24 Hour Building Access:
How The Deal Was Done

Crunch time had come for full-time students — four weeks to go
until the end of the school year.

Sensing the mood of students becoming more intense and less
willing to submit to conventional building hours,Acting President
Brad Campbell sent out a trial balloon: could the Students’ Union
please get a couple of students to talk with him about extra
building access. Nicolas Coté from Intermedia and
Fernando Ignacio from Film/Video took up the
invitation. This was back on March 21st.

The discussion contained the usual
Administration line of argument: we
love students but why can’t they get
their work done more quickly; we
get all of our work done during
normal office hours so why cain’t
students do the same; we
haven’t budgeted for extra
building hours, so this is what
we've worked out for you.

And what the Admini-
stration worked out was three
weeks of 24-hour access from
March 25th to April 12th, and
then a reversion to “regular”
hours for the final week
of classes.

No one was bothering to cut
a deal for additional building
access for part-time students,
whose courses end a week earlier
than full-time courses. Part-
timers face exclusionary building
access rules for the entire term.

With the “negotiations” completed between Brad and the
Students’ Union liaisons, the Acting President made a pre-emptive
move. Without Students’ Union endorsement, a memo was posted
on bulletin boards and other locations throughout the Institute
informing students of the “deal” relayed to Nick and Fern. A proviso
at the end of the memo indicated that more building access would
be possible only with a a financial contribution from the Students’
Union.

So far the score was Administration — 1, Students’ Union — zero.
Brad had appearances working in his favor: he had “consulted” with
students and now he was duly notifying them of the result. What was
the Students’ Union to do? Had they been out-manoeuvered once
again by the Acting President’s accounting acumen and his recently
honed public relations/consultation skills? Should the Students’ Union
put up the cash for more building access when its finances are shaky
at the best of times and it has the horror of two years’ worth of back
audits to pay for?

Things took their normal course. The Students’ Union ignored the
issue for the time being and Brad left for another one of his Australian
job-hunting safaris. Much was to happen in the time between Brad’s
departure and his return two weeks later besides his growth of a
goatee. The “dea!” on building hours came unstuck.

Grumbling in the hallways at the beginning of April was the first
indication that trouble was brewing. Then came the petitions which
started circulating in the Design and Media Divisions. “What kind of
art school doesn’t have 24 hour access in the last week of class?” was
an oft-heard remark. “Brad’s ECIAD,” was an oft-heard reply. Growing
student discontent finally caught the notice of the Students’ Union.
With less than 36 hours to go before around-the-clock access was to
run out, the Students’ Union scrambled to respond to the crisis.
Much of its April 11th meeting was spent trying out different slogans.
The stronger statements cannot be repeated here for the sake of
maintaining the decorum of a happy little community of student
artists and the faculty and administrators whose jobs they sustain.
“Unreasonable,” “intolerable” and “unacceptable” were the tamer
adjectives used.

When the smoke cleared, the Students’ Union had come up with
the position it was going to take to the Administration and, if neces-
sary, to the the Board of Governors: “It is the Institute and
Administration’s responsibility to ensure adequate facilities and access
to the Institute to allow for its students to complete their assigned
work.”

The Students’ Union also worked out two plans of action.

Plan A was to stage a “work-in.” This would be like a “sit-in” only
students would continue working on their projects in the desperate

May-June 1996 / Planet of the Arts 17

PON GeET RRR EMINENT A BRINE

few days before the end of term. Action of this kind at ECIAD was last
taken in 1993 to good effect.

Plan B was to try to work through the regular channels at the
Institute, by writing a letter to the Administration and following up
with face-to-face conversations that would air people’s feelings and

weigh up the options. This would require the kind of
direct wheeling and dealing that few Students’
Union Executives seem to have the inclination
for.
Despite the odds against following
the moderate nature of Plan B
Jennifer Eby (Design
Representative), Nicolas Cote
(Intermedia), and PoA’s own
Jonathan Lander (doubling here
as Photography Co-representa-
tive) waded in to promote the
path of reason over seif-right-
eousness. Besides, how effec-
tive would confrontation be
without a President to heckle
and shout down?

Word came to the Students’
Union from Gary Coward (tech-
nical sage of the the First Year
Division) via Bryan Langlands
(Gay Students liaison) to try to
do a deal with Michael Clifford,
Acting Vice President and — in
Brad's absence — substitute
Acting President.

With the clock ticking down
to the wire Jen, Nick, Jonathan

Jen Eby raises a point

and Bryan cobbled together a letter stating the urgency to meet and
resolve the looming crisis.

Within moments of receiving the letter, Mike sought a meeting
with the Students’ Union representatives. The path of reason was
showing promise.

Finding neutral ground on which to meet was now the problem:
both the Administration offices and the Students’ Union dive/office
seemed out of the question for obvious reasons (messiness in the case
of the latter.)

I've got sO Many
possibilities,

re if idunno,
| FObably
walk arOund
my NOUSE
in MY under-
wear for about a
week, after that,
try to find a
job...1 DF Oba-
bly have to go
back to Ass
sOUna.

'm probably going to
end up waitressJ|Ng.
Vi es:

after gf aCuation?

PORTICS BING x0: .s00:

WITH POA FILES

Hallway Bargaining

Fortunately, Jonathan was
able to offer the area just outside
the Planet of the Arts office, a
place where sincere inquiry and
truth flourish. Showing all the
signs of an honest broker, Mike
listened attentively to the stu-
dents and corroborated their
statements with his own observa-
tions about how much time stu-
dents were putting in to
complete their projects.

In a stroke of magnanimity
and with a bold vision of ECIAD’s
place in Canada’s rapidly global-
izing cultural sector, Mike con-
ceded that the students had a
convincing case but that he
would have to reflect a little on
his own before making the final
decision, i.e. try to call Brad in
Australia.

At that very moment, the sun
appeared from behind a cloud
and cast a beam of light on the
very spot where the meeting was
taking place. Was this a sign of
approval from above, or from
Brad down under?

The next day, moments
before the calamity of ending
around-the-clock access was due
to transpire, notices were posted
extending 24-hour access to the
very end of the term. Reason and
moderation had won the day.

And sleep took a back seat for
nine more days. “@

I'm gOiNg to
play a JOt of
FOCK ‘n’ roll.
Next Year 1’Il
be lifegUala-

while.

24 Hour Building Access:
How The Deal Was Done

Crunch time had come for full-time students ~ four weeks to go
until the end of the school year.

Sensing the mood of students becoming more intense and less
willing to submit to conventional building hours,Acting President
Brad Campbell sent out atrial balloon: could the Students’ Union
please get a couple of students to talk with him about extra
‘building access. Nicolas Coté from Intermedia and
Feando Ignacio from Film/Video took up the
invitation. This was back on March 21st.

The discussion contained the usual
‘Administration line of argument: we
love students but why can't they get
their work done more quickly; we
get al of our work done during
‘normal office hours so why can't
students do the same; we
haven't budgeted for extra
building hours, so this is what
‘we've worked out for you.

‘And what the Admini
stration worked out was three
‘weeks of 24-hour access from
March 25th to April 12th, and
then a reversion to “regular”
hours forthe final week
of classes.

No one was bothering to cut
a deal for additional building
access for parttime students,
whose courses end a week earlier
than full-time courses. Pa
timers face exclusionary building
access rules for the entire term.

With the “negotiations” completed between Brad and the
Students’ Union liaisons, the Acting President made a pre-emptive
move. Without Students’ Union endorsement, a memo was posted
‘on bulletin boards and other locations throughout the Institute
informing students of the “deal” relayed to Nick and Fem. A proviso
at the end of the memo indicated that more building access would
bbe possible only with a a financial contribution from the Students!
Union.

‘So far the score was Adminstration - 1, Students! Union ~ zero.
Brad had appearances working in his favor: he had “consulted” with
students and now he was duly notifying them of the result. What was
the Students’ Union to do? Had they been out-manoeuvered once
again by the Acting President's accounting acumen and his recently
hhoned public relations/consultation skills? Should the Students’ Union
put up the cash for more building access when its finances are shaky
at the best of times and it has the horror of two years’ worth of back
audits to pay for?

Things took their normal course, The Students’ Union ignored the
issue for the time being and Brad left for another one of his Australian
job-hunting safaris. Much was to happen in the time between Brad's
departure and his return two weeks later besides his growth of a
goatee. The “deal” on building hours came unstuck

rumbling in the hallways at the beginning of April was the first
indication that trouble was brewing. Then came the petitions which
started circulating in the Design and Media Divisions. “What kind of
‘art school doesn’t have 24 hour access in the last week of class?" was
an oft-heard remark. “Brad's ECIAD," was an oft-heard reply. Growing)
student discontent finaly caught the notice of the Students’ Union.
With less than 36 hours to go before around-the-clock access was to
‘un out, the Students’ Union scrambled to respond to the crisis.
‘Much of its April 11th meeting was spent trying out different slogans.
‘The stronger statements cannot be repeated here forthe sake of
maintaining the decorum of a happy litle community of student
artists and the faculty and administrators whose jobs they sustain,
“Unreasonable,” “intolerable” and “unacceptable” were the tamer
adjectives used,

‘When the smoke cleared, the Students’ Union had come up with,
the position it was going to take to the Administration and, if neces-
sary, to the the Board of Governors: “It isthe institute and,
‘Administration’ responsibility to ensure adequate facilities and access
to the Institute to allow for its students to complete their assigned
work.”

The Students’ Union also worked out two plans of action.

Pan A was to stage a “Workin.” This would be like a “sit-in” only
students would continue working on their projects in the desperate

Maysjune 1996 / Planet of the Arts 17

= : ——
as
OMTICS QING x: 1:09

Hallway Bargaining

few days before the end of term. Action of this kind at ECIAD was last
taken in 1993 to good effect.

Plan B was to try to work through the regular channels at the
Institute, by writing a letter to the Administration and following up
with face-to-face conversations that would air people's feelings and

weigh up the options. This would require the kind of
direct wheeling and dealing that few Students’ _listened attentively to the stu
Union Executives seem to have the inclination dents and corroborated their
for. statements with his own observa
Despite the odds against folowing tions about how much time stu-
the moderate nature of Plan B dents were putting in to
Jennifer Eby (Design complete thei project.
Representative), Nicolas Cote Ina stroke of magnanimity
(Intermedia), and Pos’s own and with a bold vision of ECIAD's
Jonathan Lander (doubling here place in Canada’s rapidly global-
‘as Photography Co-representa- izing cultural sector, Mike con-
tive) waded in to promote the ceded that the students had a
path of reason over selfright- convincing case but that he
eousness. Besides, how effec- would have to reflect a litle on
tive would confrontation be his own before making the final
without a President to heckle decision, ie. try to call Brad in
and shout down? Australia
‘Word came to the Students’ At that very moment, the sun.
Union from Gary Coward (tech- appeared from behind a cloud
nical sage of the the First Year and cast a beam of light on the
Division) via Bryan Langlands very spot where the meeting was
(Gay Students liaison) to try to taking place. Was this a sign of
do a deat with Michael Clifford, approval from above, or from
Acting Vice President and - in Brad down under?
Brad's absence - substitute The next day, moments
‘Acting President. before the calamity of ending
With the clock ticking down around-the-clock access was due
to the wire Jen, Nick, Jonathan to transpire, notices were posted
extending 24-hour access to the
very end of the term. Reason and
‘moderation had won the day.

{And sleep took a back seat for

tine more days. “®

Fortunately, Jonathan was
able to offer the area just outside
the Planet of the Arts office, a
place where sincere inquiry and
truth flourish. Showing all the
signs of an honest broker, Mike

don Eby raises « point

and Bryan cobbled together a letter stating the urgency to meet and
resolve the looming crisis

‘Within moments of receiving the letter, Mike sought a meeting
with the Students’ Union representatives. The path of reason was
showing promise.

Finding neutral ground on which to meet was nowy the problem:
both the Administration offices and the Students’ Union dive/office
seemed out of the question for obvious reasons (messiness in the case
ofthe latter)

What are YOU going to dO after e¥aduation?

¥m going to

sya
OCK
Next Your
beilegQUAé.
ing. proba-
by be doing
that fore
vee

recount
possibittes
sap unno,
Wl provaey,
walk arOund
my Ouse
eM under
a
veashettee

try to find a
job..1t! PTOba-

iy
backs Ase
sOUnda.

Ym probably going to

Spungen