Introducing: Guest Blogger - Emily Shelton - UTSU VP External
We’re excited to introduce the new column “Guest Blogger” here at blogUT. Guest Blogger will consist of a series of informal interviews with people who are involved with U of T campus groups, organizations, and clubs (and who knows, maybe even U of T administration). We hope it’ll be a great way for our readers to find out more about a specific part of campus life.
Amidst the unrolling of mattresses, painting of banners, and pinning down of tents in preparation for the Freeze The Fees Campout on Wednesday, Emily Shelton found the time to sit down and have a brief chat with me. Thanks a ton to Emily for finding the time to do this with us!
About: Emily Shelton is our current VP External of UTSU (University of Toronto Students’ Union, formerly SAC), graduated 0T6, majored in Political Science and minored in Sociology and Bioethics. So what does Emily do for you as an exec at UTSU?
Role as VP External of UTSU:
From the UTSU website: As your main link to municipal, provincial and federal governments, Emily implements lobbying strategies on student issues such as education and public transit.
Each of the VPs at UTSU is in charge of a separate commission. As VP External, Emily is in charge of the External Commission. The role of the external commission is to raise awareness about tuition fee issues, fight for a tuition freeze, and get better student deals for the TTC. They’re also the organizers of the big rally to take place on February 7th, student day of action.
So Feb 7th student day of action is coming up. What do you hope to accomplish?
First, in two words: one verb, one noun.
Freeze tuition.
Now the long version: what are your specific requests to the university and to the government?
More funding from federal and provincial governments for post-secondary education. We want to see more need and merit based grants instead of student loans. Also, we want an immediate tuition freeze
As for the university, we understand the problem of under funding. With less funding from Government, they need to get the money from somewhere. So far, it’s been tuition increases. That’s why we’re asking the University to throw their weight behind our common goal: more government funding for post-secondary education. The current administration is not doing that.
What would the ideal picture look like?
Ideally, universities would be accessible based on merit, not income. Students shouldn’t end up in massive debt. They should be able to make decisions based on what they want to do, and not have their decisions be influenced by financial burden.
On the University administration side, they’re saying there isn’t enough funding to go around, and the tuition increases are necessary. What’s your thought on that?
The provincial government has a $300 million surplus this year. That’s more than enough for an immediate tuition freeze if they wanted it. It’s a funding priority problem. The money’s there, but the will isn’t. That’s why we need this big rally. We want everyone to come out. We have to push to get the tuition freeze.
Tell me about the rally on February 7th.
The rally is nation wide. Toronto is the centre of the Ontario rally. People are coming from all over: York, George Brown. Universities from all over Ontario are joining the rally. We have people bussing in all the way from Thunder Bay and Laurentian University. We’ll also have a smaller demonstration in Ottawa at the same time on Parliament Hill.
We’re gathering at 11:30 am in front of Con Hall. There’ll be hot chocolate. We’ll march up St. George, across Bloor and down Bay. We’re going to stop in front of the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities and have a speech there. Then we’re going to stop at College St. and University Ave. and make a speech there: “If they don’t stop with the tuition fee hikes, this will be the only College and University you’ll be able to attend!”
February 4th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Very interesting somewhat dissenting artcile by Noaman Ali, president of ASSU, on the Newspaper.