Planet of the Arts Volume 7 Issue 3 Guest EDITOR by Irwin Oostindie Hollow victories _ Hollow victories do not come easily, as we found out this semester. The reinstatement of hours of access to college facilities, is a victory, but what tactic the administration takes against next year’s students is a question. Do you know that ECCAD has a No Sexual Harassment Policy and a committee to deal with harassment problems? Committee members: Gail Carney, Sam Carter, Susan Hillman Advisor: Eva Allan Yes, Virginia, ECCAD does have a counselling service, staffed by two caring, concemed, conscientious and capable counsellors, Eva Allan and Joanne Mah. And, yes, you can see them for help with college related or personal matters. Office hours in Room 231 are: Mon. 9:00-12:00, 1:00-4:00 Joanne Tues. 8:30-12:15, 1:15-4:00 Eva Wed. 9:00- 12:00, 1:00-4:00 Joanne Thurs. 8:30- 12:00, 1:00-4:00 Eva Fri. 9:00-12:00 Joanne organisation unincorporated as a Society. So the Student’s Union had been collecting fees and running a small operation without being a legal body. That has changed. We (the students’ collectively) now have anew progressive constitution, and we have been approved as a non-profit Society in Victoria. Last year’s financial statement is almost completed, and a budget is being organised to track all expenditures until the end of the school year. With these records in place, we will now be in a secure legal position to collect fees from students in January. We came together to organise a strong re- sponse through work-ins, protests, meetings with administration, meetings between affected students, and that is a positive sign of our abilities. We did this together despite an invis- ible Student’s Union Executive who chose to not get involved in the struggle, an administra- tion who pitted one program against another cowardly hoping we would stop fighting for our legitimate rights. It is a hollow victory because while we are content now, our tuition fees continue to go up after endless years of increases (192% over ten years). Other ongoing problems which we have not addressed include: What’s wrong? -The administration sacrificing full-time programs while expanding into lucrative ex- > Syrmmasoniats. + (7 f 0 ER {\ | tension programs (playing into the hands of the Provincial Ministry by competing against other colleges for new FTE- Full-Time Equivalency allotments) instead of demanding reasonable core funding for our existing programs; -The administration steering this school into one which is commer- cial design industry-oriented, through possible changes next year which would provide less remedial focus for foundation students, (grouping courses together under the banner of “‘inter-design”); -The possible move for Painting students back into the cramped quarters at the main campus. The idea is to group all of the lucrative- for-provincial-funding design programs into a fancy modern spacious building with construction due for completion early 1993. That means negative growth for fine arts programs and big growth for Industrial/ Electronic/Commercial Design. The new building construction will free up a small space in the main campus for the painting program to cram into; -The continuing shortage of Weekly life drawing, student handbooks, bus passes’ stickers, advocacy for students towards the government through our mem- bership in the Canadian Federation of Stu- dents (representing more than 400,000 stu- dents nation-wide), pub nights, weekly film nights in room 260, financing this paper: Planet of the Arts, and more. But this Union needs interested students to share the work- load of administrating the operations and running programs and campaigns. New structure for the Student’s Union Executive With a new constitution, already approved by the Registrar of Companies in Victoria, several new positions have been created on the Executive (the group which handles the operations of the Union, and is available to students through regular “office hours” each week. Women can now organise independ- ently with the creation of a Women’s Issues Coordinator (providing a direct voice for women on campus to have their concerns heard, and an opportunity for the formation ofa new campus Women’s Issues Committee). Another new position is the Social Issues Coordinator (to bring on campus groups and speakers and to coordinate recycling and other environmental and social issues), Financial Affairs Coordinator (to oversee all of the finances of the Student’s Union), Internal Affairs Coordinator (to coordinate the relationship between the student body and the college community), and the changing of the Executive’s Presi- dent to “Chairperson”. Two new positions on the Executive will represent the needs of the college’s 1500 part-time students: “Part-time Students Representa- tives”, as well as Foundation Representatives, and Representatives elected by each department. Coming soon to ECCAD So a newly expanded Executive Committee will mean for the persons elected next time, there will be more people funds to provide continuity in in- struction, with instructors being lost due to unwillingness to se- cure positions as full-time: Sara Diamond moves to the Banff Centre next fall, while she would have been happy to stay if there was job security; -The problem of administration not consulting students about is- sues which involve us the most: iN the change in cafeteria layout and : menu being this year’s example, sy wy NSS SS SL] WA wh 2 4 aq RY neha he cork ea MaF locatedin he a fie saniiie o e2rs... es me Ce ZA WRENS ~Y 3 EE what will be the suprise next Sep- tember? to share the work, and specific job descriptions for each person. What is needed at this point is interested students who would like to volun- teer 3 hours/week for the upcoming year. A Special General Meeting may be called soon to seek nomina- tions for the new Executive. The other option is for elections for the 1992/93 Executive to occur three months early in January, rather than wait for April to, so that we will be rid of the incompetent members of the current Executive Committee. The budget of the Student Union is likely to double next year, due to the What can students do? The new Student's Union We need to organise through the Student's Union. Unfortunately, it has been largely an invisible and inactive group of men running our democratically-elected organisation this year. With litle record-keep- ing, irresponsible meeting practices, and a steady dropping off of Executive members, (a generally incompetent group - with one excep- tion), a crisis was at hand until last month. Major changes have been occurring within the Student’s Union during the month of November. For one, the incompetency of the current Executive, and the oversight of previous Executives, left “our” recognition of the rights of this school’s part-time students and the important role of the Union in representing their needs. With a larger budget, perhaps the Union will be in a position to hire a part-time Office Coordinator or Resource Coordinator, to assist newly elected Executive members and to provide continuity for the organisation. A strong Student’s Union will be good for the entire college, it will provide a voice for students, an avenue for faculty and administration to consult students and seek their input, and provide ongoing services and advocacy for its members (us!) So having read this, here is a question: can students effectively counter the planned changes and actions by the administration and College Board? * of Planet ofthe Aris Volume 7 Issue 3 Guest EDITORIAL Desk ECC 2S Haase Polls de wires tens (rie main Gl Cay nC Sa Hl a Yes Vii, CCAD ne eligi lly ei cma nin ce ‘ously, Ale ome i Aaya eri lee eer ped en, Oferba iene xe Mex 90129, 430 Jaane Tes 2S 1-400 ot 996-29, 490 fe Than 128 LAE PA $90 Jee ‘organisation unincorporated as a Society. So the Student's Union had been collecting fees and running a small operation without being legal body. hatha changed We (hesudent' collectively) now havea new progressive a constitution, and we have been approved as a non-profit Society in Victoria teers Last year’s financial statement is almost completed, and a budget is being Hollow victories ‘organised to track all expendit ‘until the end of the school year. With these Hollow victories do not come easily, as we found out this semester '©0"ds in place, we will now be ina secure legal position to collect fees from ‘The reinstatement of hours of access to college facilites, isa victory, Stents in January. ‘but what tactic the administration takes against next year's students is a question. Weekly life drawing, student handbooks, bus passes’ stickers, advocacy for students ‘We came together to organise a strong re- sponse through work-ins, protests, meetings withadministration, meetingsbetweenaffected students, and that is a positive sign of our abilities. We did this together despite an invis- ‘ible Student’s Union Executive who chose to not get involved in the struggle, an administra- tion who pitted one program against another cowardly hoping we would stop fighting for our legitimate rights. Iisa hollow victory because while we are content now, our tution fees continue to go up after endless years of increases (192% over ten years). Other ongoing problems which wehave not addressed include: ‘What's wrong? “The administration sacrificing full-time towards the government through our mem- bership in the Canadian Federation of Stu- dents (representing more than 40,000 stu- dents nation-wide, pub nights, weekly film nights in room 260, financing this pape: Planet of the Arts, and more. But this Union needs interested students to share the work- Joad of administrating the operations and running programs and campaigns. New structure for the Student's Union Executive ‘With a new constitution, already approved by the Registrar of Companies in Victoria, several new positions have been created on the Executive (the group which handles the ‘operations ofthe Union, and is available to student through regular “office hours” each ‘week. Women can now organise independ- programs while expanding into lucrative ex- tension programs (playing into the hands of the Provincial Ministry by competing against other colleges for new FTE- cently withthe creation ofa Women's Issues Coordinator (providing a direct voice for Full-Time Equivalency allotments) instead of demanding reasonable oTen on campus have their concerns heard, and an opportunity for the core funding for our existing programs; ~The administration steering this school into one which is commer- cial design industry-oriented, through possible changes next year formation ofa new campus Women’s Issues Committee). Another new position is the Social Issues Coordinator (to bring on campus groups and speakers and to coordinate recycling and other environmental and social issues), Financial Gohich would provide less remedial focus for foundation students, fais Coordinator (0 oversee all ofthe finances of the Student's Union), {Grouping courses together under the banner of “inerdesign”),”Inlemal Affairs Coordinator (1ocoordinate the relationship between the student “The posible move for Painting students back into the cramped ody and te college community), andthe changing ofthe Executive’ Presi quarters the main campus. The iea isto group al ofthe lucrative-- 20110 "Chairperson", Two new positions onthe Executive will represent the for-provinial-funding design programs into. fancy moder spacious "€24sof the college's 1500 part-time students: "Part-time Stadens Represents building with construction due for completion early 1993, That means. tvs", as well as Foundation Representatives, and Representatives elected by negative growth for fine arts programs and big growth for Indusrial/ °° department. Elecuonic/Commercial Design. The new building construction will free up a small space in the main campus forthe painting program to ‘Coming soon to ECCAD cranes ‘Soanewly expanded Executive Committee will mean forthe persons elected. ~The continuing shortage of next time, there will be more people funds to provide continuity in in- struction, with instructors being Tost due to unwillingness to se- cure positions as full-time: Sara Diamond moves to the Banff ‘Centre nex fal, while she would have been happy to stay if there was job security; The problem of administration not consulting students about is- sues which involve us the most: the change in cafeteria layoutand ‘menu being this year's example, ‘what willbe te suprise next Sep- tember? to share the work, and specific job descriptions for each person. What {is needed at this point is interested students who would like to volun- teer3 hours/week forthe upcoming year. A Special General Meeting ‘may be called soon to seek nomina- tions for the new Executive, The ‘ther option is for elections for the 1992/93 Executive to occur three ‘months early in January, rather than wait for April to, so that we will be rid of the incompetent members of the current Executive Committe. ‘The budget ofthe Student Union is. likely to doublenext year, due tothe ‘What can students do? ‘The new Student's Union recognition of the rights of this school’s part-time students and the ‘We need to organise through the Student's Union, Unfortunately, it important role ofthe Union in representing their needs. With a larger budget, has been largely an invisible and inactive group of men running our ppethaps the Union will be ina position to hire a part-time Office Coordinator democratically lected organisation this year Wih ile ecord-Keep._ of Resource Coordinator, o assist newly elected Executive members and to i dy dropping off of Provide continuity for the organisation. A strong Student's Union Fa ee eo forthe entre college, it will providea voice for students an avenue fr faculty and administration to consult students and seek their input, and provide ongoing Executive members, (a generally incompetent group - with one excep- tion) a crisis was at hand until last month. be good ‘Major changes have been occurring within the Student's Union Services and advocacy for its members (us!) seen Maan SLE Aula, pe Se a rete current Executive, and the oversight of previous Executives left “our” Planned changes and actions by the administration and College Boar? * 3