The Insiders
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Posts by Alex Lougheed:
Nov
17
Today we offer you a point/counterpoint on an upcoming resolution before AMS Council. We offered Tim Chu, present AMS VP External, to argue for and Matthew Naylor, past AMS VP External and current Arts Councillor, to argue against the resolution: “AMS Council should have non-voting equity seats”. This is Tim’s response, for Matt’s, visit here.
Every word over the 750 word-count we told them to stay under has been greyed for fairness. Enjoy.
AMS Council needs a seat for students with disabilities
AMS Council is the highest elected decision making body of the AMS. AMS Council is intended to be the organization that represents UBC students from all walks of life. However, in reality, the composition of AMS Council is not very representative of the student population. There is a long list of equity-seeking groups that are grossly under-represented on AMS Council. This list includes racialized students (students of colour), female students, and openly queer students. This list also includes students with disabilities.
Oct
29
The following is a guest post by John Tompkins, editor and publisher of the Wesbrook Journal, former editor of the Hampton Journal, and resident of UBC. If you would like to submit a guest post, contact us.
Lack of local interest is cited; new thrust is to provide UBC more services
The City of Vancouver has lost interest in the idea of annexing UBC, at least for the time being.
The City has not lost interest in expanding the range of services it provides UBC, however. On the contrary, City Council in October voted in favor of starting a courtship which, if consummated, could eventually see—among other things—Vancouver City Police take over policing duties at UBC from the RCMP. (video)
Oct
21
Upon receiving our tweet regarding the motion to leave CASA this evening, CASA has sent a letter, with supporting documentation, to various UBC media regarding the constitutionality of such a motion.
CASA claims the AMS has two unmet obligations: that 30 days notice be given to CASA prior to leaving, and that one full membership-year be passed prior to leaving. Insiders was the first notice given to CASA regarding this motion, and one full membership-year has yet to expire.
CASA concludes the earlier the AMS could leave CASA is upon the end of the membership-year: April 1st, 2010, and as a result, under a new executive committee.
The letter convincingly demonstrates that the AMS was aware of this obligation, having exercised full member privileges up to and including March 2009.
Further, the letter claims that the AMS has been negligent to respond to questions from CASA, who still seeks clarification around their concerns, and the steps that the organization could take to address them.
This editor remains convinced that new blood need to be entered into the decision, as it has become clear the main players are too invested in personal politics, and are having that cloud any reasonable assessment.
This is a difficult issue to access from the outside, as the information both media and council have received has been largely hearsay. CASA does not yet proactively disclose minutes of meetings. Upon requests for minutes, CASA has promised draft copies to Insiders, but to no avail yet.
Further, this editor is not convinced that AMS VP External Tim Chu has provided due diligence in this affair. It appears from my limited perspective that he has been avoiding CASA staff, preferring to not speak to them or respond to their questions, and instead holding ‘public’ meetings with students, personally invited by himself, complete with dubious claims about CASA spending. This is demonstrated by both CASA’s claims about the lack of contact between him and CASA staff, as well as his attitude at the public meeting where CASA was present. Chu remained silent throughout. Given the other gaffs of his term, council should be most skeptical of what comes from his office tonight.
In other news, the University Act provisions in Bill 13 just passed committee amendment phase in the legislature without revision, with exclusive focus on the parking lawsuit.
Oct
16
Just confirmed with the Senate Secretariat that Mr. Geoff Costeloe, of Terry fame, was elected to the position of Vice-Chair of the Vancouver Senate this Wednesday.
This is the first time a student has been elected to the position since its creation in 1916. No one formally asked for the tally, but I’m told it was “close”.
The role of the Vice-Chair is to be speaker of the Vancouver Senate in the absence of the Chair, Prof. Stephen Toope.
The last election of the Vice-Chair, student senator Mr. Blake Frederick lost to incumbent Vice-Chair Dr. Rhodri Windsor-Liscombe in a close tally of 36:23.
This would mean in the occasional absence of the President, a student reigns over the most powerful academic body at UBC Vancouver. The vote indicates a strong show of support and trust in the student body by the faculty, alumni and administration, and a progressive vision for the current Senate.
Oct
14
The following is a guest post written by Dr. Darren Peets, former student Board of Governors representative and campus planning aficionado. We invited Darren to offer a critical retrospective on campus planning procedures, and to offer a solution. Dr. Peets is currently working as a post-doc in Japan.
I was invited to write a short piece for UBC Insiders on the amenability of university campuses (campi, perhaps?) to physical planning exercises such as the current UBC Vancouver Campus Plan. While I’ve been on plenty of planning-related committees and have argued with plenty of planners, I don’t have a degree in planning, so there may be things I’ve overlooked, misunderstood, or oversimplified. I am, however, probably qualified by now to offer a curmudgeonly admonishment about how you people are getting it all wrong, how you should really do it, and how, back in my day, we had to carry the horse through five metres of snow to school and back, uphill both ways. I should also mention that I’m not known for being brief, but I’m occasionally sarcastic.
The first and most important thing to understand about university physical planning is where new buildings and public open space come from on a university campus (existing buildings require much less planning).
Oct
8
The Province tabled a bill yesterday to expand the powers of the Board of Governors, in response to asks from the University Neighbourhoods Association and the Board. It represents a stark change in the authority of the Board, giving it municipal powers such as the ability to regulate, prohibit and fine those in contravention.
Oct
2
Just got a mail from the planning department: St. John Hospice will not be built behind Marine Drive! There is much to rejoice here, as it points to something in the planning cycle working. Here’s the letter that made my morning.
Sep
11
Before Imagine day, I managed to sit down with Presidents Toope and Frederick to ask them three questions:
1. How will the Class of 2013’s UBC experience differ from the Class of 2010’s?
2. What is the value of an incoming undergraduate to the University?
3. Why did the entering class decide to come to University, and how will UBC deliver?
The Presidents were given the questions days in advance of their interview. Here are their responses.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ywsazhHls]
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn2gV5F8GUw]
Sep
9
Summer News Recap
Comments Off on Summer News Recap
Happy First Week all. Here’s what happened while you were out.
On Campus
The Student Board of Governors representatives turned over. Tim Blair bids farewell, as Michael Duncan takes his place. Bijan Ahmadian and Alexandra Caldwell (UBC-O) were re-elected for their respective second terms.
The University approved a plan to in-fill Totem residence. This was met with surprise and glee from at least one editor of this blog. (Board item front page, 60-megabyte board presentation .pdf)
Sep
3
Last September, in partnership with the Vancouver Hospice Society, the Order of St. John and Vancouver Coastal Health, the Board of Governors passed a partial Board 1 to build a hospice. The building will only cost UBC marginal maintenance costs, the management will be undertaken by VCH, and the building is forfeited to UBC in at least fifty years. A good deal for all parties. The Board approved the plan, and sent the planning department off to come up with a site and to contract out the design.
