...and it's Willerton for the win
Arthur sits down with newly re-elected TCSA President, Sheldon Willerton to talk elections, and the upcoming academic year.
Arthur: First of all, congratulations on your re-election. Having just finished a successful campaign this past week, what kind of things have you heard from students, about what they would like from their student union? What type of services do students want the TCSA to offer in the future?
Willerton: From what I've heard, students are not so much talking about services that the TCSA should provide, most of it has to do with them saying that 'the TCSA should fight for us; fight for a better library; fight for lower fees.' [...] However, services are one of our top priorities and we have health services and hopefully soon we will have transportation services. [...] The more services we have the more relevance we have to Trent students, and the more clout it gives us with the university. It is time for us to grow.
Arthur: An issue mentioned frequently during the election campaign was the notion of accessibility. When students are confronted by a problem, whether it is about fees or scholarships, they tend to go to the Office of Student Affairs. What can the TCSA do to become more accessible to students in those situations?
Willerton: [...] There are a lot of different people telling students to come to them if they have a problem, so what it comes down to is that we need to focus really hard on those students coming into the university and explaining to them what the TCSA is and what we do. That way, when they've moved on to their upper years those students will remember that they can come to us. [...] [It] is usually the colleges and cabinets that focus on the first-year students and their experience, but that is absolutely something that the TCSA needs to work on.
Arthur: The summer is obviously a very important time for the new TCSA administration. What will you be doing in the coming months to prepare for the year ahead?
Willerton: Summer is definitely an important time for team building, as well as a time to get ready for the year ahead. [...] It is a time when you are in the office with the other executives for 35 [hours] a week, getting to know each other and getting to work with each other. This is crucial so that by the time the Fall rolls around and there are new issues coming in every day, you have already worked together as a team and are stronger.
The summer also represents a good opportunity for us to keep asking the university for things. [It is a good time] to keep pushing for them to give us financial information because they too are not very busy at that time. This is the primary thing that we will be doing this summer because I would like to get all the [transit] contracts signed and finished by summer's end, so that come next May, the TCSA can be in control of the Trent Express.
Arthur: In regards to the results of the TCSA referendum questions, from your standpoint, they are overwhelmingly positive. What do you take from these results? Are they an affirmation that the TCSA's current mandate has the support of the student body?
Willerton: The transportation question passing is a good sign for us. The concert levy did not pass but we did a terrible job of communicating that issue to the students. It was actually a surprise that it came as close as it did. 60% of students remain opposed to the idea of a private residence on campus, which is about 10% less than in the last referendum. [...] Still, overwhelmingly students are opposed to this idea.
Arthur: Construction is due to start on the private residence this summer, but students haven't heard an update from the administration for months. What steps will the TCSA take to oppose the project and have you received any update from the administration?
Willerton: The project still has to go before city council. I'm not sure when that will be, I assume over the summer or early fall, but we will be there and we will be working hard to come up with a strategy on how to make our concerns heard.
Arthur: Another key issue on the horizon is the Aramark food contract which is due to expire at the end of next year. What can students expect from the TCSA on that issue? Will we see you advocating for a student-run cafeteria?
Willerton: We are going to push for whatever option offers healthy, environmentally sustainable food. [...] If there is a committee that will hear from these companies then we will push to have a student on it, ideally from the TCSA. That way, student concerns can be at the forefront of discussion. [...] There are other schools that do in-house running of services; so we need to look at them and look at what's best for students, not only for their wallet, but also for their health.
Arthur: Have you spoken to the administration about what they will be looking for in food service? Would they entertain the notion of a student-run cafeteria?
Willerton: I think that they are considering being self-operated as well, but there is a lot of work to do in terms of what that would look like. [...] There are all kinds of possibilities and the next six months will be about figuring out what's good for Trent, what's good for the colleges, and how we can have a variety of options available on campus. We need to have a student at the discussion table and right now I think the university is open to all options.
Arthur: With the introduction of 8 a.m. classes, the earlier September start date, as well as potential Saturday morning classes, next year will be quite different for students in terms of class scheduling. What impact do you think these changes will have on students and what will the TCSA do to lobby against or oppose them?
Willerton: This is a space issue. We need another college. [..] A private residence does not address any of our concerns. We need a new college with lecture space, office space, seminar rooms, and housing. That is what we need and that is what this university needs. [...]
I don't think we have made a stance yet on 8 a.m. classes. We have discussed it a little bit but it is definitely on the radar for next year, especially if the administration is thinking about expanding. [...] But further, with all these academic cuts, we are going to see far fewer courses being offered here at Trent and we need to look at whether that will make our space issues worse. With fewer classes we will have bigger classes and a question that needs to be asked is 'do we have the space for bigger classes?' We need to look at all of these factors and work with other people in the university to put forward constructive solutions.
Arthur: An issue that has unquestionably dominated much of this year is the 3 day ISW and I want to talk for a second about the Senate meeting on March 8 that saw the motion to begin classes earlier pass by only one vote. As TCSA president, you were present but not able to vote in that decision; will the TCSA lobby for its president to get the right to vote on Senate next year?
Willerton: That is actually something that we will be doing in the next couple weeks. There is a committee looking at restructuring the Senate, and part of that means taking off two student seats that were previously held by Traill College. [...] We are continuously sending out proposals so that we will not lose those two seats. Whether that means the TCSA President should get a vote, or an international student, we are exploring different options. [...]
Arthur: This touches on an issue that was discussed at length in our interview with President Franklin earlier this year: how can we get more student representation on boards and committees?
Willerton: A lot of it comes out of lobbying, it also comes down to the fact that if we don't want to lose seats, then we have to use them. Depending on the committee, students do not always have the best attendance record, so when the time comes to defend those seats or ask for more, the university looks at our absenteeism and they can use that against us.
Arthur: The integrated plan has become a heated and controversial topic on campus, with different student and faculty groups speaking out against it. How has the TCSA responded to the plan so far and what do you plan on doing in the next year?
Willerton: There was a plan to write a letter to the administration from the perspective of students. Students were hardly mentioned in the first draft and it seems, in terms of the integrated plan, that our sole purpose at Trent is to be retained and housed. The TCSA has also supported the letter written by the Canadian Studies department and some of our board members have read the current draft of the plan and are following the situation closely.
The integrated plan still does not present a clear path for the university. If you were to pick it up, you would still have no idea what Trent is trying to be or where it needs to be in five or ten years. [...] As a student or a faculty member we should be able to look at that plan and make decisions with the intent to moving toward an institutional goal, but it seems as though right now Trent doesn't have an institutional goal. This integrated plan looks like an in-house administrative document; it does not address where we want to be and that is the question that we need to be asking.
Arthur: One severe critique of the plan is that the authors listed are almost exclusively administrators. How important is it for student leaders to, if not officially author it, at least get student opinion through to the administration?
Willerton: Senate is a good example of how we can put forward student opinion as it has been there that President Franklin has opened the door to criticism. But at the end of the day the integrated plan is his document. It is what he and his group think they should be doing right now. That is why it is important for us to voice our opinions at any avenue possible and when we have opportunities like the town halls it is very important that as many students show up to voice concern as possible. These decisions will directly affect us as students and we need to show that we are more to this university than units to be housed and retained.
Over the summer, there will be a get-to-know-you session which is a good opportunity to keep lobbying. Also, this issue is being brought up in many of the committees that our representatives sit on and we need to be using every opportunity that we get to reinforce the point that we are here for more than what they think we are.
Arthur: Talking about the future and the direction that the university is moving, what sorts of things do you see in the future for TCSA? What role do you think it will play in the university in five years or so?
Willerton: In five years I can see there being a TCSA-heavy 'Welcome Back' week for all students during the week after ISW. I can see us owning and operating some kind of food outlet [...] and I see the TCSA on the road to doing more on the service side. Transportation is one thing, but what's next? [...] We are not for profit, we are not here to make money, we are here to provides services, to advocate for students, and to run events. [...] In five years I see the TCSA holding bigger events, being more in tune with advocacy, and running more services. We are going to have to do that slowly but I think we are already on the move.
Arthur: I want to end on the notion of communication and connecting with students as this is an issue that was brought up by both students and TCSA representatives alike. Can we expect to see better communication between the TCSA and the student body next year, whether that be in Arthur, or Absynthe, on Trent Radio, or in your own newsletter?
Willerton: All of those. We will likely have a publicity position, a student job, who will inform the student body not only on what's going on in the TCSA, but also in the university. The lack of updates on our website was the first thing that most students picked up on and we definitely dropped the ball on that. [...]
There was a huge success behind the opinion polls during the referendums this year and we could do more of those, not only at the end of the year, but also during the middle as well. Communication is something that we need to work on, and it is definitely one of our biggest priorities.
