Perspective: Was the removal of the international seat really necessary?
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
At some point of our lives we have heard our parents, teachers or elders tell us how the decisions we make today will affect our future. Our decisions here at UBC will change the way we function as individuals, but they also can change what happens within the community at large, even for years after we graduate.
Last Wednesday, the AMS council brought a motion forwards for the removal of the non-voting international representative seat. After much debate, it was decided that the seat would be removed. Only a year old, this seat was created on the request of the International Student Association (ISA) which is UBC’s only unified student body representing the problems and issues of international students at UBC. The ISA is restricted in the actions it can take because of its status that it is a club under the supervision and support of the AMS.
Now many of you may question as to why international students should have a seat at the AMS council. Why not the disabled students, PRIDE? The concerns of such groups are as equally important as to issues concerning international students. However, those groups do not necessarily face issues similar to the ones stemming from our status as foreigners, such as study permit/visa issues or the hurdles of LPI exam. We, the International students, are by the laws of Canada limited to only certain benefits of the Canadian Government. Our issues are unique because of the legal status we have here in Canada.
Though we would have liked a voting seat, the international students understand that such legislative powers may put the balance and equity of student representation at the AMS out of whack. That is why we asked to at least a voice at the AMS through representative. A representative can raise our concerns and lobby to ensure that other voting members of the councils can make well-informed decisions regarding all students at UBC.
It was with utter disappointment to hear the AMS President, Bijan Ahmadian, say that abolishing the seat of the international representative was the “best thing for the International students.” How so? How can having no voice in the AMS be the best thing for us? Furthermore, what sort of message are you sending to future International students at UBC, which the administration is so eager to recruit?
I understand that we all have individual representatives from our undergraduate or graduate societies but I really don’t see the Science representative or the Arts representative lobbying for the removal of LPI or fight for lower tuition for International students. Why would they, when they have more faculty-based issues to address?
The Legislative Procedure Committee should clearly outline why they suggested such discriminatory motion. Was it absolutely very necessary to abolish this seat, especially just as the new international rep was just starting her term? Was this seat in any way a threat to the functioning of the student body or to the mental stability of any council members? I would like to know.
Our present decision will affect our future outcome. Rest assured that the international students, especially future students, will feel less wanted at UBC. I will not at all be surprised if prospective students from outside of the country decided not to attend UBC because they felt under-represented. In the long run, this decision will only make it harder for the AMS and university to reach out to the international community.
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Jordan H. Mar 11
Would it have been possible to mention that International Students actually OUTNUMBER the students of some of the faculties? We may be a “minority group” compared to domestic students, but that seat represented the voices of more students than some of those current seats. >:/
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Sri U. Mar 13
After the abolition of the seat, I think it will be difficult for us as international students to get our views across the AMS without sounding like we are harassing faculty reps about issues that the rest of the students don’t care about. These issues are serious and shouldn’t be isolated to international community alone – anyone who is thinking of applying on an exchange should take a look at how international students deal with immigration INSIDE Canada. It takes a lot of energy to stay in Canada, let alone at UBC. I’ve spent long hours dealing with visa applications, study permit extensions etc. – hours that I’d rather spend making my time at UBC worthwhile. There is no point in working so hard to stay at UBC if I don’t feel like I am taken seriously as a part of the student population. So unless the AMS find alternatives, they should reinstate the international rep position or suffer the consequences of alienating a large part of the student population.
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rabbit Mar 15
If international students are so numerous on campus, why doesn’t an international student run for AMS council? That’s the truly democratic way to do it, and international students wouldn’t have to go begging for representation.
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