By Estefania Duran
Photos by Mark Burnham
A university that doesn’t prioritize student involvement will never be truly “engaged”
It was little over a year ago that SFU changed its slogan from “Thinking of the world” to the more active “Engaging the world.” Aiming for a slogan that was more dynamic was certainly a nice concept. However, before the univer- sity sets out to engage with the world, it should do a better job engaging its own students.
During the last three years, I have been involved with different clubs, student campaigns, frosh events, student unions, student government, etc. My university experience had felt incomplete, but as soon as I got involved, I was surrounded by students who were trying to make a difference and improve everyone’s univer- sity experience; I was happy to be one of them.
Unfortunately, this also meant I was immersed in SFU’s bureaucracy. This is when I realized that SFU’s tagline was just that, only a tagline. Countless times I saw motivated students run into obstacles put forth by the university, only to later see them return from their attempts with a defeated attitude.
Students are volunteering countless hours of their time, trying to find a balance between school, volunteering, and work, while the university seems more concerned with engaging the outside world than making their efforts easier. I have met so many fantastic and truly inspirational students whose volunteer work not only goes unacknowledged, but is made more difficult by the university itself.
Take the SFSS elections: the Simon Fraser Student Society is the largest student government on campus, providing essential services and administering all of our student unions and clubs. You’d think that such an important event would be the university’s priority, but instead of motivating professors to remind students in lectures about the elections, or allowing candidates to advocate the importance of voting in classes, the university ignores student affairs.
There have been times where voting turnout has been as low as 5.23 per cent, despite continuous efforts from candidates. I am by no means blaming the university alone, but the well being of university students should be a collaborative affair. It is important for students to perceive the university’s involvement.
The example above is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many ways in which the university can motivate and support its students; for example, small academic journal launches or student conferences, which do not require much monetary support. I understand that perhaps the university might not always have the necessary resources, but if they cannot help financially, personal support goes a long way.
Support from the university does not only mean being present at events, but also meeting with students and listening to what they have to say. After two years of continuous attempts by the largest faculty student union at SFU to meet with the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, their efforts have led nowhere. One would think that meeting with such a large student body to discuss present issues would be a priority.
There are endless examples of situations in which students attempt to reach out and explore their possibilities, only to be turned down. But it does not have to be this way. Little steps can go a long way, and administration becoming a caring presence will do more for this university than it realizes. The purpose of this article is not to state all that is wrong with SFU; rather it is an invitation for SFU to notice the great effort many of its talented students make.
If the university is truly serious about making a change and setting up a precedent, not all is lost. It is vital for the university to understand that the attitude most students have towards SFU is similar to that of their administration, uncaring and indifferent. If students notice a university that is supportive and involved, their attitude will change as well. However, if SFU does not acknowledge this problem, it will continue to lose motivated students who get tired of talking to a worldly-engaged wall.
