Spee te epee

meager

} ‘ RS

 

The Other Press, December 9th, /982

    

  

 

er News

 

 

:

by Dee Thomas

A lot of rumors have been
going around campus in the
last week about the fate of
academic courses at Douglas
College. One of these, is that
as early as September, 1983,
students will have their
choice of technologies only.

The so-called ‘‘white pap-
er’’, fragm_whence -all the
discussion began, has a
name. It’s called the
“Integrated Five Year Plan-
ning for the British Columbia
College and Institute Sys-
tem’’.

Ralph Stanton, President
of the Faculty Association,
says, ‘‘It’s a draft and does
not yet have the approval of
the Ministry of Education.
But it shows where their
, thinking is’’.

Asked if the plans are part
of the drive for cutbacks,
Stanton replied, ‘‘It sure is.
We probably have a Minister
who has no sympathy for the
educational system’’.

   
 

 

The most controversial
paragraph of the paper is
found under the heading
Objectives B.3, page 4. It
reads: -‘‘In all lower main-
land college regions, col-
leges will provide, as a
minimum, a limited core
program base which may or
may not include university
transfer programming in all
regions. In determining this
base, account will be taken of
the wide-ranging urban trans
-it facilities between regions
and the proximity of institute
and university offerings’ ’.

The key phrase is ‘‘may or
may not’’. Stanton says, ‘‘if
this college happened to be
one of those, that may not
include university transfer
programs, it would mean
that student access to univer-
sity would be severely limit-
ed. The real possibility is
that what will be left is
technologies, but this is not
clear’. Indeed, this confus-
ion seems to be evident in
the rumblings on campus.

Great Trek Continues...

Bureaucratic wording leaves
much that is said, open for
interpretation.
Nevertheless, Stanton be-
lieves that the paper ‘‘relects
real intent on the part of the
Ministry. The Ministry is
discussing the possibility of
changing the college system
to the point where it no
longer lives up to its previous
role of providing comprehen-
sive services to its students.
It amounts to the dismem-
berment of the college sys-
tem as we know it. In effect,
Premier Bill Bennett is
wrecking the system that his
father (W.A.C. Bennett)
spent so long creating’’.
Consider the possibility
that the Ministry of Educa-
tion seems determined to
make us into technological
robots. ‘“There’s a fixation
with technology (in society).
It’s seen as a magic potion,
to solve our problems. We'll
somehow all be saved! What
we need is people who can
think’’, says Stanton.

Are the students at Douglas;
doomed to become program-
med like computers in their
education? How important is
it to us, to grasp a sense of

Will Provincial Government Kill Douglas Academic Courses?

history, ourselves, to philo-
sophize and re-ask that time-
less question--what is the
meaning of life?

continued on Page 7

Registrars ’ Office
Misleads Students

by Glen Nazaruk

Registration has been
moved forward one day to
begin Wed., Jan: 5, 1983.
The Registrar’s office gener-
ally allows a one day break
between Registration and
the start of classes, but due
to an oversight by them, it
was not allowed for in the
calendar. This break enables
all registration cards to be
counted. 5s 2.)

The original registration
date would have registration
end on a Friday. night, which
would create conflict for staff
who would have to work, and
and students, who would un-
doubtedly have other plans.

 

Photo by Sean Valentini

The Registrar’s office apol-
ogies for lateness in notify-
ing students, but mentions
that this information was giv-
en to the D.C. Student
Society two weeks ago.

Should the new registration
date be of any inconvenience
to students who made prior
arrangements over the holi-
days, they may have another
student register for them.
The Admissions office does
not, however, take any res-
ponsibility for last minute

scheduling change. Any

other information may be ob-

tained at the Admissions

office.

J