Hundereds of University of Alberta students gathered in front of the University Administration building this afternoon to protest the lack of consultation that occured before the U of A administration announced it will no longer accept credit cards as a method of payment for tuition fees.
With an average of 18,000 University of Alberta students using credit cards to pay their tuition and fees, a group of students have begun the "Dare to Deceive" campaign protesting the lack of consultation ("Dare to Deceive" is a play on the University's "Dare to Deliver" document which, if you believe the U of A administration, is the best thing since sliced bread).
Not surprisingly, you can still use your credit card to donate to the University in honour of its centenary year.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
dare to deceive.
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8 comments:
Hundereds? Do you mean dozens? I heard it was a bust. As "Dare to Deliver" is a tome of a planning document, I suspect the folks involved in this are a really keen but really small handful of students. Anyway, all this sturm und drang over how to pay one's tuition is idiotic. Protest the provincial government and their post-secondary funding policies!
I remember when the student movement was associated with real change, things like protesting the Vietnam War.
Now they're focused on tuition via credit cards? What a sad fall from relevancy.
Here's a news flash, many students go on to default on their debt. Hence the "protected" nature of classic student loans from bankruptcy.
Perhaps putting tuition on your credit cards is merely speeding students' towards said bankruptcy and these cards are better left unused.
Get a loan, get a job and manage your expenses. It's what most working folks do after post-secondary anyways.
They're protesting credit cards? How about protesting the killing of wolves on the U of A campus for experimental research? How about protesting the ridiculous cost of an education at Alberta's largest public university?
Is this just a bunch of rich kids pissed off about not being able to collect their airmiles?
So this is what happens when people actually take action against a relevant and accessible everyday issue at the university? No wonder nothing ever gets done. You say something good and people get mad at you. How sad. They don't understand the issue, and use it to go back to the same tired old themes.
This issue is one of the reasons there should be some sort of ombudsman role set up by the provincial government for this public facility. Bad, bad decision by the UofA, and bad logic as well. There are much better ways to save some budget cash.
Hi all,
Dare to Deceive is protesting consultation, not credit cards. Credit cards are merely the straw that broke the camel's back.
Think Pembina Hall, think Lister Hall FC elections, think credit card payments.
These are all decisions that the University has made which directly affect student life at the UofA without including us in the process- even though this sort of consultation has been promised to us in the Integrated Planning and Budgetary Policy, Dare to Discover, and Dare to Deliver.
Dare to Deceive is here to let Administration know that students plan on holding them to their promises.
If you have any further questions, feel free to check out our facebook group.
Thanks,
A
From what I know (and according to their facebook description), Dare to Deceive is more about lack of consultation if anything. The group stems out of the credit card debate, which they call the last straw in a string of events that the University has done (I believe the cite the recent Lister debate, and to a lesser extent, Pembina Hall as examples).
Here's a link to the FB group for you to check out and judge for yourselves:
http://ualberta.facebook.com/group.php?gid=9987220868
I actually think that one of the group members mentions the wolf research project as well.
They're questioing why the University is about "enhancing the student experience" in its key document (Dare to Deliver), but not following through. Dare to Deliver speaks about increasing consultation and communication amongst its student body when it comes to making decisions that affect them--so why is the U reneging on its promises?
This has nothing to do with tuition, funding, or anything of that sort, although, I'm sure that many of the people in the group share sentiments in regards to PSE funding poilices.
In regards to the credit card issue specifically--students who can't afford to pay all of their tuition in one lump some resort to using their credit cards. I'm one of these students (I also work multiple jobs during the summer, as well as throughout the school year to pay for everything). I also do not collect airmiles, points, etc., and I am sure that there are many other students who are in the same boat as me.
50 people, tops, at the rally I'm told. As to "consultation" being the issue - Student's Union president has said there were consultations, even negotiations, about credit cards. I think the problem is that some students make the assumption that consultations mean getting your way on an issue! And the U of A's Board of Governors, which decides on issues like this, has 3 student representatives on it (Grad. SA president, SU president and an SU student nominee). 3 reps right at the heart of power! Isn't that consultation?
As a former student of the U of A - I support this "consultation" campaign in principle (although, not the protest against the removal of credit cards - 1.3 million can be better spent than supporting student's air miles).
However, you protest is going the wrong direction.
It was the U of A Student's Union that deceived the students! Michale Janz was present on at least THREE meetings over the course of the last two years on this issue, and SUPPORTED the decision, and only requested that the implementation date be moved to July - which the University complied!
These minutes are available at the Office of the Registrar, and I suggest you find them, read them, and move your protest over to SUB and ask for answer from your student government, not from the University.
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