Student governors responded with mixed reactions when U of T president David Naylor’s term was extended for another three years at a closed session of Governing Council on Thursday, with a possible further extension of two years in April 2013.

During the open session which followed, some student representatives openly questioned whether they had a meaningful role. Students account for eight seats out of 50 on GC. Meetings have seen tension between GC chair John Petch and some student speakers, with each side accusing the other of disrespect.

“When I first came to council from July to December with no duties, no effect, no purpose whatsoever, [I was] waiting for a briefing on what it even means to be governor,” said Andrew Agnew-Iler, who represents full-time undergraduates. In an email, full-time undergrad rep Margaret Kim wrote that GC is highly hierarchical and can be intimidating. “I could see why, as some students at the meeting have communicated, having an impact on decision making on GC seems like a challenge. But it is what you make of it.”

Other student leaders expressed similar frustrations. Gavin Nowlan, president of the Arts and Science Students’ Union, said that although university officials meet regularly with student leaders, these meetings felt more like information sessions than genuine attempts to involve students in governing. Waiting outside during the closed session, Nowlan said there has been a change in the tenor of student-administration relations.

“Over the past couple of years Governing Council seems more confrontational towards students. It’s becoming more and more clear that they don’t want students at Governing Council meetings,” he said, referring to the presence of campus police outside. University officials would not confirm if there were plainclothes officers among the protestors outside or inside Simcoe Hall, although student leaders said that it was obvious that there were.

Ryan Campbell, representing full-time undergrads, disagreed. “You have all the decision-makers there and they’re all reasonable people and if you make good points they’ll listen. That’s where the real value is in being a governor.”

“There’s the problem that once something hits the Governing Council level, be it on the board or at this body, it’s almost a given,” said Adam Awad, VP university affairs for the U of T Students’ Union.

Professor Cheryl Misak, VP and provost, said that administrators and UTSU simply do not agree on fundamental questions. “If UTSU wants us to go with them and argue that there should be no tuition fees, we can’t do that. […] We can’t go to the government and say we don’t want any more tuition fees because we would literally be advocating that we close our doors.”

Naylor struck a more conciliatory tone. “I think Adam does raise an interesting point around the tough dynamic around governance,” he said in an interview after the meeting. “At the same time I think it’s important for us to figure out a way to take the temperature down a little bit and get some constructive dialogue.”

“Certainly the testiness in the Governing Council chamber is not something that makes me or anyone else very happy,” said Naylor. “That being said, the repetition of certain positions doesn’t make them true. To make the same arguments over and over again, when others have respectfully disagreed and moved in a different direction, also doesn’t come off as helpful and constructive.”

Naylor said he hoped that the St. George Round Table, formed by the presidents of college councils and undergrad societies, would allow the university to hear from a wide range of students in the event that there is difficulty communicating with UTSU. “It’s also important for us to establish better dialogue with UTSU,” he said. “Unfortunately there’s enough adverse history that it might be tough to get this one mended until there’s a change in players, but I’m always optimistic and let’s see where we end up.”