This was our press release regarding Campus 2020
VANCOUVER, BC (April 24, 2007) The Alma Mater Society (AMS), the student society at UBC, today praised the Campus 2020 report on post-secondary education issued yesterday by former BC attorney-general Geoff Plant.
The AMS said that the report contained bold new ideas that could improve the quality of education in the province if the government adopts them.
AMS President Jeff Friedrich said the key would be to provide funding to implement the report’s recommendations. “It has to be fully funded,” he said, “or we won’t get beyond where we are today.”
“We’re impressed with the report’s position on improved data collection, which reflects one of the suggestions in the AMS submission to Campus 2020 in December of last year,” said Friedrich.
The organization’s main disappointment was concerning tuition. “We were looking for a proportional cap to limit the student contribution to 20 percent of the cost of their education,” said AMS VP External Matthew Naylor, “but overall this is an excellent report that we hope the government adopts.”
The AMS praised the combined emphasis on access and excellence – singling out the report’s ambitious goal of having the province achieve the highest level of participation in post-secondary education per capita in Canada by 2015, along with the goal of having the province rank highest in the country on quality measures by that same year.
“We’re pleased with the proposals for a Higher Education Presidents Council, Higher Education Board, and a Pacific Centre of Excellence in Learning Innovation, which reflect the spirit of our submission to Campus 2020 late last year,” said Friedrich.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
My Deepest Condolences
There are times like these where you don't really know what to think. Times like when I found out about the September 11th attacks, or the Columbine Shootings. This, coming on the heels of the Shooting at Virgina Tech, is one of those times.
Tim does raise some interesting points over at UBC Insiders, though.
I am, however, reminded of one thing, and that is the importance of a functioning campus safety and security network. I feel incredibly blessed that there are mechanisms on UBC's campus that do their absolute best to help make this institution the safest possible. Our Blue Light Phones, for example, are a beacon, quite literally, of safety on campus. Campus security patrols too are important. But I think that the most important thing for development of a safe campus is Safewalk.
People rag on Safewalk all the time, especially at the yearly Safewalk service presentation to AMS Council. And there are some legitimate arguments - the cost per walk is often above thirty dollars. But they do more than just walk. They also patrol around campus, acting as students who we can count on. The Safewalk logo is the most recognizable brand on campus, and everyone knows who the people are in the red coats. So, yes, perhaps Safewalk costs a fair amount (mere pennies a student, by the way), but when faced with the choice that we see today, between 31 dollars or 31 lives, there's no contest.
Tim does raise some interesting points over at UBC Insiders, though.
I am, however, reminded of one thing, and that is the importance of a functioning campus safety and security network. I feel incredibly blessed that there are mechanisms on UBC's campus that do their absolute best to help make this institution the safest possible. Our Blue Light Phones, for example, are a beacon, quite literally, of safety on campus. Campus security patrols too are important. But I think that the most important thing for development of a safe campus is Safewalk.
People rag on Safewalk all the time, especially at the yearly Safewalk service presentation to AMS Council. And there are some legitimate arguments - the cost per walk is often above thirty dollars. But they do more than just walk. They also patrol around campus, acting as students who we can count on. The Safewalk logo is the most recognizable brand on campus, and everyone knows who the people are in the red coats. So, yes, perhaps Safewalk costs a fair amount (mere pennies a student, by the way), but when faced with the choice that we see today, between 31 dollars or 31 lives, there's no contest.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Why does this blog exist?
The AMS Department of External Affairs (not a constitutionally defined body), comprising the office of the VP External, the External Commission, and, to a lesser extent, the Lobbying Review Committee, is one of the least understood bodies in the organization. This is because it deals with things that have a less tangible and short term benefit to students than things like Club Administration or the Budget. Notably, the Academic and University Affairs portfolio suffers from similar problems, but, well, thats not my portfolio and I don't know all thats going on in it.
So what am I going to do here? Post. That a first one, and not just on External issues, but also on issues related to the AMS as an organization and as a part of Campus and Community life. What does CASA do for students? What is going on in the greater student movement? These are questions which are relevant to us, as I have no doubt you will see in the near future, but issues which don't have the profile that that probably should. Translink governance, civil liberties... all of these things are dealt with through the External portfolio. So, for those of you who dont read council minutes or hear my exec remarks in person, I hope this tool of greater information sharing is, in any form, useful.
So what am I going to do here? Post. That a first one, and not just on External issues, but also on issues related to the AMS as an organization and as a part of Campus and Community life. What does CASA do for students? What is going on in the greater student movement? These are questions which are relevant to us, as I have no doubt you will see in the near future, but issues which don't have the profile that that probably should. Translink governance, civil liberties... all of these things are dealt with through the External portfolio. So, for those of you who dont read council minutes or hear my exec remarks in person, I hope this tool of greater information sharing is, in any form, useful.
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