At
      Issue:
      Education...
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Case
      of
      the
      Missing
      Employment
      Centre,
      Part
      II:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Some
      options
      for
      the
      future
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      BRUCE
      DAVISON
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      NEEDS
      AN
      EMPLOYMENT
      CENTRE.
     
     
      In
      the
      last
      issue
      before
      Christmas,
      |
      used
      this
     
     
      column
      to
      explain
      the
      research
      |
      had
      conducted
     
     
      last
      summer
      for
      the
      Canada
      Employment
     
     
      Centre
      on
      the
      employment
      and
      career
     
     
      information
      needs
      of
      UPEI
      students.
      This
      report
     
     
      showed
      that
      a
      majority
      of
      the
      students
      and
     
     
      faculty
      contacted
      felt
      that
      a
      dedicated
      office
     
     
      for
      employment
      and
      career
      information
      was
     
     
      needed.
      This
      information
      had
      been
      provided
     
     
      by
      the
      Canada
      Employment
      Centre
      on
      Campus
     
     
      (CEC-OC)at
      UPEI
      until
      it
      closed
      in
      the
      spring
     
     
      of
      1992.
      Despite
      the
      efforts
      of
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      Executive
      and
      University
      faculty
      and
     
     
      staff,
      the
      level
      of
      assistance
      provided
      to
      students
     
     
      on
      career
      or
      summer
      employment
      has
      not
     
     
      even
      approached
      what
      was
      provided
      by
      the
     
     
      CEC-OC.
      In
      this
      week's
      article,
      |
      outline
      what
     
     
      |
      see
      as
      the
      options
      for
      the
      establishment
      of
      a
     
     
      centre
      to
      provide
      the
      employment
      and
      career
     
     
      information
      and
      assistance
      that
      is
      so
      badly
     
     
      needed
      by
      UPEI
      students.
     
    

    
     
      In
      my
      opinion,
      students
      deserve
      and
      need
     
     
      to
      have
      an
      office
      on
      campus
      that
      is
      dedicated
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HIS
      ISSUE
      MARKS
      THE
      RETURN
     
    

    
     
      of
      an
      old
      standby
      from
      the
      1993
     
     
      Winter
      Semester
      of
      the
      X-Press.
      Yes,
      “X-
     
     
      Marks
      the
      Spot”
      is
      now
      back,
      folks,
      in
      a
      new
     
     
      and
      improvedform.
      |
      Instead
      of
      just
      giving
      you
     
     
      little
      bulletins
      of
      news
      as
      |
      endeavoured
      to
      do
     
     
      last
      year,
      this
      year
      |
      am
      going
      to
      express
      my
     
     
      thoughts
      on
      almost
      any
      topic
      each
      week.
      |
      will
     
     
      express
      my
      views
      on
      subjects
      in
      the
      local
      and
     
     
      national
      news
      that
      catch
      my
      interest.
      The
     
     
      fact
      that
      |
      am
      no
      longer
      an
      employee
      of
      this
     
     
      paper
      also
      gives
      me
      the
      opportunity
      to
     
     
      comment
      on
      the
      content
      of
      what
      is
      written
      in
     
     
      these
      pages.
      The
      new
      style
      of
      the
      X-Press
      is
     
     
      not
      a
      real
      change,
      but
      |
      do
      see
      that
      there
      is
     
     
      more
      ‘meat’
      inthe
      paper.
      The
      first
      issue
      of
      this
     
     
      term
      tackled
      a
      lot
      of
      very
      pertinent
      issues,
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      contrast
      to
      some
      less
      readable
      editions
      we
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      have
      seen
      in
      the
      past.
     
    

    
     
      Let's
      start
      on
      campus,
      |
      guess.
      The
      Order
     
     
      of
      Canada
      has
      chosen
      to
      honour
      the
      president
     
     
      of
      our
      institution,
      Dr.
      C.W,.
      Eliot
      this
      year.
     
     
      Having
      served
      on
      Senate
      and
      having
      met
      him
     
     
      on
      numerous
      other
      occasions
      |
      can’t
      think
      of
     
     
      any
      one
      better
      to
      name
      to
      the
      Order
      of
     
     
      Canada.
      |
      will
      also
      embellish
      the
      president
     
     
      further
      by
      adding
      that
      unlike
      the
      Evening
     
     
      Patriot,
      which
      in
      an
      article
      published
      last
      week
     
     
      said
      that
      Dr.
      Eliot
      was
      a
      scholar-turned-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      to
      helping
      students
      find
      career
      and
      summer
     
     
      employment.
      Virtually
      every
      other
      Canadian
     
     
      university
      (excluding
      those
      in
      Quebec)
      has
     
     
      recognized
      this
      need
      and
      established
      student
     
     
      employment
      centres
      in
      place
      of
      the
      now
      largely
     
     
      extinct
      CEC-OCs.
      In
      most
      cases,
      these
      offices
     
     
      are
      funded
      by
      the
      administration.
      The
      only
     
     
      exceptions
      |
      could
      find
      to
      this
      were
      Carleton
     
     
      University,
      where
      the
      centre
      is
      cost-shared
     
     
      between
      the
      university
      and
      students
      (through
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      yearly
      fee
      of
      about
      $10),
      and
      Acadia,
      where
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      centre
      is
      funded
      entirely
      by
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      (through
      what
      are
      quite
      possibly
      the
     
     
      highest
      Student
      Union
      fees
      in
      Canada).
      At
     
     
      universities
      roughly
      UPEI’s
      size
      a
      typical
      centre
     
     
      would
      include
      one
      or
      two
      full-time
      staff
      with
     
     
      possibly
      oné
      or
      more
      part-time
      positions
      held
     
     
      by
      students.
     
    

    
     
      There
      are
      three
      scenarios
      that
      could
     
     
      provide
      relief
      from
      this
      situation
      in
      UPEI’s
     
     
      case.
     
    

    
     
      (1)
      The
      university
      administration
      could
      decide
     
     
      to
      fund
      an
      employment
      centre
      on
      campus.
      The
     
     
      centre
      would
      most
      likely
      be
      part
      of
      Student
     
     
      Services.
      PRO:
      The
      centre
      could
      be
      established
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eiiaee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      administrator.
      |
      believe
      he
      is
      still
      very
      much
      a
     
     
      scholar
      and
      that
      he
      has
      not
      let
      administrating
     
    
   
   
    
     
      change
      him
      too
      much.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      other
      news,
      the
      city
      of
      Charlottetown
     
     
      has
      recently
      passed
      a
      bill--
      or
      rather
      has
     
     
      decided
      to
      uphold
      a
      law
      which
      was
      established
     
     
      ten
      years
      ago,
      forbidding
      the
      use
      of
      moveable
     
     
      signs
      in
      Charlottetown.
      These
      signs
      are
      possibly
     
     
      the
      biggest
      eyesores
      on
      this
      Island
      and
      the
      city
     
     
      is
      going
      to
      look
      much
      better
      without
      them;
     
     
      however,
      we
      are
      all
      going
      to
      miss
      the
      one
      on
     
     
      University
      Avenue
      beside
      the
      Dunkin’
      Donuts
     
     
      store
      which
      has
      been
      advertising
      ‘Fresh
      Salmon’
     
     
      365
      days
      a
      year
      for
      as
      long
      as
      |
      can
      remember.
     
     
      These
      are
      the
      little
      things
      which
      build
      character
     
     
      in
      a
      City.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      without
      a
      student
      referendum,
      without
      a
     
     
      student
      fee,
      and
      with
      the
      administration's
      full
     
     
      backing.
      CON:
      The
      university
      is
      likely
      to
      face
     
     
      a
      very
      difficult
      financial
      situation
      for
      years
      to
     
     
      come.
      An
      employment
      centre
      might
      make
      an
     
     
      inviting
      target
      at
      budget
      time.
     
    

    
     
      (2)
      An
      employment
      centre
      could
      be
      cost-
     
     
      shared
      (perhaps
      using
      a
      50/50
      split)
      between
     
     
      students
      and
      the
      administration.
      Students
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .would
      pay
      a
      small
      fee
      yearly
      or
      each
      semester
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      students
      would
      presumably
      have
      as
      much
     
     
      say
      in
      the
      centre’s
      management
      as
      the
     
     
      administration
      would.
      PRO:
      The
      centre
     
     
      would
      presumably
      be
      more
      responsive
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      students’
      needs
      as
      it
      would
      be
      controlled
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      part
      by
      students
      and.
      would
      still
      have
      the
     
     
      adminisration’s
      official
      backing
      CON:
      A
     
     
      studen*
      referendum
      would
      first
      be
      necessary
     
     
      (perhaps
      this
      is
      a
      good
      thing)
      and
      students
     
     
      would
      have
      to
      pay
      extra
      for
      a
      service
      that
      is
     
     
      available
      without
      an
      extra
      fee
      at
      practically
      all
     
     
      other
      universities.
     
     
      (3)
      An
      entirely
      student-funded
      employment
     
     
      centre
      could
      be
      established.
      The
      centre's
      staff
     
     
      would
      most
      likely
      (and
      easily)
      be
      Student
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      oat
     
    

    
     
      Speaking
      of
      signs,
      there
      is
      an
      especially
     
     
      funny
      episode
      at
      the
      Student
      Union
      this
      year.
     
     
      involving
      the
      marquee
      which
      was
      donated
      by
     
     
      the
      Confederation
      Centre.
      The
      sign
      was
     
     
      originally
      acquired
      by
      the
      Student
      Union
      in
     
     
      August
      and
      was
      supposed
      to
      be
      installed
      by
     
     
      October
      or
      November.
      Unfortunately,
      there
     
     
      have
      been
      afew
      snags
      in
      the
      process.
      Actually,
     
     
      that
      is
      a
      great
      understatement.
      There
      have
     
     
      beenan
      endless
      number
      of
      snags
      inthe
      process.
     
     
      The
      first
      came
      from
      the
      city
      of
      Charlottetown,
     
     
      who
      decreed
      that
      the
      sign
      could
      not
      be
      placed
     
     
      anywhere
      visible
      from
      University
      Avenue.
      Next,
     
     
      it
      was
      the
      university
      administration
      who
     
     
      couldn’t
      decide
      where
      it
      would
      be
      placed.
      In
     
     
      December
      the
      cement
      base
      for
      the
      sign
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [|
      xpress
      january
      eighteenth
      1994
      page
      4
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Union’
      employees
      and
      the
      centre
      would
      be
     
     
      funded
      by
      a
      larger
      yearly
      fee
      or
      by
      an
      increase
     
     
      in
      the
      overall
      Student
      Union
      fees
      paid
      by
      all
     
     
      full-time
      students
      (which
      have
      not
      risen
      for
     
     
      some
      time).
      PRO:
      The
      centre
      would
      be
     
     
      entirely
      student-controlled
      and
      free
      from
      the
     
     
      future
      financial
      difficulties
      of
      the
      administration.
     
     
      CON:
      A
      student
      referendum
      would
      first
      be
     
     
      necessary
      (perhaps
      this
      is
      a
      good
      thing)
      and
     
     
      students
      would
      have
      to
      pay
      extra
      for
      a
      service
     
     
      that
      is
      available
      without
      an
      extra
      fee
      at
     
     
      practically
      all
      other
      universities
      --
      overall,
      don’t
     
     
      we
      pay
      enough
      already?
     
    

    
     
      My
      reason
      for
      writing
      this
      article
      is
      simply
     
     
      to
      say
      that
      something
      has
      to
      be
      done
      --UPEI
     
     
      students
      need
      and
      deserve
      a
      student
     
     
      employment
      centre’s
      personalized
      help.
      The
     
     
      presence
      of
      such
      a
      centre
      would
      also
      help
     
     
      UPEI
      and
      its
      graduates
      remain
      competitive.
     
     
      Regardless
      of
      what
      course
      of
      action
      is
      taken,
     
     
      this
      campus
      needs
      a
      student
      employment
     
     
      centre.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lo
     
    

    
     
      finally
      poured
      outside
      of
      the
      barn.
      The
      artwork
     
     
      on
      the
      sign
      was
      completed
      at
      roughly
      the
      same
     
     
      time,
      but
      under
      close
      inspection
      it
      was
      found
     
     
      that
      the
      trees
      were
      missing
      from
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      logo.
      The
      current
      delay
      is
      a
      technical
     
     
      problem:
      the
      lights
      on
      the
      sign
      are
      powered
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ’
      transformers
      containing
      a
      tar-like
      substance
     
    
   
   
    
     
      which
      acts
      as
      an
      insulator.
      When
      the
      sign
      was
     
     
      turned
      on
      for
      testing
      purposes,
      seven
      of
      the
     
     
      eight
      transformers
      blew.
      The
      new
      date
      for
     
     
      installation
      of
      the
      sign
      is
      February.
      Hopefully!
     
    

    
     
      Anyway,
      |
      hope
      that
      classes
      are
      going
      well
     
     
      for
      everyone
      in
      this
      brand
      new
      semester
      when
     
     
      no
      one
      should
      be
      behind
      yet.