we”

By Ashley Whillans, Associate News
Editor &
Matthew Steinbach, News Editor

re you bored with your
classes? Do you have new
ideas to make school more

interesting and engaging for yourself
and others? Put your ideas into action
with the Douglas College Education
Council and College Board.

The Education Council is
currently looking for four student
elected representatives, and the
College Board is looking for
two students as well to serve the
2009/2010 term at Douglas College.

Not only will elected students
receive great job related experience,
but they will also have the opportunity
to make important decisions affecting
all Douglas College students.
| Students on the Education
Council will have the opportunity
to make important decisions about
special programming, curriculum
content, policies relating to transfer
credits as well as they will make

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recommendations to the College
Board on allocation of funds to
specific programs. Last year alone,
the Education Council decided to
close the school down for two weeks
to enable students to volunteer their
time and take part in the Olympic
festivities in 2010.

Board members will learn what
it is like to be financially responsible
for an organization and they will be
directly responsible for all major
budget and long-term decisions that
Douglas College must make to ensure
the college’s survival in the 21"
century education system.

There are other benefits to being
involved than just being a part of the
decisions.

“In addition to being involved in
your community, being on a board of
some sort gets you in the door, looks
good on your resume, you can get
reference letters if you are a looking
for a job afterwards and it is a good
experience for public speaking,” says
Alysia MacGrotty, current Douglas
College Board Member.

College Board and Education Council
seek student representatives

Elections are open for any student
interested in serving a one-year term
with either committee or both if a
student chooses to run for the council
and the board.

However, two education council
seats are reserved for students whom
are registered in 50% of their courses
at the campus they wish to represent.
The voting for each representative
will take place within the constituent
group (either New Westminster or
Coquitlam) and students may be
eligible to serve additional terms upon
election. These restrictions do not
affect the board.

The deadline to become a
candidate is February 9", and
interested students must fill out a
nominee application, available online
at www.douglas.bc.ca (search for
Education Council and/or College
Board and click on the elections link)
or in person at either the Registrar’s
Office or the Douglas Students’ Union
main office.

_ News Shorts
Gy Mattie Stvainen ar Ania,
Whillans

 

 

 

Two years later, and the DSU is
still in receivership

By Matthew Steinbach, News Editor

ast month was the start of the second
| year of receivership for the Douglas
Student’s Union (DSU). They were first
placed in this position by the courts in 2007
and have never gotten out of it.

Geoff Lenahan, treasurer for the
Students’ Union, commented recently that the
DSU is moving forward, and that it’s time that
they left receivership “for the Sudents’ Union’s

health.”
He went on to explain that he was “tired
of constant delays from the school.”

The college has a say in this process as
they were the organization that initially helped
place the DSU in receivership, along with the
Canadian Federation of Students’ B.C. wing
(CFS-BC), CFS-Services and the Canadian
Union of Public Employees (CUPE) because
of outstanding debts and other concerns
regarding financial controls.

: Lenahan explained that the main delay

: is the college’s lingering concerns over the
organization’s fiscal controls, but this could all
be resolved sometime after February 17" when
the DSU officially will meet with the college’s
finance committee to discuss terms for the
DSU to formally end receivership.

If this meeting does not go as planned,
though, Lenahan did explain that the DSU
would be prepared to take their case to court if
need be to resolve their current predicament.
However, both himself and Taylor, staff
relations officer, do not believe that will
transpire.

Geoff Lenahan explained that Marne
6

 

  

Jensen, receiver-manager for the DSU, has
had “no hands in our operations” for the last
year except in the case of major staff hiring
and purchases. Taylor explained that they
have been working closely with their auditors
“to ensure financial accountability,” and have
been able to put in place many new controls,
policies and procedures with the help of their
newest staff member, the Finance and Services
Coordinator Roxanna Matanzas. With her
help, Taylor explains they have been able to
keep everyone at an “arms length from cash.”
However, she was unable to go into specifics.
Despite any setbacks the DSU may
be facing with the college, at least one of
the DSU’s creditors was supportive of their
plight. Shamus Reid, chair for the CFS-B.C.,
explained that as far as they were concerned
their debts have been paid off, and that “the
DSU should be let out of receivership.”
Marne Jensen, the receiver-manager,
could not be reached for comment. She will
have a final say as well on the end of her
appointment, which is expected to occur on
February 17" at the same financial meeting
with the college.

  

Quick Facts on Receivership

What is Receivership?

Receivership is a court-ordered appointment
of a person to control an organization because
of what is seen as the loss of financial control
over the organization. Creditors and other
groups have to actually take the society to
court to have this imposed upon them. The
receiver, once put in place, has ultimate control
of the organization’s property, finances, and

 

af

 

(operations until all parties can agree to release

the society or until a court orders that the
organization is in compliance.

So, why did this happen to the students’ union?
Several years back, the DSU was close to
bankruptcy, owed two rather large loans back
to the CFS-B.C. and CFS-Services and a
smaller loan to CUPE. Douglas College was
also withholding the fees that students pay

to the organization because their financial
situation was considered to be out of control.
So, in January 2007, these four groups put
them into receivership.

Who is this Marne Jensen?

She is the general manager of the University of
Victoria Students’ Society, which had several
financial issues of their own about five years
before her appointment. She was appointed to
repair the dire situation at the DSU. She was
recommended by the CFS-B.C.

Is she paid by or accountable to students?
She is paid $100 for every day she works on
the DSU’s file but she is only accountable to
the Supreme Court of British Columbia. She
can also hire anyone she deems necessary to
help complete her work at the DSU, including
assistants, bookkeepers, etc.

How long was this supposed to take?

The time to correct the situation was initially
believed to be 3-6 weeks because Jensen

was already acting as a financial advisor
temporarily to the organization, so she was
aware of the file.

Veneta) Scheel is hayek .
=

 

Budget passes without a fuss
Last week, The Other Press reported that
the coalition was still in play. However, on
Wednesday, the Liberals decided instead to
force the Conservative government to give
into their demand of detailed reporting, and
then supported the budget. This was meant
to serve as a confidence motion, so if the
opposition was not impressed with how the
Tories were handling the economic crisis
they could be ousted.

¢

     

 

Pattullo Bridge re-opens

_ Commuters \ ho were expecting a month of
~ extended SkyTrain hours and bus re-routes
_ had an unexpected surprise last Monday

when TransLink suddenly announced that

they would re-open the bridge only after a

week since the fire that caused the closure.
As it turned out the damage was not as

severe as Translink had initially expected

\ Bee pe up the retrofit to

After 95 eae! in operation, Glen —