I read with interest The Ubyssey’s coverage of Bill 13, including Alex Lougheed’s column. Alex expressed concern that a Noise Rule the UNA is developing might give the UNA power that extends beyond neighbourhood boundaries, to control fraternity noise, for example. As UNA Chair, I am happy to set that concern to rest. The UNA does not have the power, nor do we seek the power, to enact rules for areas outside of the family housing neighbourhoods on campus. Our Noise Rule is simply us governing ourselves. It says nothing about noise that comes from the rest of campus, fraternities included.

The university has granted the UNA power to write rules that the university enacts on our behalf (eg. for noise, parking etc.). The scope of these rules is strictly limited to the neighbourhoods the UNA manages. The idea here is simply to allow us to govern ourselves, much as if we were a municipality. Our jurisdiction is limited to the family housing neighbourhoods, just as a municipality’s jurisdiction is limited by its borders. Nothing about Bill 13 changes these facts. And so, our campus neighbours having nothing to fear from the rules we enact; they will affect only us.

As important as these jurisdictional boundaries are, the UNA is also committed to minimizing barriers between our two communities. We have tremendous respect for our student neighbours. An AMS representative sits on our Board. We continually seek areas of common interest, such as being leaders in environmental sustainability. We look for things we can do that have mutual benefit, such as in the Barn Community Centre and in the new Wesbrook Village. And, most importantly, we are committed to solving cross-jurisdictional challenges, such as fraternity noise, through open, respectful dialogue, not by imposing solutions on our neighbours.

Mike Feeley,
UNA Chair and Associate
Professor of Computer Science

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