Imagine George Bush and Al Gore moved to U of T and decided to run for the top undergraduate student leader positions. It’s not a perfect analogy, but there are certainly some worthy comparisons between the US election and the current race for leader of the Student Administrative Council (SAC). Beside the obvious comparison—that the majority of eligible voters simply will not cast a ballot—the SAC candidates also seem to also be very similar to one another on the surface. But there are important differences if you know where to look—differences that will decide how you are represented and how your money will be spent next year.
Personal Record
Unlike the last election, which saw a self-avowed socialist run and win, these two are both in the centre or right of the political spectrum. Rocco seems the more liberal of the two, not holding a political membership but having attended at least one Tory convention (a fact he states with some sheepishness). Asked how he would vote if an election were held today federally, provincially or municipally, he says he doesn’t know. Semple is a proud member of the Progessive Conservative Party and would vote for them federally and provincially, but notes he is a not a big fan of Mel Lastman and would probably vote for Olivia Chow if she ever ran in the city.
Asked what their biggest failure has been, they both say they regret having not become involved in university politics and campus life at an earlier stage. Semple counts contributing articles to the student press both at U of T and at Queen’s, where he attended last year, as one of his bigger contributions to campus life. “I guess I wish I’d been involved in politics earlier,” Semple added.
Rocco says his work as president of the 300-plus member Black Students Association is where he has helped campus the most, especially with Black History Month, which recently culminated in the well-attended VIBE social. “It helps celebrate the diversity of this school,” Rocco said.
Tuition
While both candidates say they support a tuition freeze, their position on the topic varies. Semple doesn’t see the feasibility of the idea as a campaign promise, and notes that a tuition freeze can be regressive. For instance, he says his parents have paid for his education and cost of living while attending university, and could afford to pay more. For him, a tuition freeze doesn’t help those who need it most—instead, he favours more guaranteed support for the most financially disadvantaged but academically qualified students.
Rocco, on the other hand, counts a tuition freeze as one of his main goals. He has given his qualified support to the national lobby group Canadian Federation of Students, of which SAC became a prospective member this year. He hopes that by advocating a freeze, Ontario students can achieve what those in provinces like BC, Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland have—a halt to tuition increases, and in some cases, even a rollback.
Rocco is also especially concerned about the situation at U of T’s faculty of law, where tuition is slated to double over the next five years. He supports the stance of the Black Students Association of Canada, which has noted that the hike is discriminatory because black families in Toronto earn an average of $25,000 per year, so the hike would put a law school education out of range for many. He says the tuition increase “mirrors the way the university is going.” Paying $20,000 a year for a law degree is “ridiculous,” he said.
“I’m for a tuition freeze [for undergraduates], I’m for a tuition lowering [for law students],” Rocco added
Semple sees the hike as a fait accompli and while he doesn’t like it, he says the priority should be ensuring bursaries and other support are high enough for students in the new world of $20,000+ law tuition.
“I think excellence means having a diverse student body,” Semple said, noting that the law tuition increase might have unintended consequences. But he speculates that the extra revenue will improve the faculty: “I can see the argument for it.”
Semple added that he was “not in favour of deregulation of undergraduate tuition.” He believes that by working with governments, U of T can ensure that it remains accessible. “We need a stronger commitment from government.” His goal is “making sure that all the best people go to U of T, regardless of their ability to pay for it.”
Semple thinks President Birgeneau is doing a good job behind the big desk at Simcoe Hall. “If you don’t hear anything about him, it’s probably a good thing…. He’s someone we can work with.”
Rocco, although noting that it is probably too early to judge Birgeneau, is less kind about the university’s stance. He said the administration is “seizing any chance to get more money” and that student leaders must take action to prevent further tuition increases because “it’s serving as a deterrent” to academically capable students who can’t afford the cost of higher education. But Rocco adds that he’s against Birgeneau’s plan to turn U of T’s merit-based scholarships into needs-based, noting that he likes the current system’s guarantees that no qualified student will be denied a U of T education because of inability to pay tuition.
Voting takes place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week (March 25-27) on-line at www.rosi.utoronto.ca. For more of this news analysis series on the SAC elections, visit the archives at www.thevarsity.ca.
