Sensationalism often dominates elections. As they oppose ‘unjust’ faculty policies, advocate for student inclusion, and propose the newest measures to assure respect for every UTSU-defined student right, students in university election campaigns enjoy drawing parallels between civic action leaders and their own leadership abilities. Yet, beyond campaigning for clubs funding, equity, broad political issues, and school spirit, the most far-reaching and significant concern of students is left on the sidelines. Quality of education rarely inspires enough sensation to capture the spotlight, but students can hope that this year’s election will devote much-deserved attention to academics.
Students are often unaware of the bureaucratic challenge involved in trying to improve education quality. Each college at U of T guarantees a form of academic representation to students through a student representative who consults with faculty, attends Faculty Council meetings, and suggests academic improvements. Ultimately, whether influencing the creation of e-courses, formulating a student response to the co-curricular record, responding to department-specific student concerns, or ensuring that resources are available for struggling students, the academic representatives shoulder a considerable burden in attempting to improve the quality of education.
Beyond the student level, faculties attempt to enact changes to the curriculum and improve educational quality internally. The Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs, oversees quality assurance for all faculties, units, and new and existing programs. Educational quality encompasses examinations, teaching facilities, curriculum, teaching quality, academic success resources, and course critiques. Yet, between the faculty level and college representative level, there is a critical void that can be addressed by an incoming UTSU executive. Many of the above-listed areas of concern are not isolated to a specific faculty or college. An over-arching policy or approach to academic issues is essential to ensuring that students receive what they pay for as registered students at U of T — a first-class education.
An elected UTSU representative must recognize the significance of educational quality above all else. While encouraging unity between the academic mandates of academic representatives and committees at the student and faculty level, the UTSU can address contentious academic issues to a degree that college or faculty student representatives cannot. As new e-courses, the co-curricular record, and a new course evaluation framework are being established, the time could not be more opportune to devote attention to education quality. Given the difficulty of enacting large policy changes — eliminating vehicle access to St. George St. for example — and beyond the obvious intention of any UTSU executive to host social events, a commitment to improving educational quality is a mature and serious way for candidates to differentiate themselves from their overly-sensational counterparts.
The question remains: what can be done? Creating consistency and unity in course evaluations and deferred exam policies, improving awareness on and access to academic success resources, and responding to long-established concerns on student grading are starting points for a new union executive. Approaching educational quality requires a willingness to consult students and faculty with an open mind for both concerns and solutions. Many students have little interest in campus politics, but we are all united by a common purpose: we are here to become more educated. The UTSU can serve the needs and goals of every student by making U of T a better place to learn. Hopefully, improving academic quality will be a hot topic in this year’s UTSU election.
Stephanie Gaglione is a TrackOne engineering student at U of T and is the first-year representative on the Engineering Society Board of Directors. The views expressed here are her own.
