This New Year began on a controversial note for Canada’s International Co-operation Minister Julian Fantino. According to a story published in La Presse, Ottawa froze aid to Haiti shortly after Fantino’s visit to the Caribbean nation in November. While some current funding will continue, funding on new projects will be, to quote Fantino, “put on ice.”

The Canadian government has since denied plans to entirely terminate aid to Haiti. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), under the guidance of Fantino, has clarified that while long-term strategies of aid and assistance in Haiti are under review, there are no plans to freeze funding per se. This review process is seen as a way to measure the true impact of Canadian tax dollars to bring about change in the lives of Haitians.

[pullquote]The question right now is: are the good intentions of the developed world translating into aid money that complicates reconstruction and rebuilding activities in Haiti?[/pullquote]

These recent developments have prompted large questions about the efficacy of humanitarian aid relief in general. Following the massive earthquake of 2010, damages to life and property in Haiti were assessed to the tune of $7.8 billion USD. Shortly thereafter, several nations pledged a sum of $13.34 billion USD, of which $6.43 billion USD, or 48.2 per cent, has already been disbursed. This amount ($6.43 billion USD) is very close to the estimated damage. Yet, the disaster-stricken nation has not seen any discernible improvement in the reconstruction of people’s lives. In fact, the situation worsened when a cholera epidemic broke out, claiming 7,400 more lives. In his book “The Big Truck That Went By: How the world came to save Haiti and left behind a disaster” published early this year, Jonathan Katz, a survivor of the 2010 earthquake, claims that the aid has done more harm than good and has resulted in a series of different interrelated problems. At a time when Haiti’s water contamination was a serious problem, Katz writes that “the U.S. military reported distributing 2.6 million bottles of water, including at least 120,000 gallons of deluxe Fiji water … bottled 8,000 miles away. You can still find containers in the great plastic dams of debris in the capital, blocking canals when it rains.” A water-purification system could have better solved the issue.

The question right now is: are the good intentions of the developed world translating into aid money that complicates reconstruction and rebuilding activities in Haiti? A major portion of the aid funding is disbursed to NGOs, while less than one per cent of the money is provided to the Haitian government. This is confirmed by the bitter remarks of Haiti’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Marie Carmelle Jean-Marie who said: “I do not have one gourde (Haitian currency) from the Canadian government in my budget.” When NGOs, which are not accountable to the population in the way governments are, receive a larger portion of the pie, a power struggle between parallel institutions enters the picture. Haiti is a classic example of this dynamic.

Even before the earthquake struck, Haiti was a developing nation with a practically dysfunctional government. According to a report by Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Daniel Kaufmann, Haiti fares slightly better than Somalia, and comparably to Sudan in terms of worldwide governance indicators. One of the reasons for diverting aid to NGOs is the questionable nature of the government efficiency. As Kaufmann rightly notes, the international community needs to take a more hands-on approach without meddling with the internal affairs of the troubled nation, or, in this case, micromanaging its reconstruction. By offering all means of support, we have to enable the Caribbean nation to rebuild its property, as well as its own institutions, paving the way for sustainable development.

As Fantino and CIDA review where Canadian taxpayers’ money is going, better monitoring the distribution process would be a good start. By letting Haitians rebuild their own communities, as opposed to allowing NGOs to do it for them, we will  hopefully be able to record palpable change. Offering simple solutions to a problem, rather than complicating the conundrum is another approach that will work to Haiti’s benefit. But the question of freezing aid is indeed an absurd one.

Over the next month, high school, CEGEP, and international students alike will submit their university applications to McGill. As these applications are finalized, however, the McGill to which they are applying will look less and less like the one that we have come to know. Last week, Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi announced that the faculty of arts is planning to cut upward of 100 classes in the 2013-2014 academic year. This move indicates that the school’s focus and priorities are increasingly abandoning its students’ interests, and that decisions are being made by an unaccountable  McGill administration.

McGill is, first and foremost, a university. Students attend McGill for the quality of education that it promises them, and for the diversity of classes offered. They attend this school because of its reputation as a world-class institution. If McGill hopes to maintain this reputation and to continue to appeal to the calibre of student that it seeks to attract, it must recognize and respond to students’ priorities.

These priorities include a personalizable education experience, relationships with professors, and the opportunity to engage directly in classroom discussions—all of which are made possible by smaller classes. Although McGill is a large school with inevitably large classes in any faculty, we, as students are able to justify this with the promise of smaller, more focused upper-level classes which afford us the opportunity to determine the specific direction of our degrees. Limiting this option effectively diminishes the value of our education. For the school to do so without consultation is deceitful, and cannot be tolerated.

Dean Manfredi alleges that these cuts are in response to student calls for a higher number of courses taught by full-time instructors. Even if this is a prominent concern among students, the faculty’s response is inappropriate. Full-time instructors should not come at the expense of a diverse range of courses. Furthermore, the Tribune’s editorial board, made up mostly of arts students, recalls no consultation process, nor do we believe that such a consultation would have seen approval for this solution. This was a unilateral decision by the administration that will have direct repercussions for students, current and prospective alike.

In Fall of 2013, professors will be forced to teach larger and more general classes, an experience which can be just as frustrating and alienating to instructors as it is to students. Many part-time course lecturers stand to lose their jobs as a result of this restructuring. Teaching Assistants (TA), who share a union with course lecturers, also oppose this move, in spite of a promised increase in their resources. This is a situation in which nobody wins.

The faculty of arts insists that the restructuring is not financially motivated, and that all savings accumulated from the changes will be returned to students in the shape of more  academic advisors, TAs, and internship opportunities for students. These cuts must therefore be understood outside the context of a school under financial strain, and recently saddled with heavy budget cuts. That it is a voluntary reallocation of funds means this move reflects the values of administration. Thus, our issue ultimately comes back to priorities. The projects and priorities that McGill deems worthy of investment are what will ultimately come to represent it as an institution. As of now, education is not among them.

While the Tribune is dismayed both with this decision and its implications for McGill students, we must stress that if these changes are, in fact, inevitable, then the successful reallocation of funds must be immediate and highly visible in the coming school year. We need to see a significant decrease in the wait time for an advisor, and a distinct improvement of the TA-to-student ratio. If the administration is promising internships, then they must be proactive in making these opportunities known, and accessible to students. If such results aren’t evident, then this becomes a far greater issue— one of trust between students and their administrators.

This is just the latest in a series of instances in which the administration has demonstrated a blatant disinterest in the wishes, needs and rights of students. Each of these serves only to further dictate the direction in which our university is headed. With McGill’s application season right around the corner, now is timely moment to ask yourself: “Is this a McGill that I would apply to?”

Dean Manfredi will be addressing questions about these cuts at an AUS Town Hall meeting today, Tuesday Jan 22, at 16:00 in the Arts Lounge, Leacock B-12.

October 1957 marked the start of the first co-op (cooperative education program) in Canada. The program started amongst 74 Waterloo engineering students and has since become a trend for university learning. Co-op programs are incorporated into compatible majors, such as architecture and engineering, to give students work experience, thereby making them more competitive.

Take the world renowned progressive architecture program at Waterloo as an example: it alternates between classroom learning and co-op placements, accumulating one year of work experience throughout five years of schooling. The idea is that employers will prefer a graduate out of this program over another, because the employee requires virtually no further training.

And it works. Student employment rates out of these programs range between 86-99 per cent each year, which is more than any other university program yields. Even graduates who fail to find suitable employment immediately upon graduation have the opportunity to take an extra work term to gain more leverage.

It’s no secret that a university degree isn’t what it used to be. Universities are increasingly run as businesses, and are no longer the centres for reason and truth that they once were. This isn’t to say that these virtues are not sought after in institutions of higher learning anymore, but rather that there has been a change in how the public perceives a bachelor’s degree.

A new perception to of bachelor’s degrees has altered the purpose of pursuing one. An overwhelming number of students complete a bachelor’s degree simply as a step towards employment. The popularity of co-op programs is evidence of such a change. Traditionally, universities and similar institutions were primarily attended by members of the elite, who did not necessarily need to rely on a regular income after graduation. After all, a profession in which the primary task is “to think” is a privileged one, and has not always been profitable. In recent decades, school has become more affordable with the existence of trust funds, scholarships, student loans, government bursaries, social benefits, and school policies which pledge that “no qualified student [be] denied access to [university] for financial reasons.”

However, when students finish their education, these additional sources of money are subesquently withdrawn, and those who received student loans are left in debt. Income is desperately required after graduation. Thus, a school that can guarantee jobs to its alumni would attract more, and better applicants.

What would give students a better chance at getting jobs? The answer to this question used to revolve around the prestige of the school, connections, and personal ability. While these factors remain true, one more qualification is being added to that list: experience. It seems unreasonable to ask a new graduate to also be experienced, but in economically difficult times like these, with the number of jobs lost (whether to machines or to budgetary constraints) and the number of graduates each year both on the rise, students are forced to push themselves. And if institutions want to stay competitive, they must embrace change.

The influence of having a program that leads directly to employment can be profound and long lasting, as progressive program graduates build up the prestige of their alma mater through their success. Thus, a continuous circle of excelling alumni attracting better applicants will lead schools on a path to surpass standard institutions that choose not to adopt innovative approaches to education. In the institution’s view, there is little reason not to develop a program that matches students’ needs. Considering the long-term benefits, the fact that co-op programs charge higher tuition is just a bonus for the university.

It was Christmastime. The snow was falling, bells were ringing, and I was walking to Provigo to obtain my weekly family-sized box of Honey Nut Cheerios.  Not too long before, a heart-warming news story had originated from just down the Hudson—New York policeman Lawrence DePrimo was spotted by a tourist, offering a homeless, shoeless man on the street a pair of brand new, one hundred dollar boots.  The woman at the scene documented the tender moment, and her cell phone image quickly went viral.

Just in time for Christmas, DePrimo’s act of kindness reflected the warmth we feel in our hearts that time of year, and see in the artificial, sensory-amplified warmth of annual blockbuster holiday films which contain similar imagery.

“Meghan, you’re a terrible person! That police officer did a noble deed,” you may say, to which I would reply “What? I don’t even know you,” but then qualify my previous statement by agreeing with you on all counts. Lawrence DePrimo did something many of us urbanites would never do. This is exactly my point.

The salt crunched under my boots against the grimy sidewalk, and I was pretty absorbed in some folk-revival-hipster-nonsense playing on my iPod.  But when I finally reached the grocery store, an alarming scene caused me to postpone my entrance, and take out my ear buds.  In fact, I couldn’t enter the store, because a homeless man usually seen stationed outside was refusing to leave his new position inside the entrance-way. The store managers had a problem with this.

[pullquote]Unfortunately, our knowledge of their situation is limted by our hesitant, downward glances, and a passive “No, sorry” in response to quieted pleas.[/pullquote]

As the man clung to the tile floor desperately protesting his removal, an employee held the outside door open, another stood guard at the door to the inside, and as others tried to push him out amongst yells and cries from both sides, a worker threatened to call the police.  It was terrifying, sad, and uncomfortable, all at the same time.

I wasn’t about to leap over the ongoing scene, so I decided to take a lap around the block.  The issue of homelessness, as presented in the features section of last week’s issue of the Tribune, encompasses more than just poverty, assumptive addiction, or skeptical con-artistry.  Certainly the principal issue, regardless of what afflicts the people we see living on the street every day, is the poor condition of their accommodations (or lack thereof).  Unfortunately, our knowledge of their situation is limited by our hesitant, downward glances and a passive “No, sorry” in response to quieted pleas.

In an ideal world, we give to the poor, we put our loose change in the bucket, and we don’t ignore the people calling for help.  On TV and in the media, we see it all the time: Oprah Gives Thousands to Chicago Schools!  Justin Bieber Spends Afternoon With Cancer Patient!  Angelina Jolie Adopts Infant From Another Obscure Third World Country!  While celebrities, Christmas classics, and the occasional sensational news story have good intentions, they also glamourize philanthropic feats unattainable to the everyday person.

It’s unrealistic for many to dedicate even minor parts of their lives to charity, yet the issue remains in the manner we each choose to face this dilemma that literally stares us in the face on a daily basis.  Why are we often so compelled to save our change, and not help those who appear in need? The people who we walk past on the street are inevitably present in our everyday lives; while their condition is disheartening, their assertiveness can, quite frankly, be frightening and uncomfortable.  We don’t know them, and as previously mentioned, we can’t be sure of their intentions.  If I’m walking down a street alone at night and a strange man follows me, asking for money, I feel I should not have to pay for my privacy.  But when politely asked, is it morally suitable to walk on without a glance? Why can’t we all be Lawrence DePrimo?

When I returned to Provigo about 10 minutes later, the entrance was clear, the doors standing unblocked in glossy silence.  There were no lingering souls near the stoop, or propped up against the outer brick wall.  I bought my Cheerios, and made sure to cherish every golden “O” in my possession.

The upcoming existence referendum for the Daily Publication Society (DPS) is an important crossroad. All campus media outlets rely greatly upon the ongoing financial support of the McGill community. In return, campus media plays an important role in shaping the dialogue on campus, offering those at McGill information and perspective on the issues that our university faces. For years, the McGill Daily and Le Délit have been prominent contributors to this discourse. The well-being of the DPS is inherently tied to the ongoing prominence of all campus media.

As such, the Tribune encourages readers, without reservation, to vote ‘Yes’ to the renewal of McGill University’s Memorandum of Agreement with the DPS.