IN BRIEF

University of Saskatchewan to join CFS

The votes are in, and students at the U of S have voted, albeit narrowly, to join the Canadian Federation of Students.

Gavin Gardiner, the president of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union, said that he is pleased with the results of the university’s CFS referendum: now, he says, with all university students in Saskatchewan united under CFS, they can “do the real work that needs to be done,” namely working to make education more affordable and more accessible.

The referendum was very close — only 55.4 per cent of students voted in favour of membership in CFS, with 44.6 voting ‘no.’ In total, 3562 students voted, which is around 19 per cent of students — a figure comparable to student union elections.

“It was surprising – I think it’s unfortunate how close it really was,” said Gardiner.

“I think the ‘no’ side did students a great disservice in basing their campaign almost exclusively on misinformation. Despite the fact that there were these great obstacles to overcome . . . that the yes side won is a clear victory.”

Gardiner said that the ‘no’ side had been spreading misconceptions about CFS, creating “a really negative environment” for the referendum.

These misconceptions included: that membership cost significantly more than the $4.66 it costs per term per student in Saskatchewan, that CFS was suing the University of Regina and TravelCUTS, and that there is a 50 per cent quorum requirement for leaving the organization, while, like the process by which all students become members of CFS, the requirement is only five per cent of the students at a university.

Gardiner also said that he will resign from his position on the National Board of Directors of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) as soon as the motion to enter CFS is ratified by USSU council, which will be sometime in the next few weeks. He said that from there, it is up to CASA to decide if they accept his resignation.

The U of S had been one of 18 members of CASA, since 1994.

George Soule, the national chair of CFS, declined to comment on the results of the referendum, citing as-of -yet unresolved and undisclosed controversy.

Brandon U profs avoid strike

A tentative agreement at Brandon University means that students will not be missing any classes as a result of ongoing labour negotiations between their professors and the university. The agreement was reached on Oct. 14, although it remains to be ratified.

Scott Lamont, the vice-president of administration and finance at Brandon University, is also the chief negotiator for the BU Bargaining Committee. He said that the agreement must be put before the university’s Board of Governors and ratified before it is officially accepted by BU, but a special board meeting has been called to expedite the process.

In addition, the Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA) has to agree to the new collective agreement, although the process by which that is done has not been made publicly available.

“The parties come to the table in good faith, and you expect that it should get through,” said Lamont. “By virtue of the fact that it’s an agreement, it represents a reasonable compromise for both of the parties.”

If the agreement had not been reached, a strike would have begun on Oct. 19. The faculty members of BUFA voted 80 per cent in favour of a strike mandate earlier in the month.

The two points of contention in the negotiaion process have been an increase in salaries and a new disciplinary policy of BU, over which professors have raised concerns about academic freedoms.

Since Oct.12, the university and BUFA have been in the process of mediation, a last effort to avoid a strike or lockout situation and keep students in class.

- With files from the Quill

Alberta students may get two years free tuition

Nathan Sharpe, CUP Alberta and Northern Bureau Chief

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. (CUP) — As the provincial post-secondary education review draws to a close, Advanced Education Minister Dave Hancock has put forth the suggestion that Alberta’s students enjoy two years of free tuition.

Hancock floated another plan by Albertans on Wednesday, though his other one was not nearly as popular among student university leaders. He proposed a deregulation of tuition as a possibility in the future.

The president of the University of Lethbridge’s Students’ Union, Tyler Tanner, doesn’t support the initiative.

“Deregulated tuition is anti-intuitive considering Alberta 298 per cent increase since 1991 and the Premier’s commitment to Albertans to have the most affordable tuition in Canada.”

Both announcements were noncommittal though, and the Minister made no mention of how either program would be implemented.

Jen Smith, VP External for the University of Calgary Students’ Union is skeptical, however. She said she hopes that if a plan to have two years of free tuition in Alberta is reached, the government will make sure that issues such as overcrowding, or the 30 per cent hikes that B.C. has seen in the past are avoided, and the “neglected” maintenance of buildings is addressed.

For now, Albertans will have to wait for more details, but Smith is excited about the possibilities: younger post-secondary education graduates and more graduate students could mean a more educated and productive Alberta.

“At this point, it’s only an idea, so naturally we all have questions,” said Tanner.

Along with the rest of Alberta’s students, he will be waiting for the answers contained in the PSE review due out in the upcoming weeks.