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      Since
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      Panther
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      ct
      U.P.E.I.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      January
      14,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jennifer
      Caseley
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chris
      Burns
      officially
     
     
      stepped
      down
      from
      his
     
     
      position
      as
      President
      of
      the
     
     
      University
      of
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island’s
      Student
     
     
      Union
      at
      the
      January
      12
     
     
      Student
      Council
      meeting.
     
    

    
     
      Burns
      stated
      on
     
     
      January
      10,
      when
      he
      made
     
     
      the
      decision
      to
      resign
      that
     
     
      ‘Vd
      rather
      be
      a
      failed
     
     
      president
      than
      a_
      failed
     
     
      student.”
     
    

    
     
      Acclaimed
      in
      May
     
     
      of
      1996,
      Burns
      cited
      aca-
     
     
      demic
      reasons
      for
      his
     
     
      resignation.
      _
      Burns
      was
     
     
      initially
      put
      on.
      probation
     
     
      just
      after
      the
      end
      of
      the
     
     
      1996/1997
      academic
      year.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      univer-
     
     
      sity
      omiciais
      could
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      confirm
      that
      Burns
      was
     
     
      academically
      dismissed,
      it
     
     
      is
      alleged
      that
      Burns
      was
     
     
      dismissed
      but
      appealed
      the
     
     
      decision
      and
      was
      placed
     
     
      back
      on
      academic
      proba-
     
     
      tion.
      Academic
      dismissal
     
     
      is
      enforced
      when
      a
      student
     
     
      fails
      a
      semester
      or
      does
      not
     
     
      pass
      at
      least
      one
      half
      of
      the
     
     
      courses
      completed
      in
      a
     
     
      semester
      with
      a
      mark
      of
      60
     
     
      per
      cent
      or
      better
      while
      on
     
     
      probation,
      the
      decision
      may
     
     
      be
      reviewed
      by
      the
      Dean,
     
     
      the
      results
      of
      which
      may
      be
     
     
      academic
      dismissal.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      didn’t
      get
      back
      in
     
     
      because
      I
      was
      President
      of
     
     
      the
      Student
      Union,
      I
      was
     
     
      allowed
      back
      in
      because
      I
     
     
      can
      do
      the
      work...I
      just
     
    

    
     
      asn’t.
      I'll
      only
      be
      taking
     
     
      hree
      courses
      and
      with
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      xtra
      hours
      I'll
      have
      I
     
     
      xpect
      to
      get
      80's
      i
      in
      all
      my
     
     
      urses.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      Chris
      to
      Another
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Burns
      Resigns
      --
      Chris
      Gray
      to
      become
      UPEI
      SU
      President
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Former
      SU
      President
      Chris
      Burns
     
    
   
   
    
     
      He
      cites
      his
      posi-
     
     
      tion
      as
      ombudsperson
      at
     
     
      the
      time
      combined
      with
     
     
      running
      his
      election
      cam-
     
     
      paign
      and
      the
      closing
      of
      the
     
     
      radio
      station
      as
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      outside
      factors
      in
      placing
     
     
      him
      on
      probation
      initially
     
     
      last
      spring,
      while
      presiden-
     
     
      tial
      duties
      were
      to
      blame
      for
     
     
      his
      continued
      poor
      aca-
     
     
      demic
      performance.
     
    

    
     
      Although
      on
      proba-
     
     
      tion
      for
      academic
      reasons,
     
     
      Burns
      did
      not
      really
      expect
     
     
      to
      step
      down
      as
      President.
     
     
      “]
      hadn’t
      really
      thought
     
     
      about
      it,
      [being
      on
     
     
      probation]...I1
      hadn’t
      really
     
     
      considered
      it
      [resigning]
      an
     
     
      option.”
      Burns
      assumed
      he
     
     
      would
      just
      return
      to
      presi-
     
     
      dential
      duties
      and
      do
      his
     
     
      best
      balancing
      school
      with
     
     
      SU
      work.
     
    

    
     
      Chris
      Gray,
      also
     
     
      acclaimed
      to
      his
      position
      as
     
     
      Vice-President
      External,
     
     
      has
      taken
      over
      as
      President
     
     
      of
      the
      Student
      Union.
      Gray
     
     
      will
      now
      be
      responsible
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      duties
      of
      the
      president
      and
     
     
      those
      of
      VP-External
      “I
     
     
      think
      we
      [myself
      and
      the
     
     
      other
      student
      union
      execu-
     
     
      tive
      members]
      can
      pick
      up
     
     
      the
      workload.”
      Other
     
     
      members
      of
      the
      executive
     
     
      refused
      to
      comment
      on
      the
     
     
      situation.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      some
      larger
     
     
      schools
      across
      Canada
      the
     
     
      President
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      union
      does
      not
      take
      classes
     
     
      the
      year
      they
      are
      in
      power.
     
     
      Although
      UPEL
      is
      not
      at
      the
     
     
      point
      where
      such
      a
      drastic
     
     
      step
      is
      necessary,
      Burns
     
     
      can
      see
      the
      day
      coming
      in
     
     
      the
      near
      future.
     
    

    
     
      “
      [Students]
      expect
     
     
      these
      people
      [SU
      execu-
     
     
      tive]
      to
      do
      a
      great
      job
      at
     
     
      what
      there
      doing...and
      also
     
     
      there
      is
      this
      expectation
     
     
      that
      they'll
      be
      leaders
      in
     
     
      whatever
      they’re
      doing
     
     
      academically
      as
      well
      and
      I
     
     
      think
      that
      is
      unrealistic.
      |
     
     
      know
      that
      now.
      I
      didn’t
     
     
      know
      that
      a
      year
      ago.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      no
      major
      re-
     
     
      grets
      about
      his
      time
      in
     
     
      office,
      Burns
      would
      like
      to
     
     
      see
      changes
      in
      the
      condi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      tions
      of
      being
      a
      member
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      SU
      executive.
      At
     
     
      present,
      students
      must
      be
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chris
      Gray
      current
      SU
      President
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      full-time
      student
      to
      be
      a
     
     
      member
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      union,
      Part-time
      students
     
     
      are
      not
      being
      represented.
     
     
      “If
      the
      President
      only
     
     
      wants
      to
      take
      2
      courses
      that
     
     
      person
      should
      be
      able
      to
      do
     
     
      that.”
     
    

    
     
      Burns's
      resignation
     
     
      came
      as
      no
      surprise
      to
      some
     
     
      students
      who
      had
      earlier
      in
     
     
      the
      week
      started
      a
      petition
     
     
      to
      have
      Burns
      impeached.
     
    

    
     
      The
      students
      only
     
     
      needed
      250
      signatures
      to
     
     
      have
      Burns
      impeached.
     
     
      One
      student
      who
      signed
      the
     
     
      petition
      said
      “We
      don't
     
     
      seem
      to
      be
      having
      any
     
     
      problems
      getting
      signa-
     
     
      tures.”
      Everyone
      wants
      to
     
     
      sign.”
     
    

    
     
      John
      Robertson,
      3rd
     
     
      year
      Arts,
      felt
      the
      petition
     
     
      was
      unnecessary.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "He
      resigned
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      right
      reasons.
      I'm
      glad
     
     
      he
      placed
      academics
      before
     
     
      his
      president
      position.
      That
     
     
      is
      after
      all
      what
      we
      are
      at
     
     
      university
      for
      --
      to
      learn."