coke. The audience is seated around a folding table covered with a garishly coloured sheet of plastic. They try to keep the rustling of the chip bags to a minimum as they listen to the speaker at the far end of the room. When the speaker pauses, one of the men turns around in his chair and asks a question. “What have you done in the past that benefits the fraternities and sororities? How will you continue that?” This is a meeting of the InterFraternity Council (IFC), the body that makes decisions on behalf of UBC’s nine Greek Life fraternities. On this night, they’re deciding who to give their backing to in the AMS elections. About 15 candidates have shown up to make their cases and ask for the fraternity endorsement. Given the makeup of the AMS executive in recent years, it’s an endorsement that is increasingly valuable. In both 2010 and 2011, three
of the five candidates elected to the executive had fraternity affiliations. This year, a number of candidates for top positions have Greek ties, including two in the presidential race: Ben Cappellacci and former IFC president Matt Parson. So how do we explain the Greek system’s relatively recent interest— and success—in student government? And what happens to politics on campus when a large number of those elected come from that system? Azim Wazeer, a 2010-11 Board of Governors student representative and former president of the IFC, sees this as part of a cycle that’s existed since fraternities were established at the university. “Just talking to alumni—guys who would have been at UBC in the late 40s to the 60s—it seems that perhaps because of the [smaller] size of campus, not only would you be playing football, you’d also be in a fraternity and be an executive on your student society.” Before Wazeer got involved in
campus politics in 2006, few fraternity members played large roles in the AMS. But after a few won seats on the executive, the idea that frats might play a larger role in politics began to spread. But that doesn’t mean the fraternities themselves are actively pushing candidates to run, he said. “Not everyone wants to be in student government,” said Wazeer. “Hardly anybody does when you look at UBC in general. [Fraternity members] are interested in different things, and we encourage them to get involved in whatever they think is aligned with their interests.”
A captive audience Whether or not there is a concerted effort on the part of the organizations themselves, fraternity membership (and endorsement) does come with some built-in advantages. Justin Yang, who ran against former IFC head and current presidential candidate Matt Parson for VP
Academic last year, said his failure from Ahmadian’s campaign shortly to reach out to the fraternities hurt afterward. “[He was] using his him. This year, he won the support power position to manipulate young of the council in his bid for Senate. individuals,” said Huynh. “They have a small but very comAhmadian maintained that he mitted population,” he said. “I think was uninvolved in the campaign, it’s great to come out to these. I’m and it’s still a subject that many sad I learned it this year and not don’t like to discuss. last year. Wazeer said it’s a situation where “In hindsight, I was crazy not to mentorship went awry. approach them earlier.” “When you’re in your first year But Ben Cappellacci, a member and you’re talking to someone of Delta Kappa Epsilon and a canwith significant experience, I didate for president, said that the would assume that your inclinanumbers don’t guarantee victory for tion is to trust that person,” he said. someone with fraternity support. “So perhaps that was how things “There are 46,000 eligible vottranspired.” ing students at UBC. There really should only be about 500 votes from The fraternity agenda fraternity members, maximum, if everyone ends up voting. Many people in the Greek system “If a candidate chooses to focus felt that Ahmadian’s time as presion other groups on campus—in dent was divisive. His influence can residences, or other special interest still be felt in other ways—particugroups, they could easily garner a larly in his approach to governing. similar number of votes. It’s a benOn a campus where politics tends efit, but whether or not it’s a huge to be defined along a left-right edge, I really think it’s debatable.” spectrum—with left-wing candiThere are other advantages to dates much more likely to challenge having the capthe university— tive audience of a There hasn’t been a Ahmadian was fraternity house. concerted effort on [the decidedly on Matt Parson, the right. Many who is running accused him of fraternities’] part to for president being too close to push a Greek agenda. and a Board of the administraGovernors seat, tion, abandoning Azim Wazeer said that instiwhat they saw as tutional support Former BoG rep and IFC president an advocacy role. holds considerWhether fraterable sway in the nity candidates Greek village. tend to lean one “The Greek system definitely way or the other is debatable. does hold by the endorsement list “I don’t think there’s been a fairly highly, but that being said concerted effort on [the fraterniit’s not absolutely critical,” he said. ties’] part to actively push a Greek “[Fraternities] do vote in someagenda,” said Wazeer. “I wouldn’t what of a collective behaviour. But know what that agenda is. if someone has an individual view, “I think the members of the that’s not going to be overpowered Greek system will share a lot of the by their fraternity affiliation. same views with members of the “There is a lot of cohesion instudent body that live on camternally within each fraternity, in pus, because many of us have such terms of who to vote for.” campus-centred lives.” This year the IFC has endorsed Cappellacci said that there are Cappellacci for president, but several key issues that mobilize votgave Parson one of its Board of ers in fraternities, liquor licensing Governors endorsements. and the capacity of the fraternity houses among them. Another issue where he has Canvassing the Greek system seen progress is the Greek system’s Though campaigning for the frarelationship with the University ternity vote generally involves the Neighbourhoods Association—the same tactics as any other group pseudo-city council that represents on campus—speeches, posters and the university residents whose personal connections are all cruproperties abut fraternity row. cial—there have been times when But at the end of the day, the candidates have crossed an ethical question is whether a seemingly line. insular campus organization like Cappellacci said he has heard sto- the fraternities is able to represent ries of laptops being passed around all students. with a list of endorsements—pre“There tends to be a fear that sumably so that members can log all these fraternity candidates are onto the AMS voting software and going to decompose the makeup of cast their vote for the preferred student government, in the sense candidate. that only fraternity interests will “Things like laptops being passed be addressed by the AMS,” said around is definitely a possibility,” Cappellacci. he said. Wazeer thinks this fear is Then there’s the question of cam- “erroneous.” paigning. That built-in audience “I have seen a wealth of diversity and close ties to people on campus in Greek life,” he said. “I myself am can come in handy for flyering, dofrom Sri Lanka, I grew up in the ing classroom announcements, and Middle East. I don’t drink any alcoall the other ground work involved hol and I never have. And I was able in running for office. to go through and have a very full But in last year’s election, the and enriching experience in Greek question of campaign ethics came life. That’s just one story.” to the forefront after two firstWazeer said that fraternities are year fraternity members alleged like families. They tend towards a that outgoing AMS President Bijan level of privacy that, when mixed Ahmadian had recruited them with the public sphere of politics, to run a campaign for a slate of opens them up to some criticism. candidates. “Families are typically a little “Right away he told us politics is more insular. You don’t go talkdirty,” said David Huynh, one of the ing about how your family works students who spoke to The Ubyssey to everyone around you,” he said. at the time. Huynh said Ahmadian “You don’t invite them to come in frequently voiced his desire for to your home and discuss your famcurrent AMS President Jeremy ily’s issues as if they were public. McElroy to lose his race. “We sat But on the whole I don’t think our down and he told us that he has a familial approach is impacting how list of candidates that he wants to people think and make decisions endorse,” said Huynh. for themselves and for the student Huynh disassociated himself community.” U
Opinion
01.23.2012 |
19
Editor: Brian Platt
VP Finance: why we’re selling off AMS assets Letters Earlier in January, AMS Council voted to support four questions that will be on the January referendum, which coincides with our elections week. The AMS bylaws, quite uniquely, require us to go to referendum in order to sell or dispose of any AMS assets. We are now asking students whether they approve the potential sale of some of our expensive assets in order to better fund on-campus activities and to enhance student life.
On the AMS Art Collection: This issue been talked about for some months now. We have a sizeable collection of art that costs us a lot of student money in insurance and maintenance, and it is being kept in very poor and unsafe conditions. The collection started in 1948 with the purchase of an E.J. Hughes painting, and was expanded with the donation of nine paintings by Maclean’s magazine. After a number of decades, the AMS simply does not have the capabilities and expertise required to successfully maintain all of these works of art. In fact, a number of our paintings have been damaged in the past several years. Our current vision is to sell up to three of the most valuable pieces in our collection, ensuring that they will be well taken care of by others. We are expecting to raise over $1 million, all of which will go towards an Art Endowment; this
will drastically increase funding for student art projects, artists-inresidence programs, as well as the continuous acquisition of more art. Today, we allocate only $1500 per year on the growth and acquisition of our collection. This will increase to $40-50,000 per year.
Expect to see our three most valuable paintings go... Unfortunately, we are simply not in the business of taking good care of expensive art. Elin Tayyar VP Finance With the sale, our goal is to maximize this endowment for the arts. Students can expect to see our three most valuable paintings go, likely including the Harris pieces donated by Maclean’s as well as the Hughes piece purchased by the AMS. However, we will hire experts to advise us about which sale will maximize long-term value for students. We plan to engage the UBC arts community through a special committee—consisting of alumni, the director of Belkin Art Gallery, and graduate students in relevant fields— that will oversee this process. Unfortunately, we are simply not in the business of taking good care of expensive art. We hope that the extra arts funding will allow us to better plan and maintain our collection.
Liked an article? Hated an article? Send your letters to feedback@ubyssey.ca
On the Whistler Lodge: There have been a few comments against the sale of the Whistler Lodge, as some see it as a student service. The reality is that students don’t use it. In fact, more non-students benefit from the highly subsidized operation than students. The competition is high, and the small bunks that we offer at the lodge are not appealing at our prices. Our review committee has looked at expanding the number of beds threefold, which would provide an economy of scale for a model that might be sustainable. Unfortunately, the municipality has made it clear to us that they will not allow us to expand the size or the number of beds. We have also looked into leasing the space to a third party, but there is no interest, and for good reason. Simply put, the operational model does not work. Selling the lodge would not only save UBC students over $100,000 per year, it could provide us with over $50,000 per year in increased funding through the endowment. This would mean more student services and programming at no additional cost. It could also provide the opportunity for us to lower student fees. I urge students to vote YES to all of the referendum questions, as they will lower student fees, make the AMS more fiscally responsible, allow us to offer additional services and provide more funding for the arts. –Elin Tayyar is the VP Finance of the AMS
The crisis of mental health Perspectives >>Gordon Katic
Of all the columns I’ve written— covering such important topics as tuition, campus politics, activism, feminism and the environment—you might be surprised to learn which one I’m most consistently praised for, almost a full calendar year after I wrote it. In a piece entitled “Living in the Adderal Era,” I argued that the hyper-competitive campus environment and the financial anxieties of students has led to a dramatic increase in the use of illicit study drugs. I wish I could say that it was a penetrating analysis of campus culture that elicited such praise, but I know it was something far simpler: I stated the obvious. Students know that there is a mental health crisis on university campuses, but few speak of it openly. The statistics are alarming and unprecedented: surveys by the National College Health Association consistently find that one out of four students seek counseling, one out of three students report feeling so depressed they’re “unable to function,” and six to nine per cent of students seriously consider suicide. In the United States, the Higher Education Research Institute has done a national survey for 25 years that tracks freshman well-being; last year, the proportion of students rating their mental health as “below average” was higher than ever.
But you don’t need to read the literature to understand the problem; just take a look around and you will see how students at this campus are being ruined. The only reason it’s sometimes hard to recognize is that it all seems so normal. How much of the binge drinking is youthful hijinks, and how much is self-destructive alcoholism? Are the study drugs and party drugs a case of “work hard, play hard,” or are they chemical dependencies? Is “exam season” just another name for overwhelming stress and debilitating anxiety? Despite the reported rise of mental health problems, I’m encouraged that there is an increased willingness to speak frankly about these issues. More people are turning to resources like the Wellness Centre or the AMS Speakeasy, and important groups like the UBC Mental Health Awareness Club have sprung up. Matt Parson, an AMS presidential candidate, has even made student well-being a central pillar of his platform, advocating for a “comprehensive audit of the academic calendar with respect to implications on a student’s physical and mental health.” Parson is right. We need the university and the AMS to take a serious look at these issues and make real policy change. Otherwise, I’m afraid more and more students are going to end up being unhappy, unhealthy and overwhelmed in years that are meant to be the best of their lives. U