News 4

Computer rooms closed, students

annoyed, the blam

by Sara Murphy NEWS EDITOR

Yi, fl (& {computer

room

added to UPE]I stu-== oe

se dents’ list of frustra- tions this semester.

UPEI Compu- ter Services has decided to lock all computers at the same time as build- ing are locked, leaving some students unable to complete their work, angering some.

‘I used to work in Kelley all night [to complete papers],” said Lisa Hogan, 3M year psychology student, who is annoyed by the situation.

Hogan men- tioned the state of the present facilities, insist- ing that pry of the computers which are available to students do not work, or computer labs are left locked even during the day.

“Why do they bother doing all these renovations? said Hogan. “It is frustrat- ing when we are paying all this money to go to university, and we don’t get our money’s worth.”

Oddly enough, Computer Services tea not take responsibility for the new rule.

“T understand it was security's decision, said David Cairns, Director of UPEI Computer Services, who dismissed students’ concerns and bluntly refused to give

any further comments.

But UPEI Security Department disagrees.

“We close the computer rooms at midnight because computer services asks us to close them,” said one of the security attendants, who ex- plained that Security can not make such a decision. “If Computer Services asks us to leave the labs unlocked we will.”

The recent decision may have arisen due to an in- creasing amount of theft in the university’s computer facilities. Several students think a security system should be installed as to moni- tor the activity in the computer labs instead of locking up the labs. This ‘oald Lhe puta stop to the thefts without punishing the rest of the student population.

From now on, students will be forced to plan their work schedule more effi- ciently or find alterna- tives to UPEI computer labs, for it is unlikely that Computer Services will go back on their

decision. END

Student Union reluctant to distribute finan

Student concerned about right to information and Student Union

accountabili by Sara Murphy

LLNVEWS EDITOR

Following the October by-elections, Bill Johnson, third-year psychology and reli- gious studies student, grew increasingly con- cerned about UPEI Student Union’s poli- cies concerning the disclosure of their annual budget.

Upon request- ing a copy of the budget to find out how the student union fees were spent, Johnson was asked to sit down with a Student Union Council Executive member to go through the document.

With previous

experience in various management positions, and discussion with union representatives on campus, Johnson thought this to be unnecessary, insisting that “unions are re- quired to publish their budgets to their mem- bership and that this type of information is therefore a matter of the public record.”

Most of Johnson’s concern stems from the fact that the UPEI Student Union acts as a broker for the University Administration, collect- ing students’ twenty dollar contribution to the Building Fund every semester.

“Ts it appropri- ate for a body that in principle claims to represent the students to act as a broker for an institution with whom they may find them-

selves in conflict for a myriad of reasons?” Johnson said. “In this situation the Union’s independence from the university administra- tion is inevitably com- promised which cannot under any circum- stances be good for the student body.

“Do not mis- take me I do not be- lieve the SU’s [Student Union’s] relationship with the administration should be conflict based and cooperation with them is essential. However, if this is the situation, then it smacks of conflict of interest and should be rectified.”

Johnson fears students will suffer from the situation, believing that it is in every student’s best interest to be well informed about their union, and how their

cial records

fees are spent.

“When we consider the amount collected by the Stu- dent Union for its own operating costs and as a broker for the univer- sity administration [for the Building Fund], we are talking big bucks. By my poor arithmetic, in excess of a quarter of a million dollars per year. I feel that given this healthy amount, the SU [Student Un- ~ ion] should make — everyone more aware so that they can make an informed decision about how this money is spent. I don’t see this as a particularly radical or disgruntled posi- tion.”

Johnson is dismayed to hear that Union Executive

members had decided

Continued on page 5

ra

Withdrawis forced at UNB

Source: The Brunswickan (University of New Brunswick)

By Gordon Loane FREDERICTON

(CUP) - A total of 499 University of New Brunswick undergraduate students were forced to withdraw from the university in 1998-99 because of poor

academic performance.

Statistics from the Registrar’s Office for the Student Standings and Promotions Committee, and the UNB Fredericton Academic Senate, show a total of 154 withdrawals were required in Arts, 75 in Engineering, 72 in Computer Science and 198 from more than half-a-dozen other programs.

The 499 withdrawals for academic reasons represent 7.3 per cent of UNB’s undergraduate student enrolment in the 1998- 99 academic year.

During the

~summer of 1999, the

Senate’s Student Standings and Promotions Committee met a total of 21 times, five of which were full day sessions, to hear appeals from students who have been

required to withdraw or who have been placed on academic probation.

A total of 204 student appeals were heard by the committee on medical or compassionate grounds - or a mixture of medical and compassionate grounds - and for other reasons.

There were 74 appeals refused and the remaining 130 were granted. END