Your Tuition Dollars At Work

A bi-weekly eye-witness report on the inner workings of your Student Representative Council

By Simon Jack

UNB’s Student Representative Council held their first two official meetings this October. Over the course of those meetings, student representatives discussed a variety of initiatives and seemed eager about the prospect of working for students.
So far, Student Council meetings have been a blur of efficiency, cooperation and concern for student needs. Despite the horror this instills in me as a sensationalism-seeking journalist, it has been quite impressive to watch the Student Council in action.

The SRC have discussed a variety of projects, most of them hardly the thrill-a-minute stuff that exciting journalism is made of. However, they’re most definitely your tuition dollars at work, and thus, with gritted teeth, I must cover them (and pray desperately for someone to be so stupid as to blow their budget on cocaine).

Changes to Student Council

A number of changes to the Student Council itself have been proposed (and are working their way toward becoming reality). The addition of two new council seats is intended. The addition of a Media Representative to the Council is intended to help represent the voices of student radio and of the student newspaper. Likewise, the addition of a Non-Traditional Students Representative would make it easier for the Council to deal with the needs and concerns of non-traditional students (most notably mature students).

A more minor change is a proposed addition to the duties of the VP External. The current VP External (Celia McDermott) also sits as the Student Representative on the Alumni Council. The Alumni Council has suggested that the Student Representative position on that body be made a permanent part of the duties of the VP External. The SRC feels that this is a natural extension of the duties of the VP External, and intends to acquiesce.

Student Discount for Local Businesses?

Business Representative Peter Clifford has proposed that the SRC look into obtaining a discount for UNB students with local businesses. NBCC Moncton and the University of Toronto, for example, provide their students with a variety of discounts at things like restaurants and realtors. The SRC intends to approach Saint John businesses to ascertain the possibility of getting such a discount for UNBSJ students.

Student Survey

President Melissa Colwell spoke forcefully and passionately on the need to move forward with the SRC’s planned survey of student needs. Councilors are to bring forward ideas for what the council can and should do to engage and help students at the next meeting. These ideas will be used to produce a survey for the student body, the results of which the council will use to determine where they should direct their efforts. President Colwell encouraged the councillors not to confine their thinking, but to consider ideas such as University Bus Passes, meal plans, social events and more. The SRC plans to distribute the survey online.

NB Liberal Association Youth Commission

Arts Representative Amanda Sadleir proposed the SRC help fund a bus so that students might find it easier to attend the NB Liberal Association Youth Commission, part of the Liberal Party Policy Conference being held in Fredericton this November. The Commission, held on the night of the 13th, is a panel discussion where all youth are welcome to raise questions and concerns for the panel (which will include a variety of Liberal luminaries, to say nothing of Michael Ignatieff possibly speaking).

In short, they attempt to both convince the youth of Canada to vote Liberal and through consultation with the youth figure out just what is needed to get the youth of Canada to vote Liberal. There will apparently be pizza and beer (demonstrating conclusively that the Liberal Party may not be what they once were, but they still know what people like). If you would be interested in attending, it would be a good idea to contact Ms. Sadleir at d6fd0@unb.ca.

Multicultural Grand Fiesta

VP Student Affairs Leah Richardson has asked the SRC to help fund a Multicultural Grand Fiesta. The Multicultural Grand Fiesta is intended to involve the various cultural student groups on campus as well as some other organizations and interested participants. It will be a gala event offering a variety of foods and drinks, with an equal variety of multicultural entertainment. The Grand Fiesta will be held on the 28th of November, at 730PM, in the Baird Dining Hall, and tickets should be on sale as you read this.

UNBSJ Student Representative Council meetings are held at 2:30 PM in the conference room in the SRC offices, every second Friday (the next meeting will be held November 6th). Students are welcome to attend. The SRC website can be found at unbsrc.ca

Simon Jack is a Baron staff writer and commentator on the CFMH radio program Anarchy Later.