ssues & ideas EDITOR VINCENT MATAK THE VOICE, THURSDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 7 egeunions CHANDLER WALTER photo The Langara Students’ Union, whose building is pictured above, has repeatedly stonewalled Langara journalism students. Recent events at BCIT highlight issues of transparency and accountability at Langara By CHANDLER WALTER and CHANTELLE DEACON omplaints of censorship and a lack of transparency at post-sec- ondary student governments have student journalists calling the unions’ legitimacy into question. Recent events have highlighted the issue. At BCIT, journalism students were suspended for posting an internal student association email which sug- gested they spin a story about a warn- ing of a campus voyeur. Langara stu- dent journalists have also faced difficulties with their union. The LSU has been unwilling to disclose informa- tion about an aborted election or the names of its staff, paid for through stu- dent dues. Repeated interview re- quests by The Voice have been consis- tently denied. Lack of oversight, student apathy and an unwillingness by these student associations to speak out on issues have led to a culture of silence verging on antagonism towards the college’s student publications. While student media attempt to keep their unions ac- countable, in recent years accounts show they have been regularly stone- walled and, on occasion, even muzzled. “We were not able to attain an inter- view with anyone in the [union] office,” according to Curt Morgan, another BCIT journalism student who was re- moved by security from the BCIT Stu- dent Association’s office after request- ing an interview with the association’s vice-president regarding a voyeur re- ported on campus. “Even the receptionist was in on it.” Morgan’s interview request came after two other BCIT student journal- ists — Lindsay Howe and Jessica Fedi- gan — were suspended by the school’s administration after posting an email they received from the association’s publications manager, Dan Post. The email told the journalists to use the “opportunity” of the alleged voyeur on campus to promote “all the positive BCIT student stories.” It went on to say the voyeur incident was a “non-news story”. According to B.C.’s Society Act, which regulates student organizations and governments, student govern- ments must conduct themselves in a way that promotes the “public inter- est”. An investigation can be called by the provincial government if they are found in violation. Student unions in- corporate account- ability into their by- laws; however, there is no outside over- sight and the unions themselves decide how to act against members who vio- late policies. And while students are r4 4 allowed to view re- cords of unions un- der the act, there’s It seems no method to en- hopeless force they adhere to that rule, according to exp ect to Stanley Tromp, anything an investigative journalist and free- to come dom of information through caucus coordinator at the Canadian As- thes ociety sociation of Journal- Act ists. Tromp graduat- ed from Langara’s journalism program in 1993. “It seems hopeless to expect any- thing to come through the Society Act,” Tromp said. “People ... if they don’t like what is going on they have to go to court to enforce [it]. But most people can’t afford that so that’s not working.” Elsewhere, Kier Junos, a staff re- porter at Kwantlen Polytechnic Univer- sity’s The Runner, said the school’s stu- dents’ association has a history of wrongful transactions, most notably when they were alleged to have mis- managed $2-million worth of student contributions in 2006. An accounting firm hired to audit the union found de- leted emails and missing financial doc- uments, and B.C. courts determined the members involved to have breached STANLEY TROMP Investigative journalist their “fudiciary duties”. In 2011, investigative articles from The Runner uncovered that newly- elected executives were related to those involved in the earlier scandal in 2006. A special general meeting was held to impeach the board office. The motion was passed with the entire Kwantlen Students Association board being voted out, a new board voted in, and a revised version of bylaws put in place. The KSA’s current level of transpar- ency has improved over the last five years, according to Junos. “The KSA is very aware about all these shortcom- ings that the previous bylaws had, and now they’ve really patched up some holes, I think,” he said. While KSA’s website, like many oth- ers, has a detailed list of names, emails, and numbers of their council members, the Langara Students’ Union has noth- ing similar posted on its website. Instead, it has character-limited on- line forms for either students or media to fill out, and its staff have filed official complaints to the administration about a student journalist they perceived as “aggressive”. They also complained that another student reporter, who was standing on a chair taking video of an event for their assignment, was intimi- dating. A staff representative from the Lan- gara Students’ Union —who would not disclose their name — said there is a bylaw stating that all communications to The Voice be done through the online platform. They also explained that those regu- lations are in place to protect its mem- bers from being targeted, or potentially losing a job opportunity because of a negative article. The board picks a media relations committee that meets and answers all and any media questions. They said that the LSU would not disclose the names of committee mem- bers elected by the student body. The LSU bylaws make no mention of a media policy, though it does state that the student affairs officer normally speaks on its behalf. No other council members may speak on its behalf un- less “expressly authorized to do so by a Council resolution.” A member may be voted out if acting in a way contrary to the public inter- ests, it also states. The union, which is responsible for managing student fees, keeps a budget which is viewable by members with 48 hours notice and un- der the watchful eye of a council or staff member to ensure the records aren’t reproduced. Jenna Theny, a fine arts student at Langara, previously attended Capilano University, and was a member of the Capilano Students’ Union. She said the second-floor location of the Langara Students’ Union reception acts as another barrier between the union and its students. “T know, as a student, even though I'm paying fees to them and they’re elected by a student body, I wouldn’t necessarily feel comfortable going up there,” she said. Other students inter- viewed in the LSU said they weren’t knowledgable enough about the union to comment. But this student apathy may also be a large contributor to corruption in stu- dent governments, Theny said, “Be- cause they’re not being watched and because there is such apathy, it can feel like you have no boss.” She stressed students should be act- ing as watchdogs on their student unions, as there is significant risk. “This isn’t monopoly money. There is a lot of cold, hard cash involved here.” LAWS in place B.C.'S SOCIETY ACT: HM Dictates that all organizations, including student governments, act in a way that pro- motes the “public interest”. HH sitalsostatesall organize- tions allow members, including students, to view records pretaining tothe operations of that organization. Hs ifanorganization violates the act an investigation may be Called by the provincial government, who will appoint an investigator LSU BYLAWS: HE Stipulates that no other council member may speak on the LSU's behalf, except for the student affairs officer, without an approved resolu- tion. Stashentet tied @i dvocating For Students’ Rights Since 1969 ., CHANDLER WALTER photo Student apathy may contribute to transparency issues at LSU, according to Jenna Theny. 66 If we were Transparency necessary: university unions deceptive it would be extremely unfair to our stu- dents ALEX KILPATRICK UBC AMS COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT University unions say communication is crucial By ANNA TILLEY aintaining transparency and an Mie: flow of information are vi- tal for managing controversial issues say representatives of student governments at the University of B.C., Simon Fraser University and Capilano University. But how students and the represen- tatives they represent communicate is often a difficult challenge, the student representatives say. It’s an issue they say is at the forefront of their man- dates. But it is a challenge that many student governments feel lies at the forefront of their mandates. Zach Renwick, president of the Cap- ilano Students’ Union (CSU), an organi- zation whose bylaws, policies, budget and meeting minutes are available on- line, said that secretive unions should ring warning bells. “Often times if you give people all the information they might be more understanding of how you came to the decision,” he said. Issues of student concern, said Alex Kilpatrick, the communications assis- tant of UBC’s Alma Mater Society, re- quire timely response. He pointed to the recent AMS state- ment about how the controversial de- parture of UBC President Arvind Gup- ta left elected student representatives out of key conversations as an example of clear communication with members. “If we were deceptive it would be ex- tremely unfair to our students,” said Kilpatrick. Student societies that aren’t open to criticism can cause problems, said Kathleen Yang, vice-president of external relations at the Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS). The SFSS ran into difficulties with its attempt to pass a resolution allow- ing them to get a loan in order to build a new student union building and sta- dium. In early 2015, an SFSS had to hold a special general meeting in response to a claim that a previous “yes” vote in October 2014 did not properly accom- modate all members. The ensuing vote was rejected. In response, Yang ex- plained, the SFSS increased outreach to learn how to better service students. The plan passed in September 2015. “Students are ultimately the owners of the organization and should be hav- ing a say in all activities of the society,” she said.