GAT 1991011001.Pdf Download
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
The UNIVERSITY • d>E • ALBERTA The Official Students' Newspaper Since 1910 • Readership 30,000 • Volume 80 • Number 27 • Thursday January 10, 1991 Administration condemns Downes by Gil McGowan meetings could be made more open Graduate Students' Association and democratic. Among other (GSA) president Stephen Downes things, the GSA suggested that all may be barred from certain Uni¬ PPC minutes and materials be made versity committees if he continues public and that PPC members be to violate their confidentiality given the right to vote on which guidelines. portion of their meeting should be Problems began for Downes in held in public and which should be November when he leaked a con¬ conducted behind closed doors. fidential letter from president Paul Despite four hours of heated de¬ Davenport's office to the Gateway. bate, the GSA's proposal was re¬ The letter explained that govern¬ jected and the motion to preserve ment under-funding might force the committee secrecy was passed. university to introduce "structural Downes, who sits as a member of changes" — changes that might the PPC, was disappointed with result in the scaling-down or elimi- the committees's decision and promised to continue leaking in¬ “Paul Davenport just formation when he thought that it was in the best interests of students wants to be able to float on the U of A campus. trial balloons without "The PPC is an important com¬ getting any heat” mittee that discusses important is¬ sues (like the budget)... we think —Stephen that these things should be dis¬ Downes cussed in the open. Legitimate pointsofviewshouldnotbestifled," nation of certain programs and de¬ he said. partments. Downes was also critical of the In response to the leak, the Gen¬ reasons PPC members used when eral Faculties Council's (GFC) defending their positions on com¬ Planning and Priorities Committee mittee confidentiality. (PPC) passed a motion at it De¬ "Paul Davenport just wants to be cember 13 meeting demanding that able to float trial balloons without its confidentiality rules be observed. getting any heat," he said. Under the motion, the PPC can vote Despite these criticisms, presi¬ to withold PPC documents from dent Davenport argued that any committee member who does Downes acted irresponsibly and Darrin Nielsen not abide by its secrecy rules. These prematurely when he decided to Mr. Kayakhead was running loose on Wednesday in SUB to demonstrate thefun and rules state that all PPC minutes and leak information to the Gateway. frivolity the Paddling Society often has. Several clubs had tables out in honor of the materials are to remain confidential "In this case, it was our intent all beginning of January classes and in the search for new members. unless otherwise specified. along to make those documents The motion to preserve confi¬ public," he said. Two public letters sion from the PPC, Students' Union ing the confidentiality rules)... but, Mustapha also said that he sup¬ dentiality was passed on the same describing the contents of the confi¬ president Suresh Mustapha said he I don't support the action of the ports the idea of new confidential¬ day that the GSA submitted a pro¬ dential letter were released on No¬ sympathizes with the GSA's argu¬ GSA. That particular memo was ity rules "in principal" but that he posal to the PPC which outlined vember 23 and 29th. ments but cannot agree with them. going to be made public anyway," voted against the GSA's proposals ways in which the committee's As for Downes' possible expul¬ "There is a time to risk it (break¬ he said. for "technical" reasons. Student Representatives Question Grants by Teresa Pires short-term...we thought the situa¬ to solicit letters from community lition of forces before taking any The GSA is also participating in the Student leaders at the U of A are tion would get better, so we took members which support the im¬ specific action. CAUS outreach campaign. planning different strategies to deal two per cent off all the faculties. The provement of higher education. "We would like to be visible. We As for future action, Downes with a provincial education grant administration has come to the re¬ One of the events scheduled for don't like the quiet, behind-the mentioned that, "Board of Gover¬ increase that does not keep pace alization that you can't keep doing next week, for example, is the gath¬ scenes stuff. It just doesn't work," nors meetings are on campus, and with the inflation rate. that, because it's going to make us ering of Edmonton high school SU said Downes. One of the more vis¬ therefore very accessible... and the The increase of 3.5 percent is sig¬ second-rate in everything. presidents at the U of A. ible actions that the GSA has al¬ Legislature is just across the river. nificantly less than the inflation rate "What we have to do, " contin¬ "The minister expects letters from ready taken to protest the funding We definitely won't be stopping at of 6.6 percent predicted by the ued Mustapha, "is look at what the me, but MLAs and the minister get cuts is the display of crosses in Quad. any doors." Conference Board of Canada for university does very well, what is letters from people saying that 1991. According to Advanced absolutely necessary for the pro¬ education is a priority, then they Education Minister, John Gogo, vincial university to offer Alberta, have to listen to them, because it students at Alberta universities will and then look at we have that isn't affects their votes directly," ex¬ INSIDE: most likely be forced to pay higher world-class, or isn't absolutely nec¬ plained Mustapha. tuition fees next year. essary. Then, we will have to de¬ Mustapha does not foresee the GSA seeks opinions - p. 3 According to SU President, cide which programs have to be organization of any rallies, or pro¬ Interfaculty warriors - p. 6 Suresh Mustapha, "While the 3.5 sacrificed to save the things that are tests by SU, but "if there are a lot of percent increase is more than the more important." discontented people who want to Pfeiffer and Connery bond - p. 9 university budgeted for, and is nice Mustapha regards the cuts as protest, then I'll definitely throw in the short term, it's not enough in inevitable, but has pledged whole¬ my support in and help lead." U of S invades Bear den - p. 12 the long term." Mustapha sug¬ hearted SU support to the CAUS Although he was unsure about gested that it is better for the uni¬ outreach campaign. The CAUS their specific course of action, versity to cut poorer programs in campaign, comprised of members Stephen Downes, president of the PREMIERE! favour of developing other pro¬ from the universities of Alberta, GSA, said that "the government grams to their full potential, rather Calgary, and Lethbridge, is com¬ must be made to realize that there Happy Bob Knows - than forcing all departments to take mitted to sending students out to will be consequences to their lim¬ p. 17 a unilateral cut. community groups to speak about ited vision." Downes stressed that "The university's reaction to the issues that affect post-secondary he would like to meet with other INSERT! The SU Bookfinder under-funding had been really education. CAUS' main objective is student groups and build up a coa¬ Page 2 • Thursday January 10,1991 • The Gateway Transit hikes show disregard for nature by Gil McGowan believes that students — especially or four calls they usually start to Downes was particularly im¬ -ao- Students on the U of A campus those who have become more con¬ panic on an issue," she said. pressed with Mason who helped will learn to cope with higher transit cerned about the environment — As a result of these protest ef¬ students leaders from the U of A SHQRNEYS fares but they will always resent the would like the City to spend more forts, Council backed down from familiarize themselves with the low priority that the City of money to develop a public transit an earlier proposal which would budget process. Edmonton has given public transit, system that is reasonably-priced have seen fares going up to $1.75 "The information that I got from 8217 - 112 St. said the SU's Housing and Trans¬ and efficient. during peak hours and $1.50 during Brian Mason was the only infor¬ portation commissioner in an inter¬ "I think students can deal with off-peak hours. mation that I received on the City's 433-1645 view Wednesday. small increases in fares with a little Graduate Student Association budget... Alot of the other aldermen College Plaza Jody Wilson made this comment bit of annoyance... but they're con¬ (GSA) president Stephen Downes, — like Chichak and MacKenzie — while discussing the City's 1991 cerned that the City is discouraging who was also involved in the fight have an agenda of their own . We budget which was passed by Coun¬ public transit/' she said. against higher transit fares, was also don't know what these agendas are prescriptions filled cil on December 12th. Despite her dissatisfaction with dissatisfied with the budget, but he but we do know that it results in lens duplication Under the new budget, adult fares the City's budget, Wilson said it had a good things to say about a transit hikes and cuts to daycare," have risen to $1.50 during peak could have been worse had the SU few of the aldermen. he said. repair service hours and monthly passes for stu¬ and other concerned groups not "I'm not satisfied with what the Downes was also critical of the fine frames dents have jumped from $34 to $36.