‘ ‘ CounCil committee gives preliminary

By Ruth Edgett

The committee examining the long-term effects of UPEI of the Atlantic Regional Vet College will makes its final report on Friday at the last Student Union Council meeting of the year.

The study group, com: posed of three students, one faculty member and one re- presentative of the university administration, was struck by council earlier this year out of concern about the academic financial future of UPEI.

Committee chair Michele Dorsey and SU President Jack Keefe gave a pre- liminary report to Sunday’s regular council meeting and said their final report will outline the committee’s stand with regard to the new school. ,

“The committee has changed my mind anyway,” Keefe told the council meeting. He went into the study with severe reservations about the effect the facility could have on the liberal arts and sciences focus of UPEI. However, he said Sunday, the vet school will probably be a bonus to the university by in- creasing enrolment and

report on Vet College

drawing non-students to ser- vices the college will offer.

Dorsey and Keefe said the consensus among people the committee interviewed was that no-one can predict how the college will affect funding for the rest of the university once the original agreement expires in ten years’ time. Concern has been expressed that the‘college could end up with most of the money for post-secondary education on P.E.I., and that the rest of the university would be left out in the cold.

Keefe and Dorsey said they are satisfied with the explanation that no-one can predict what will occur.

The group interviewed four Deans, one Director, Presi- dent Meincke and Dr. Reg Thompson, as well as any faculty members interested in expressing their opinions.

It was originally to be composed of students and faculty only, but council complied with a request from Meincke and Thompson that an administrator be added. Dorsey said she felt the three-way combination work- ed well.

She said the committee

concluded that the addition of the college will probably necessitate changes to the university Senate. The four departments of the vet school under current guidelines, would require four seats on Senate. If that were the case, the school could easily sway Senate decisions with a block vote, she said.

However, the committee feels the problen could be avoided by changing the University Act and the com- position of the Senate.

Dorsey said all who were interviewed opposed the inclusion of a bomb shelter in the design of the new facility, and Dr. Thompson assured the committee a de- finite proposal for a shelter hasn’t been made and probably won’t be.

The committee was also told about economic spin-off that will result from con- struction of the college and employment of faculty and staff after it is built.

There were some who expressed fear the college would change the orientation of the university and its political structure. But while some said such a change

Payette “not prepared” for Ch’town meeting

By Carolyn Ryan Representatives from UPEI met recently with newly- appointed Minister of State for Youth Celine Hervieux- Payette, and were not over- whelmed by the experience.

“The presentation was lacking horribly in anything resembling content,” said out- going Student‘ Union presi- dent Jack Keefe, adding that most people at the meeting, Payette included, were un- prepared.

Payette, who was ap- pointed to the new Ministry in January, was in Charlotte- town on April 3 to speak with spokespeople from UPEI, Holland College, Allied Youth, 4-H, Boys’ and

Girls’ Clubs, and les J euneuses Acadiennes. “She’s an intelligent

lady,” said SU president- elect Michelle Dorsey, “but her primary concern wasn’t university students. ’ ’ According to Dorsey and Keefe, Payette believes “university students have it made” in that they are re- ceiving many benefits that non-students youth aren’t.

Dorsey said, “She wants to give youth in general greater optimism, a hope that some thing can be done for them.”

Fayette believes that today’s youth are in the position women occupied ten years ago, in that they are just beginning to realize what input and access they have to the government. She is looking forward to 1985, the International Year of the Youth, as a useful way of reaching more of the country’s young people.

However, many doubt that the Ministry will ever ac- complish anything, seeing it as powerless. According to a federal document written by Sentor Jacques Hebert that was leaked in January, the youth ministry is “a simple and inexpensive way” of re- storing hope to Canadian youth.

Fayette has been given no new funds to plan new programs, although her ministry is now in charge of already established programs such as Katimavik and the regular youth employment creation systems. One of the

ministry’s main goals, if one believes Hebert’s report, will be to inform young people about programs available to them.

But Keefe thinks ministry is still “too un- focussed” to work. “She’s dealing with university stu- dents and 14-year olds. They don’t have many common interests.”

Keefe feels Payette should take more guidance from college and university stu- dents. When he tried to talk about university affordability and accessibility, the Minister told him he was “very noble” to be worrying about young people who could not attend university.

“She gave me the impres- sion that she thinks university students are always chasing causes,” Keefe adds.

Dorsey believes Payette’s is a significant and poten- tially useful position, but “only as long as she imple- ments (new programs) by passing them on to the De- partment of Employment and Immigration. The Ministry shouldn’t be just something to impress us.”

the ,

would be detrimental, another opinion was that UPEI needs to be “shaken up” so it doesn’t slip into complacencv. said Dorsey.

Keefe said there remains a concern that education will be streamlined at some future date so that only the vet college and the arts and science faculties remain at UPEI. This concern arises out of talks by provincial education ministers about the

possibilities of having uni- versities in various parts of

the country specialize in different disciplines. Another question is

whether the college should be integrated, affiliated or federated with the university. Keefe said he doesn’t see the integration of vet school stu- dents as a large issue, al- though such a move would mean more money for the Student Union. If either of

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the other avenues — federa- tion or affiliation — is taken, the Student Council will probably have little to do with vet students, he said.

Dr. Thompson has, re— peatedly said the college__must be integrated in order for it to be accredited. But Dorsey said accreditation will pro- bably be given regardless of the school’s status.

Friday’s council meeting begins at 2 pm.

The student newspaper of the University of Prince Edward Island

The Netted Gem

Volume 1, Number 18

April 12, 1984

Clyde ponders the aftermath of the annual year-end Student Union volunteer/employee party “What slobs these students be!’ (Photo: Grimmer)

Speaking of breakfast Did you know that in Quebec, one egg is “un oeuf”? (You have to say that one out loud to appreciate it.)

April 12', 1934

The Netted Gem

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