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BY DONALD L. BOISVERT
Concordia's Dean of Students, Donald L. Boisvert, BA 75, MA 79, was president of the Loyola Students' Association in 1973-74. This past year he has had to deal with the Concordia Students' Union over several contentious issues, including its funding, handling of tensions arising from the Mid-East conflict and alleged embezzlement.
Student unions are "a necessary evil." In much the same way, I would think, as Deans of Students are. They both have an important role to play in universities. Indeed, they remind us of what universities are really all about: that they exist, first and foremost, for the student.
I've been on both sides of the fence. I served in student government, and I've been student president. This was when things were considerably simpler, when long hair meant something - and when I, in fact, did have hair. I've also been part of the "big, bad" administration. I've had to hold the line on issues that, as student president, I would've decried. Call it maturity, or call it masochism.
It's not easy being Dean of Students, nor is it a cinch being student president. No one really understands you most of the time, and they get irritated when you do your job, which is to ask the persistently tough questions. In a way, both are paid (though one more than the other, I will humbly admit) to raise a little trouble, to keep the institution honest.
Universities, like human beings, are notoriously messy places, which is what makes them special. All sorts of things can and do happen, and all manner of speech is spoken and sometimes screeched. This happens because we have some important principles that we uphold, like freedom of expression and of inquiry. We also claim that universities are about learning, about the wonder and excitement of discovery. Sometimes, it's not easy to defend these principles, because they can give rise to public conflict, or they can also be the occasion for some serious mistakes. I've always maintained that one of the rights which students enjoy, either individually or collectively, is the right to make mistakes.
When student unions start acting up, or when they get into trouble, I am often asked what I can do about it. I often say "not much." It's not because we don't care, but rather because there are some longstanding principles which guide us in our dealings with student groups on campus. Two of the important ones are: respect for their autonomy, and the concern with learning.
Student unions are legally separate entities; they enjoy all the benefits and responsibilities which come with this. Beyond this legal relationship, however, we have always respected the rights of students to manage their internal affairs. This includes, by the way, the right to criticize us or our actions. Otherwise, freedom of speech does not have much meaning. As adults, university students are entitled to defend their interests as best they see fit.
Universities, like human beings, are notoriously messy places, and all manner of speech is spoken and sometimes screeched.
The flip side of the coin is that student unions can and should also be criticized and held accountable, whether by their own members, the students or the University itself. Like universities, they sometimes do stupid things. When that happens, it is our responsibility to call them on it, from a position of respect and a concern with pedagogy. Which is why, when student unions make mistakes, we almost always support them in their efforts at correcting the problem and setting a different course.
In Student Services, we recognize that learning is multifaceted. Apart from defending student rights, student government is, at heart, a learning experience. For the individuals involved, this is the richest and longest-lasting benefit, as it certainly was for me. To learn, you need the freedom to ask tough questions, of yourself or others, and the ability to do something creative with the answers. This is at the very core of what any university is about. Though we sometimes find ourselves in an adversarial position vis-…-vis student unions - not necessarily a bad thing - we are even more tied to them in a pedagogical sense. And as with any true learning, it cuts both ways. We learn from them as much as, hopefully, they learn from us.
So, I empathize with student presidents, even when we find ourselves at opposite ends of the table. And I respect their right to sit away from me when they feel they have to. Though it's nice when we can agree, as we often do, I'm realistic about our differences. I probably wouldn't want it any other way. It keeps us all honest, and hopefully makes us wiser in the process.