Just as Ontario’s political scene has recently been defined by tough battles between the big three parties, so too has the U of T been faced with its own serious conflicts. For years, some students have been dissatisfied with the UTSU and SCSU. This year the tension overflowed as defederation and reform movements took place. At the Scarborough campus, a small reform movement sprang up, while at St. George, referenda to divert fees from the UTSU have passed.
Yet, it cannot be guaranteed that these minuscule “revolutions,” which aim to radical alter the structure of student governance, truly offer any hope. History has continuously shown that when one democracy attempts to replace another, we are left with tyranny. When the French revolted in hopes of greater equality in 1789, Robespierre’s terror simply took over and washed revolutionary rights with arbitrary massacres. So is it really better to build another government? While moving away from the UTSU likely won’t lead to bloodshed, perhaps we should still be aiming to reform our unions instead of starting from scratch.
The UTSC reform movement complains about issues such as poor campus experience, lack of study space, and poor fiscal control. The movement is not as aggressive as the one taking place against the UTSU, but it still seems to be attracting attention. At the St. George campus, the Engineering Society and Trinity College have passed referenda that support diverting fees from the UTSU and redirecting these funds to the divisional student governments. Victoria College students voted in favour of a similar referendum, but the referendum did not meet the require level of voter turnout. The calls for these referenda seem to have emerged from disputes over the implementation of online voting. Yet, even though the two referenda passed definitively, we are unsure what the upcoming school year will look like for the union. Fee diversion has not been officially approved, and even if it was approved, it is not clear whether it would be successfully implemented. After all, it has only been a few years since the SCSU separated from the UTSU and some students on the Scarborough campus are still very dissatisfied with its independent union.
Putting online voting in place is not as easy as it seems because the proposition needs to be approved through many different channels. The Elections and Referenda Committee recommended it for the 2014 election cycle. However, the UTSU was still criticized for not implementing this process during the March 2013 election. This was because staff for the 2013 spring election had already been hired and the recommendation was actually made for the upcoming fall election. I am not writing in favour of the union here: its operations, in my view, are highly problematic and it is ultimately failing to meet the needs of its members.Yet pointing fingers and accusing other bodies will not solve any of these issues.
As has been recognized by many U of T students, the problem with our student government is that they fail to connect with all 59,000 undergraduate students at U of T. Voter turnouts are low, students continually complain about a lack of belonging, and student life is apathetic, especially for commuter students. It is not that students are not voting in elections because the process doesn’t take place electronically, but because they do not know who the candidates are, what their platforms represent, and — often times — that the elections are even taking place. The unions are currently employing as many forms of media as possible to make their campaigns heard: Facebook, Email, Twitter, etc. Yet their efforts are not enough. It is a huge challenge to effectively involve thousands of members.
However, in an age of mass-communication, it is not impossible. YouTube is an excellent medium to air candidate debates, platforms and other campus related videos. Working with candidates and increasing the limit of advertising material they post on campus is also an excellent way to increase voter turnout.
Ultimately, instead of fostering another democracy, student leaders need to be open to collaboration to help bring about positive change. Unlike the French, we do not need to overthrow the government to bring about reform. We can instead follow the English historical example of reform that generally maintained the continuity of government, but also brought in a democracy. Withdrawing from the union to recreate an independent government is not necessary — simply working towards reforming the current union by increasing awareness about it might be just as effective.
Aakriti Kapoor is a second year student working towards a double major in English & Psychology with a minor in Studio Art.
