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McMaster University board excluding
international students

» Board of Governors the only group international students and permanent residents are unable to join

“he Rachel Katz
The Silhouette
I is a well-known and often
celebrated fact that McMaster
University offers hundreds of
opportunities for its students.
From faculty societies, to
charitable clubs, to official
university committees, students
are encouraged to immerse
themselves in all aspects of life
at McMaster.

However, that opportunity
is cut short for international
students wishing to sit on the
Board of Governors, the body
charged with managing the
university’s property, revenue,
and business affairs. The board
is governed by the Ontario
Corporations Act, and in 1976,
when the Act was last changed,
there was a mandate that

: all members of the Board of

: Governors be Canadian citizens,
: including the undergraduate

: and graduate representatives.

“The world has changed a

: lot since then,” said University

: secretary Helen Ayre. “Changing
: the Act is quite difficult. If [we]

: open the Act we would probably
: have requests for other things

: to be changed and it would

: probably take a long negotiation :
: process to agree on any changes,”
: explained Ayre. :
: “Our board doesn’t deal with :
: academic programs [...] that’s

: all done at the Senate, and there
: are 12 students on the Senate

: who are full, voting members.

: So there’s not a lot that comes

: to our board that would be

: contentious [for] the students

: versus the board members,’ she
: said,

There are still opportunities

: for students who are not

: Canadian citizens to sit on the
: Senate and its subcommittees,
: as they are responsible for

: decisions surrounding the

: appointments of university

: officials and curriculum

: changes.

But the Board of Governors

is the only group where

Canadian citizenship is a

: criterion for membership.

“The Senate has no
restrictions, the University

: Planning Committee has no
: such restriction, and the Fees
: Committee has students on it
: and there’s no restriction on
: nationality on that,” said Ayre.

While the citizenship rule

: detracts from McMaster’s image
: asa progressive institution,
: the Board of Governors does

: feature a unique role for non-

: members. A delegate from

: each of the University’s student

: associations is welcome to

: attend board meetings as an

: official observer. This position is
: usually filled by the President of
: each association, including the

: McMaster Association of Part-

: time Students and the McMaster :
: Students’ Union.

“Those people get

: everything the board

: members get, including all

: the confidential information.

: They’re allowed to attend the

: meetings, both the open and

: the closed portions,” said Ayre. :
: Official observers are not eligible :
: to vote on the board, but they

: are welcome to speak and are

: given the same respect as board
: members. Observers are asked

: to leave during the members-

theotherpress.ca

: only discussion typically held at
: the conclusion of meetings, but
: according to Ayre, no motions

: are voted on at this point.

The role of the official

: observer sets McMaster apart

: from other universities across

: the province. Queen’s University
: and Wilfred Laurier University

are the only other Ontario

: universities with this position.

: However, their observers are

: only allowed to attend the open

: segments of board meetings and
: are not privy to any confidential

: information their McMaster

: counterparts receive.

Ultimately, the issue with
the ability to sit on the Board

: of Governors being based

: on the citizenship one holds
: has nothing to do with the

: information members

: may learn.

 

Poll affirms BC residents happy

with Winter Olympics

» Majority would prefer to avoid Summer Olympics

, Angela Espinoza
News Editor
Mi news

1a
b a + @theotherpress.ca

hile many BC residents
have voiced appreciation
for Vancouver’s role in the 2010

 

been public disdain regarding
Vancouver potentially hosting
the Olympic Summer Games.
Insights West reportedly
rana poll for CTV that asked
whether BC residents would
approve of the city hosting

: another Olympic event. CTV

: reported that 75 to 80 per cent
: of votes stated the Winter

: Games had a positive effect on
: Vancouver, BC, and Canada

: respectively.

Mario Canseco, vice

: president of public affairs for
: Insights West, told CTV, “It’s
Olympic Winter Games, there’s : very hard to get more than
seven out of 10 BC residents
: to say they’re happy with

: something.

“This is one of those

> occasions when it worked.”

However, 53 per cent

: voted “probably should not” or

: “definitely should not” when
: addressed with hosting the
: Summer Games.

Only 37 per cent of voters

: throughout BC selected

: “definitely should” or “probably
: should” with regard to hosting
: the Summer Olympics.

Regardless of the poll’s

results, it’s unconfirmed if

: Vancouver will opt to host any
: Olympic Summer Games in

: the near future. Although the
Winter Games were five years
: ago, the Olympic Cauldron

: down at Coal Harbour keeps

: the events in recent memory.

-

  

 

Image from TofflerAnn.com

 

Harsher penalties for BC's distracted drivers

» Deaths caused by distracted drivers average 89 per year

' ., Angela Espinoza
iy News Editor
¥ 4

= b

Mi news
@theotherpress.ca
s of February 27, ICBC and
BC police have started a
strict campaign to lower the
number of distracted drivers.
CBC reported that the
number of deaths caused by

 

“those caused by drunk
drivers.” ICBC averaged that
“89 people die on the roads

: each year due to distracted
: driving.”

Last October, ICBC

: introduced a penalty of three

: demerits for drivers caught

: talking on their phones, along

: with a fine of $167 for the

: driver. The rule also applies to
those caught “watching a DVD,
: programming a phone’s GPS,

: and operating hand-held audio

\ = : players.”
distracted drivers now outranks :

Laws were previously

in place regarding texting
: and driving, and now come

with harsher penalties, such
: as higher fines, for repeat
offenders.

Liberal MLA Scott

: Hamilton told CBC that the
: laws will continue to change
: if the number of distracted
: drivers continues in a similar
fashion.

“The British Columbia

government may consider

: further penalties if these

: initiatives do not translate to
: improved behaviours,” said

: Hamilton.

  

 

Image from Thinkstock