University of Alberta - Evergreen and Gold Yearbook (Edmonton, Alberta Canada)

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Gm 0'-1 , -A A' . 49 THE STUDENTS' UNION 5' Q- uNivERsrrY OF ALBERTA , , Before I begin, I charge you to remember that I write this in December of 1962. By the end of this term it should be considerably off the mark. It will be even less relevant but decidedly more ludicrous in thirty years. My task here is to set out what the pattern of student activities at the University of Alberta might be in the future, particularly in view of the changes which occurred in the 1962-65 term, Most of the points below are linked with the rapid expansion DAVE JENKINS of enrolment at this university-which this term has 8,276 students. P1'CS1dCI1f, SfLIdCl'lIS, UHiOH 1. The potential Jtfength of Canada? Jtztdenti: Few seem to realize it, but Canada's university students are now at the point where they can begin to exert a much greater influence than has been their practice in the past. I do not mean that students should attempt to rule the nation-as seems to be the custom in some countries -or even to take up the habit of starting riots. I mean that simply, for example, governments should and eventually will turn to ask the university students of Canada what they think or want. In some cases, the students will have the weight to make demands. The University of Alberta Students' Union can contribute toward this trend by giving solid support to the National Federation of Canadian University Students- which now has 105,000 members. 2. Initiative and irnaginutions One of the major problems facing students' councils at this university is that in view of in- creased enrolment, the councils must handle a large volume of administrative work. All the available time can be taken up with correspondence, committee work and the co-ordinating of established functions such as dances and Varsity Guest Weekend. The student executive must continually evaluate what it is doing, and take the initiative whenever possible. Some of the projects in this category this term are: the hard work of the 40-member Students' Union Building Expansion committee, the first student Blitz Day, undertaken on behalf of the United Campaign Fund, the chartering of an aircraft to take students to Europe this summer at low ratesg looking into the advantages of incorporation for the Students' Union, saving 310,000 on the year book contract, attempt- ing to levy a fee upon graduate students for use of Students' Union facilities, bringing the 1963 National NFCUS Congress to the U. of A., the hiring of experts to analyze the Students' Union business office with a view to efficiency, and the re-organization of present student government structure to cope with increased enrolment and a new Students' Union Building. 5. Looking outufard: There is constant danger that the University of Alberta's geographic isolation will contribute to pro- vincialism. I must say that I was very disappointed this term when a referendum that would have established several World Univer- sity Service exchange scholarships failed to receive the required two-thirds majority. However, on balance the trend to looking outward from the U. of A. continued. For example, able delegates were sent to all the major student conferences in Canada this year, the status of the U. of A. at Canadian student-conferences continued to grow iwe are now the fifth largest of Canada's forty universitieslg Students' Council soberly debated the Meredith racial discrimination issue, and, as mentioned before, the national NFCUS Congress was brought to Edmonton. 4. Money: As their programs expand, future students' councils will have to find more and more money. Indeed, money- gathering may be the only thing for which the 1962-63 council will be remembered, if at all. The 810,000 saving on the year book will be annual and if the graduate students consent to paying for the benefits they receive, many thousands of dollars will be realized in the years to come. Further, serious study has been given to the holding of a large-scale fund-raising campaign for the new Students' Union Building, and for levying Students' Union fees on students on certain small groups that seem to escape the present net. 5. Autonomy from our.tel1feJ: As the staff hired by the students for administrative purposes grows larger, there is danger that such professionals could take the lead in formulating policy. This is the case in some American universities where snident- hired directors acquire vast experience and begin to assume the role of the Students' Council. There has been no problem of this nature at the U. of A. However, in the future a special student council for overseeing the operations of the Students' Union Building should be established. Such a council would be responsible to the regular Students' Council. 6. Autonomy from the univeriity admini.ttmtion.' The autonomy demonstrated by U. of A. student governments and news- papers is a direct result of the attitude of the administration. Student government here is allowed to make its own decisions-and its own mistakes. This is a healthy situation. This leads to my concluding observation-a tribute to the President of the University of Alberta-Dr. Walter H. johns. In addition to allowing students great responsibility, Dr. johns also takes great interest in them. For example, in contrast to certain other large Canadian universities, where the students are fortunate to see their president once during their stay at university, Dr. johns attends many student functions, small and large. He will be remembered as a well-loved president. Only one thing can be said to mar the 1962-65 term: the passing of Walter A. Dinwoodie, the Students' Union business manager for fifteen years of unparalled service. Space permits only a summing up phrase for this tireless man: he poured much of his lifeblood into the Students' Union. EDMONTON , ALBERTA

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PROFESSOR A. A. RYAN Provost Executive Assistant to the President x MRS. GRANT SPARLING Dean of Women MAJOR R. C. W. HOOPER Advisor to Men Students Foreign Student Advisor

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STUDENTS' COUNCIL ANNE DODDS IAIN MacDONALD Vice-President Secretary-Treasurer JOHN BURNS OWEN RICKER WENDY DAHLGREN SONIA KULKA Co-otdinatot of President of Men's President of Women's President of Student Activities Athletics Athletics Wauneita Society GORDON BANTA WES CRAGG DOUG MCTAVISH NORMAN WILSON PAT HUNT Agriculture Arts and Science Commerce Dentistry Education Y WALTER SEYER BETTIE JOHNSON PAT BENTLEY ERNEST RUNIONS SANDY WEIR Engineering Household Economics Law Medicine Nursing CHARLES GERHART DAVE CRAGG SANDRA SUNDSET BENTLEY LE BARON PETER SHARPE Pharmacy Physical Education Physiotherapy Gateway Editor NFCUS Chairman