Planet of the Arts Page 5 ISCRIMINATION INVESTIGATE In the last issue of The Planet of the Arts, I reported my experiences trying to get hired by the Graphic Design de- partment revealing the College’s policy of discrimination, which prevents the Administration from hiring students for anything but low-paying/low-responsibility work. Ive been checking further into the matter and have found some interesting things. My initial idea that the discrimination arose because of turf wars between various employee groups within the Col- lege has proven unfounded. Both the faculty and the people in the Vancouver Municipal Regional Employee’s Uunion (VMREU) (who represent the studio assistants and office staff) want to hire students for better paying jobs. I spoke with Gary Bowden as a faculty representative and got the idea from him that they would like to be able to hire students who have something special to offer the school. The VMREU would like to unionize student workers. (The Administration is less than thrilled at this idea.) I spoke to Sally Stukus, a shop steward for the VMREU, and she said that basically her union was concerned that hiring students not become a way of contracting work out, to the detriment of her union. Sandi North, also a shop steward for the VMREU, was concerned that if the students were un- ionized, the wages might go up, but the number of students hired might go down. Also she was concerned that higher wages for students might jeopardize the work-study pro- gram. In any case, the pressure to discriminate against stu- dents was not coming from the VMREU. It was coming from the Administration, — strongly. I spoke with Alan Barkley, our President, and Linda An- drews, the College personel manager. Neither viewed the issue really as one of discrimination. Rather, they thought of the policy as one that served to protect both the College and the students, and that the policy was so essential that it wasnt discrimination. Their first line of defense was that students should be stu- dents and not. work. They said that a student who works cannot devote proper attention to either studies or employ- ment. Well, I thought their heads were in the sand about that! Do they really think that we should be independently wealthy or be willing to undertake a major debt in order to study art at this College? Many students have to work. Many, if not most, students do work. This is a fact of life. I was not sympathetic to these people burying their heads in the sand and making our lives that much harder. The Administration says that all of the other Colleges do it. To which I shrug my shoulders. So? What’s that got to do with ws getting rid of a crummy policy? Their strongest argument was something like this: Suppose I were hired as a studio assistant and remained on as a student. At the end of the year, pressure from both studies and employment might build to the point that I could not carry the combined load, In this situation, nobody wins. If I let my studies slide then I lose educational opportunities and the College seems less effective. If I let my work slide then the students who depend on my work suffer and the College is diminished be- cause the level of service that it can offer declines. The people in Administration are obligated to do some- thing about: this — its their job. But in this situation, noth- ing they do produces a good result. Martin Hunt On top of this, because they are people, they have to deal with various painful emotional consequences. Presumably they want me to do well and wouldn’t feel good if I didn’t, especially if they have gotten to know me ona couple of dif- ferent levels. Presumably too, I would have confrontations with Tom Kowall about flunking and with Linda Andrews about my job. Even if only a small percentage of student/employees had this problem, it would represent a continuing source of headaches to the Administration — headaches of which the rest of the College would be largely unaware. This, I think, is where the Administration gets the emo- tional energy to maintain and defend this policy of discrimi- nation. I must admit that as the situation is stated above, I am sympathetic to their concerns. I manage an apartment building and I don’t allow tenants to keep dogs. I evolved this policy because over a period of years I found that ten- ants with dogs were a large, continuing problem, painful mostly to me. Eventually I said that an apartment building full of people is too crowded an ecosystem to also have dogs. That’s discrimination against dogs and dog owners. ‘On the other hand, I did go through years of struggling with the dog problem, trying: all sorts of solutions, being burned all sorts of ways before I banned dogs from the building. In the College though, no-one has ever had the ex- perience of working in a place that hires students to perform technical work. They all say that the policy against it was in place when they came here. More, they say that it’s a policy that’s always been in place everywhere. In the past, it was permissable in our society to discrimi- nate against people for all sorts of reasons. Times are differ- ent now — if tenants come to me, I can’t reject them for reasons that are not relevant to their tenancy. The colour of their skin, their occupation, (even if they are broke stu- dents) or their sex or religion is of no relevance. If they show up for the interview drunk and boisterous, that is rele- vant. If I find out that they’ve trashed the last three places they ve lived in, then that’s relevant. My fears are not rele- vant because they have more to do with my own psychology than with the suitability of the tenants. I think that the double bind that the Administration fears should be investigated more carefully. It rests on theoretical fears rather that practical experience. Certain assumptions upon which it is based need to be questioned. I don’t think a 12-hour-a-week teaching assistant job would overload me. Also certain aspects of the double bind involve the Admin- istration burying its head in the sand. Suppose I were work- ing outside —I would still face the time pressure (more, be- cause I would have to get to and from work). If I flunked, would the College have a clear conscience? What would overload me is if I were being paid for 12 hours a week, but in fact was expected to do whatever work was handed me, even if it meant working 16 or 20 hours a week or more. Also, I might get overloaded if both my teachers and boss were unsympathetic and allowed me no slack during the in- tense times of the year. I must say, (happily) that I have seen little evidence of such a hard-nosed attitude, but rather the opposite. It still looks to me that the policy of not hiring students for anything other than low-pay, low-responsibility jobs DON'T FORGET, DEAR, WE'VE GOT A DATE. PLEASE, DEAR. BESIDES, WE DON'T GET OUT THAT OFTEN... should be scrapped. I do feel that the concerns of the Ad- ministration are important enough that we should check them carefully. I would be interested to hear from anyone in the College (student or staff), who has ideas or information about this issue. | would especially like to know from the students how many others have had a similar experience to | mine, such as not being hired by the College for work they thought they were qualified to do, and from students who feel they are qualified to work as studio assistants, for ex- ample. If you have any information for me, please leave a message in the Blue Newspaper Contribution Box in the cafeteria saying who you are and how I can reach you so we can talk. Alumni Siding Where have all the E.C. Grads gone? What are they doing or not doing? Is there life after E.C.C.A.D.? If you are an “alumni” or know someone who is, please send word from the outside. Contributions — (letters, photographs, articles, graphics) are welcome. The following survey was compiled by Tom Becher and is based on his findings during his involvement with the self-study evaluation program. In-College Idealism 3 in 4 students are satisfied with their education 3 in 5 do not expect career training at this college’ 3 in 4 expect to take other schooling 1 in 5 students are not interested in “Professional” development '/ of all students surveyed wish to obtain 100% of their livelihood from art and design’ Post-College Realism 1 in 3 alumni obtain all their income from the field of visual art or design 1 in 5 alumni are gaining a livelihood specifically from the program they took at the college 2 in 5 are not obtaining any income from the field of art and design Alumni reported on three occasions they. would have taken more academic, technical and business courses if available. EASIER THAN YOU MIGHT THINK. WITH BLACK HOLE TRAINING,! LEARNED EVERYTHING | NEEDED RIGHT AT HOME... IN MY SPARE TIME! IN ART FORGERY JIM. 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You MUST SEAL = z Be wit te send fer you 2 FREE boves tnear for port tomvenrenct, aie = if fe il try fe hawt 8 representative call Just follow the (give, staple or tape) before mailing. Oey Lee es eet: 300N) —- om oun Gm WR On OF Om Bu Om oD Om On Gn mm On Om GE Om OE OE GO Om = OE SE Om Om Om mn om an om On Ge oF on on om om on on om EL . Plactofthe Ans Page S st issue of The Planet of the Arts, | reported my experiences trying to get hited by the Graphic Design de partment revealing the College's policy of discrimination, ‘which prevents the Administration from hiring students for anything but low-paying/low-responsibility work. I've bbeen checking further into the matter and have found some imeresting things. My initial idea that the discrimination arose because of turf wars between various employee groups within the Col: lege has proven unfounded. Both the faculty and the people in the Vancouver Municipal Regional Employee’s Uunion (VMREU) (who represent the studio assistants and office staff) want to hire students for better paying jobs. T spoke with Gary Bowden asa faculty representative and ‘got the idea from him that they would like to be able to hire ‘Students who have something special to offer the school The VMREU would like to unionize student workers (The Administration is less than thrilled at this idea.) 1 spoke to Sally Stukus, a shop steward for the VMREU, and she Said that basically her union was concerned that hiring students not become a way of contracting work out, to the detriment of her union, Sandi North, also ashop steward for the VMREU, was concemed that if the students were n= ionized, the wages might go up, but the number of stud hired might go down, Also she was concerned that higher shi jeopardize the work-study pro: gram. In ny case, the pressure to discriminate against stu dents was not coming from the VMREU. It was coming from the Administration, — strongly. 1 spoke with Alan Barkley, our President, and Linda An- ddrews, the College persone! manager. Neither viewed the ‘issue really as one of discrimination. Rather, they thought ofthe policy as one that served to protect both the College and the students, and thatthe policy was so essential that it ‘wasn’t diseriminatio ‘Their first ine of defense was that students should be stu- dents and not work. They said that a student who works cannot devote proper attention to either studies or employ- ment. Well, I thought their heads were in the sand about that! Do they really think that we should be independently wealthy or be willing to undertake a major debt in order to study art at this College? Many students have to work Many. if not most, students do work. This isa fact of life. 1 was not sympathetic to these people burying their heads the sand and making our lives that much harder. The Administration says that all ofthe other Colleges do it, To which I shrug my shoulders. So? What's that got todo with us getting rid of crummy policy? Their strongest argument was something like this; Suppose I were hired as a studio assistant and remained fom asa student. At the end ofthe year. pressure from both studies and employment might buildo the point that I could not carry the combined loa In this situation, nobody wins. If [let my studies slide then I Jose educational opportunities and the College seems less effective. If et my work slide then the students who depend on my work sufferand the College is diminished be: cause the level of service that it can offer declines. The people in Administration are obligated to do some: thing about this — its their job, But in this situation, noth ing they do produces a good result, Martin Hunt ve to deal use they are people, they with various painful emotional consequences. Presumably they want me to do well and wouldn’t feel good if I didn't especialy ifthey have gotten to know me on a couple of dif ferent levels. Presumably too, [ would have confrontations with Tom Kowall about lunking and with Linda Andrews about my job. Even if only a small percent of studentlemployees had this problem, it would represent a continuing source of headaches to the Administration rest ofthe Coll headaches of which the -ge would be largely unaware This, [ think, is where the Administration gets the emo: tional energy to maintain and defend this policy of discrimi nation. I must admit that as the situation is stated above, 1 am sympathetic to their concerns. I manage an apartment building and I don't allow tenants to keep dogs. I evolved this policy because over a period of years I found that ten ants with dogs were a large, continuing problem, painful ‘mostly to me. Eventually [said that an apartment build full of people is too crowded an ecosystem to also have dogs. That's diserimination against dogs and dog owners. ‘On the other hand, I did go th with the dog problem, trying:all sors of solutions, b bburmed all sorts of ways before I banned dogs from the building adtheex perience of working ina place that hires students to perform technical work. They all say that the policy against it was in place when they came here. More that it's po i's always been in place everywhere In the past, it was permissable in our society to diserim ate against people forall sortsof reasons. Times are differ ‘ent now — if tenants come to me, I can't reject them for reasons that are not relevant to thei tenancy. The colour of their skin, their occupation, (even if they are broke stu dents) or their sex of religion is of no relevance. If they show up for the interview drunk and boisterous, that is rel vant, I find out that they've trashed the last three places they've lived in, then that's relevant. My fears are not rele- ‘vant because they have more todo with my own psychology than with the suitability of the tenants. | think thatthe double bind that the Administration fears should be investigated more carefully. Itrests on theoretical fears rather that practical experience. Certain assumptions ‘upon which itis based need to be questioned. I don't think 2 12-hour-a-week teaching assistant job would overload me. Also certain aspects ofthe double bind involve the Admi istration burying its head in the sand. Suppose I were work- ing outside —I would still face the time pressure (more, cause I would have to get to and from work). If flunked, ‘would the College have a clear conscience? ‘What would overload me is if I were being paid for 12 hhours a week, but in fact was expected to do Whatever work ‘was handed me, even if it meant working 16 or 20 hours & ‘week oF more ‘Also, I might get overloaded i both my teachers and boss were unsympathetic and allowed me no slack during the tense times of the year. I must say. (happily) that I have seen little evidence of such a hard-nosed attitude, but rather the opposit Tt still Igoks to me thatthe policy of not hiring students for anything other than low-pay, low-responsibility jobs should be scrapped. 1 do feel thatthe concems of the Ad- ‘ministration are important enough that we should check them carefully. L would be interested to hear from anyone in the College (student or staf), who has ideas oF information about this issue. I would especially like to know from the students how many others have hada similar experience to ‘mine, such as not being hired by the Coll Kthey” they were qualified to do, and from students who, feel they are qualified to work as Studio assistants, for ex ample. If you have any information for me. please leave a message in the Blue Newspaper Contribution Box in the cafeteria saying who you are and how I can reach y can talk. Alumni Si ‘Where have all the E.C. Grads gone? What are they eafter E.C.C.A.D.? 3 know someone who is, please ons — (letters, ‘The following survey was compiled by Tom Becher and is based on his findings during his involvement with the F-study evaluation program, 3 in students are satisfied with their education 3 in 5 do not expect career taining at this college 3 in 4 expect to take other schooling 1 in S students are not interested i development ‘of all students surveyed wish to obtain 100% of their livelihood from art and de Professions 1 in 3 alumni o nall their income fro art or design in alumni are gain the pr 2inS a the field of livelihood specifically from they took atthe college obtaining any income from the and design Alumni reported on three occasions they would have taken ‘more academic, technical and business courses ifavailable ield of art Don poner, SEAR, “Aw none, se ietgeke sige corm bare ‘event. 55 FoR Wes W)Btack Hole Productions #2] [ 5 ELEN TONIGHT 88 t Fy 2 a z g 2| = ' ART FORGERY E i Pa 4 and how to = tefl | 3 f) Geert H zi 3 tag oe « = SS SSS = ails € acne naoer Mic win peace note SREARSRINGRE angen | | AoON G1) 4.2 NAM Fon. rsa anne Woon eer nant eacts my w ‘iM, LeveL“) evenyinine 1 NegotD ‘2 REE BOOK. om. zilz 3 sire taco "Rion AT HOME. SEND COUPON | ra z ioe ane oobi oes ay ail} terete ey 35 E out out on dotted ines. You MUST SEAL © ie (lun, tape or tape before maling