UBC student council calls on president to resign over United Nations complaint
The council of a student union at the University of British Columbia has asked its president and one of its vice presidents to resign after they filed a complaint to the United Nations without gaining the body’s approval.
In an emergency meeting on November 28, the Alma Mater Society’s student council unanimously approved two motions calling on Blake Frederick and Tim Chu to step down, the Ubyssey student newspaper reported today (November 30).
The council also unanimously voted to withdraw the UN complaint, which argued that Canada is violating the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which it signed in 1976, by not ensuring postsecondary education is accessible to all.
In a written response posted today on the student newspaper’s Web site, Frederick and Chu—the president and the external vice president, respectively—acknowledged the council’s resolutions but indicated they intend to fight to keep their elected offices.
“We filed the complaint without approval from AMS Council because we cannot continue to sit idly and break our promise to students by not standing up for their right to education,” Frederick and Chu’s response states. “We also knew that it would ignite a fierce debate on campus over the cost of education and draw students’ attention to the out-of-touch priorities and policies of AMS Council.”
Frederick and Chu said they will introduce a motion to revise the student union’s policy on tuition fees at the council’s meeting on Wednesday (December 2).
The two executives did not attend the emergency meeting on November 28.
In an editorial today, the Ubyssey urged Frederick and Chu to resign.
“To stay on, to fight impeachment, to threaten lawsuits would achieve nothing and ensure that the AMS remains paralyzed for months to come,” the student newspaper wrote.
On November 27, Frederick told the Straight that he had “heard some frustrations from students”.
“But I’ve also received an outpouring of support from students who believe very strongly that the government is not doing enough to make postsecondary education affordable for them,” Frederick said at the time.
According to its site, the AMS represents more than 44,000 students at UBC’s Vancouver campus.
You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.
Comments
10 Comments
Due Process
Nov 30, 2009 at 3:06pm
Does the President have to get a duly passed board motion to answer a phone call, go to the bathroom, send a letter? I have never read their Constitution but I would suggest their purpose is to advocate for students rights.
I hope these bold leaders use all the resources of their office to not only fight this silly impeachment process but continue to advocate on behalf of students issues. From what I have read here, it is a small group that is willing to stop at nothing to bring these leaders down, they have compromoised the integrity of their student union and the Institute of higher learning we call UBC. I hope when the dust settles on this that the small group is exposed and made accountable for undermining OUR UBC both locally and internationally, perhaps even removing their membership from the student association.
Is amazing how such a small group of students can make an entire student population look so bad. They must be made to account for themselves. Will continue to watch with interest and inform others of this most wasteful exercise of time and money.
John Smith
Nov 30, 2009 at 4:26pm
The "small group" you are referring to is now 800+ on facebook. The "small group" includes the entire AMS council elected into office by the students at UBC.
These two leaders already have a track record of poor communication to their council and acting inappropriately. It's about time these two leaders get the boot as soon as possible.
same old student politics
Nov 30, 2009 at 4:41pm
Wow. Typical delusional narcissistic student leaders. Make a complaint to the UN without getting the whole council to agree on it? They should be booted out for basic stupidity if nothing else.
Sounds like one of them just posted here, ie probable sock puppet Due Process, who was stupid enough to compare going to the bathroom with filing a complaint to the United Nations. Can you say comparing Apples to nuclear reactors? Moron. How can people that stupid get into post secondary education? Legacy admissions?
Sticks and stones
Nov 30, 2009 at 5:54pm
Perhaps you know the rest?
Not one of you have made a strong case against the actual case of exposing Canada on the international stage for it's ongoing acts that make educational accessible for all Canadians. That act I would suggest is stupid, you are attacking your President, without regard for the reputation of UBC and the student association.I would suggest that this makes your small group is quite selfess as you drag that institution through the mud.
The public notice put out by your President shows his leadership qualities as he refuses to personalize his actions. In fact it reminds me of that saying...
Never fight with a Pig, because you both get dirty....the difference is the Pig likes it!
Blake keep up the good fight!
Erich Schmitt
Nov 30, 2009 at 10:39pm
“But I’ve also received an outpouring of support from students who believe very strongly that the government is not doing enough to make postsecondary education affordable for them,” Frederick said at the time.
All I have to say is look at this screenshot from Mr. Frederick's facebook page:
http://www.geoffcosteloe.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Blake-Status-re-...
student
Dec 1, 2009 at 7:16am
No, the president cannot just spend thousands of dollars on laywers without approval (neither can Mr. Harper by the way). It's not good leadership to do stuff like this, fortunately most student societies have rules in place to protect their societies from megalomaniac "presidents" and wanna be politicians.
Free stuff runs out fast
Dec 1, 2009 at 8:15am
I would just like to point out that when you give something out for free, everybody wants one. You cannot balance effective class sizes with the ridiculous increase in demand that would occur if education were totally free. Tuitions in moderate amounts (say capped at inflation) are healthy because they separate out the people that want to make a serious investment in themselves, from the people that just want to stay out of the real world by doing say... two bachelor's degrees, or staying in grad school until they are balding and 40.
I think if you took a survey of who thinks their education should cost them nothing, and who is finding it hardest to get a job because they haven't the faintest idea what to actually DO with their lives, you would find a pretty good correlation.
UBC has no class?
Dec 2, 2009 at 11:57am
This is a group of people who have no regard for UBC"s image as they proceed on their ridiculous attack against their President.Save me the logic of not passing this through council, the issue is much bigger then your small minds, we can see through your simple logic. If you stopped to reflect for a moment, take a breath, you recognize how utterly studid this makes you look, so easily manipulated by a few who are doing a power grab, and you are been used.You should spend some more time in class and educate yourselves to the real and big issues impacting all students. Can you spell group think?, Even if its a stupid group.
fail
Dec 6, 2009 at 2:47pm
UBC is now a corporation. If you go ahead with out the approval of the 'board' of technocrats then you'll be discredited and unceremoniously fired. The council has a very real agenda in keeping profits flowing into UBC, there's no room for such nonsense as access to education.
Only access for those who can afford $40k+ degrees.
Anti-President ...????
Dec 6, 2009 at 10:53pm
These "students" either are really rich or stupid, and quite possibly both. How did they even get into UBC? So much for the prestige of higher education at UBC.