Adult students are students too
Re: Letters, Oct 4.
I believe that the letter regarding part-time students adding a “30+-year-old voice to an already top-heavy committee” is a direct attack, not only on part-time students, but graduate school students as well.
The sense I got from the letter was that part-time or mature students, by being on a committee, will make a decision against student interests. That, my friend, is discrimination.
Age is not the issue here. The issue is low student representation on the committee altogether.
I’m sure we have more than enough “30+-year-old” students in all three campuses of this diverse university, and you need to realize that undergraduates “aged 17-25” are not the only ones here.
I believe that a committee like the one under question should maybe be made up of additional student representatives. Having, for example, GSU, SAC, APUS, and SCSU reps, in addition to the three student reps, would give a greater measure of accountability and participation.
I was not the only one offended by the comments discriminating against part-time students, and their ability to make sound decisions in student interest.
Sheraz Arshad
Vice-President Internal,
Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students at the University of Toronto
