_ Monday, August 27, 1984 There’s good news for students coming out of the Douglas College student society. The society has introduced veral new programs this mester and some of our student politicians are draw- ing up plans for even more. To help ease the pains of getting rid of those textbooks you bought last semester the society will be offering you cash for them during regis- tration. Look for their buy-back counter outside of the book- store on the first floor. Another plan in the works is a scheme to recycle all of the paper that would nor- mally get chucked into the garbage. Debra Niessen, coordin- ator for the program, says if administration would shuffle some of their scrap in her direction the plan could raise a lot of money for student bursaries. Implementation of the pro- gram entails setting up 100 small desk top containers around different areas in the college. Complete details have yet to be worked out, but Nies- sen is hoping the’society will get their hands on all the old copies of The Other Press that normally get strewn about the concourse. For even more information on the program, the student society office is now located in room 2780, on the north side of the concourse. Also in the works is a plan to show free feature movies to students during slack time periods. Last year the society tried booking the college’s 300 seat theatre for the movies, but administrators were wor- ried about possible damage from rowdy students. Jesse Sedhu is supposed to be putting his many talents to work on the movie plan. Something else that’s be- ing bounced around the stu- dent society offices is the idea of putting a microwave oven on campus. Jane Essex, who ran for president and lost last year, first intro- . duced the scheme and even though she’s not around anymore the dream lives on. At Maple Ridge campus, ! you'll be glad to hear there’s already a microwave in the student lounge. The student society has also put some picnic tables outside the ‘‘Mexican Jail’’ and some recycled furniture will soon find its way to the ’ learning centre for about 250 students. The brain-child of student treasurer Shane Kennedy is to place some Bike Lockers on the New Westminster campus. Last year he stressed the high incident of bike thefts at Douglas College during his election campaign and he intends to make good with his promises. For single parents, the student society has approved a plan to help you pay for your child care. At last year’s Annual Gen- eral Meeting society rep Paula Gledhill (now an honourary student living in England) convinced students to donate $5,000 to the cause. Day care subsidies can be used at either the Douglas College Early Childhood Education Society day care centre or the YMCA day care in New Westminster. Maple Ridge students can phone the student society at 522-6038 for more intorm- ation. The society has also pass- ed a resolution allowing pol- itical groups to form as official student clubs at the college, but they will not be allowed funding. In the next issue of The Other Press, we'll try to print a detailed list of all the clubs and activities you can join. Fun and excitement are just part of the Douglas College Choir courses. Here we can see a group of 13 enthusiastic young prima donnas preparing their tender vocal cords for gratification. a bright future of fame, fortune and personal eee how pleased their instructor must photo by SEAN VALENTINI Faculty association in position to strike You've got most of the classes you wanted, some- how you’ve paid for tuition and now you’ re ready to start college. by DAN HILBORN Watch out! The Douglas College faculty association is in a legal position to strike. Faculty have been without a contract since April, 1983, but association vice pres- ident Len Millis says a strike is not in their plans. Negotiations have been halted so both sides could take their summer vacations, but sources say progress in the talks could be made very soon. Bob Corbett, from the college’s personnel depart- ment says their position may be open to some change, and Millis says the faculty may be willing to make more concessions. Neither side feels salary is an important issue in the talks, but the faculty are definitely worried about their job security, Millis said. The college is hoping to add two clauses to the faculty contract that would identify employees with what the college believes is lowest seniority. The latest faculty negoti- ation newsletter says ins- tructors want those clauses totally removed. A former stumbling block in negotiations — involving severence pay and notice of lay-off has been tentatively agreed to, the newsletter said. Faculty have asked for a 3.5 per cent pay increase in the second year of the con- tract (from April ’84) and the college has raised their offer from zero per cent to 2 per cent. Corbett says he is hopeful the faculty won’t go on strike but he does recognize they are legally entitled to. “| just hope Millis isn’t downstairs painting up signs right now,’’ Corbett said. “You never can tell,’’ said Millis. Both sides have agreed to let Fred Long from the Labour Relations Board mediate the negotiations | which should resume in the first week of September. The faculty of Kwantlen College, who are members of the same association as the Douglas College instructors went on strike for three weeks last September. Instructors from both col- lege’s participated in the Operation Solidarity picket- ing that closed down most of the province last November. At Okanagan College, the faculty have been hit with a lock-out notice by their ad- ministration and students there can expect to wait a while longer before return- ing to school. A word of warning “Smarten up or I'll put you and your lazy study habits on probation.’’ Douglas College registrar Andrew Wilson did not make the previous statement, but he does want to warn new students about recently in- troduced probation rules. Students with a grade point average below 1.5 (about a C-) will soon find themselves receiving little notices telling them to see a counsellor. Increased enrolments and an ever increasing waiting list have forced the college to make the changes on its previously lax entrance re- quirements, Wilson said. ’ The college is also tighten- Ling up on people who repeat courses to achieve a higher grade. From now on three is the magic number. Students will have to learn to get the best grades the first time around ‘to help fit others into the college, Wilson said. The week before registra- tion, Wilson said none of the 500 students sent probation notices had been turned away from the college. “| just give them a little poke and they usually get themselves straightened around,’’ Wilson said. The college is looking at other ways to reduce the expected 1,000 name waiting list and will be asking some students to fill in a registra- tion survey this year.