z i

_bver the past few years, vstudents at UPEI have tended' to elect student councils I which they felt were SUfffCT iently strOng in a leadersh- ip capacity, that they couf

1d carry the load for the

entire campus. These people were elected and from that point on, thevaere,rin essence, caretakers for a V,campus of supposedly mature, searching adults. If student spirit began to fail,.it‘ . ' was the fault of the student council. If students were , ripping off the student ,union, it was the councils fault; not the individuals: "We, as students, generally know who is robbing us blind

but we never rise in proteSt.

In essence, the members of the UPEI student union have

chosen to pay a forty dollar .

fee in September as.a sort of "entertainment fee." we then toss the responsibility for-the operations of our entire union into the hands of'a few people‘who, for one reason or another, have ‘chosen to put themselves in the position of helping others. However, I think there is a difference betw- een helping others and doing others work for them. I am willing to put myself at the disposal of the student union and help in anyway ‘ I can. However, when I feel that‘the cooperation I rec— eive is below the level 'which students as members of this community should put out, then I think I would consider quite true

the statement that council is nothing more than a

glorified social committee.

As well, I would then serio—f

usly consider the proposal” I heard earlier; that all UPEI needs is a social committee and a student rights committee. ‘ A union is formed because the members feel there isv some truth in the statement "Might is right." However how many times in the past

has the student union acted ~

like anything but a.social

)

J

hadn’t ‘Spoocll By President-Elan

committee. The entire focus of the student union has been on mone , social events the Cadre an the radio ’station. I am not downgrad—

qing the importance of these

various components of our university life but I do belive that a student union must concern itself with other matters in order to justify its eXistance.

-As a union,”We should be able to say that we feel that\the present system of tenure is ineffective and be heard. The tenure system was designed to give Prot- ssors what we might call‘ "poetic license" so that they are free to say or , » write whatever their perso-—' nal convictions say is rig—» ht. However, it is now abu- sed to the point wfihre it is nothing more than job security for professors who don't have confidence in their own teaching abilé ity. What we are doing in fact is subsidizing ineffic- ient teachers and preventing the stimulation of new ideas through the influx of new professors. Therefore, as a union, we should stand" up and say that we feel that the present tenure board with light faculty and one student is unfair, ineffective, and impractical.

VThe University Committee on Aims and Objectives is ' another example of our union getting the short end of the stick. Originally, it was to be compoSed of three faculty; it was then amended to include one student and- two faculty. Theyhave held meetings with students and will receive a breif from a student committee on Aims and Objectives. Barb has assured me that students” are being liStened to but I have much more cynical ,

'view of this committee, its

response to student needs, and its final effectiveness. However, only the committees

_report will confirm or deny

my cynical attitude. I belie ve that as a union, its time

‘

1!.

.4—

The

Cadre, Feb. 25, 1975, page 9“

j.

Wo’ozy

:1: .

we stood up and were count— ed. This university is oper- ated at the convenience of -the faculty and administra— tion. Students rank a dist— ant third. Courses are off- ered when professors want to hold them to enable many to hold second jobs. The courses offered are often not what students want but what our tenured professors have the ability to teach or have notes on. This is not entirely the fault of faculty—students are to

; blame for sitting idly by,

content to complain but

not to professors for fear

it will affect their mark. These are a few of the

issues which I think a stud-

ent union should concern itself with. There is also .a definite need for some* means to promote student

-unity at UPEI, a need for a more extensive and varied‘ 'social life on campus which will hopefully receive a :shot in the arm when we 3

license. I strongly support

to better inform students about courses they will be

spirit and a sense of comma.

3receive our permanent liquor

the idea of an antircalendar

These ate a few of the thi— ngs which I feel a student union should be concerned " with in 1975—76. However, without the cooperation of the student body as a whole, the best we can look for

is a glamorized social committee and token student ‘involvement in adminstration decisions. If we hope to initiate change, we must

do so as a united body and not as a committee of inter— ested students.

I hope my view of the future of student union hencourages more people to become involved in the oper- ations of the union and offer advice on matters which affect us as students. A union is only as good as its 'members make it. If we are to continue with the preSent stream of destructive criti- cism such as was leveled at all councils in the past, 'we will complete the job of destroying student union which has so recently surf— aced. However, by realizing that it is a union of all students for all students, I'm sure we can raise stud- ent union to a level of respectabifity and usefuln-

’IIII :— _ itaking_and I feel that some method must be found to make skimming from the Student ‘ .3 Union Funds not only unpop- ular but highly impossible.

ess. S; Thank — You

Woozy MaCdonald