The Voice of the University of Toronto at Mississauga
MEDIUM THE
MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2008
VOLUME 34, ISSUE 14
A night for the crickets
A short story
GSP wins rubber match against Hughes
Page 7
Page 10
This Land
Golden Globes silenced? Page 6
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Child care delayed With another delay in place over a permanent child care facility on campus, student governments have come together to raise funds to keep the existing services running. BY SAIRA MUZAFFAR NEWS EDITOR
The University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM) has refused to commit to an on-campus child care facility yet again after promising to have a permanent service in place by February, 2008. Dean of student affairs Mark Overton informed student representatives during a Quality Services to Students meeting on December 3 that there will be an indefinite delay in the opening of UTM's proposed child care facility in the Schreiberwood residence complex.
"Students at UTM are fed up with the university breaking its promises on child care. Now the university is giving parents the run-around by refusing to commit to any estimated opening date."
- Anita Chauhan, UTMSU VP Academics and Equity This marks the third time that the university has not followed through on a guarantee to provide child care, on the only University of Toronto campus that lacks one. After announcing in July 2007 that the university is looking into contracting an external partnership with Family Day Care Services, a non-profit organization that offers licensed home and centre-based child care across the Greater Toronto Area, officials stated that the promised facility that was supposed to open by fall 2007 would be delayed until early 2008. The University of Toronto's Students' Union (UTSU) and the association of Erindale Part-time Undergraduate Students (EPUS) worked together to
open a temporary "UTM Child Learning Centre" in the Student Centre to help affected parents cope while waiting for a permanent facility. Since it was initiated as a temporary buffer, the student government was only able to commit limited funds to keep the centre running until the permanent facility became operational. When the dean announced a complete withdrawal by the university to commit to such a facility in operation at the start of 2008, student representatives had to quickly figure out how to keep the temporary service running at the Student Centre when it was supposed to close, at the latest, by the end of January this year. Considering the demand for child care on campus, the University of Toronto at Mississauga Students' Union (UTMSU), under the leadership of vice president campaigns and advocacy Wasah Malik negotiated with UTSU to secure funds to keep the temporary child care centre running until April 2008. The current centre is legally limited to care for only five children at a time, but there is immediate demand for such services by at least twenty-two families. The university's refusal to commit has left student representatives and parents concerned after more than three years of campaigning and an official policy passed by the University of Toronto's Governing Council in 2003 that saw a provision codify a guarantee to make child care part of the university's academic mission. In a press release from UTSU following the dean's announcement of an indefinite postponement, UTSU vice-president Ahmad Khan shared his discontent. "With constant delays and broken promises, the University is violating their own policy and disrespecting parents at the Mississauga campus," he said. UTMSU vice president academics and equity, Anita Chauhan, supported Khan's critical view on the university’s treatment of the issue. "Students at UTM are fed up with the university breaking its promises on child care. Now the university is giving parents the run-around by refusing to
photo/Melissa Di Pasquale
The small child minding centre located on the upper floor of the Student Centre does not meet the current demand for child care on campus. Only five children at a time are admitted, while the waiting list has stretched to seventeen families. A permanent facility was set to open in February, but has been delayed indefinitely by university administration.
commit to any estimated opening date," she said. UTMSU president Walied Khogali voiced his concern regarding the multiple times child care at UTM has been side-lined by university officials: "The university is counting on the change in student government to lead to the abolition of the campaign for child care," he said. "My term of office ends April 31, when the centre will have exhausted university and student union subsidies. It shall be left to the incoming UTMSU executive and board of directors to execute the campaign or there shall be no permanent child care facility at UTM. . . It's unfortunate that the principal, former vice provost Dave Darrar and provost Vivek Goel have used the UTM child care as a successful university undertaking, while
it has not materialized." Shaila Kibria, who helped found the child care at UTM through her involvement in UTSU (formerly SAC) and EPUS, believes the administration continues to neglect an issue pertinent to many students. "[The university] has obviously not made women and children a priority and until they do we cannot think of the university as being progressive," she stated. "The UTM campus is sixty per cent women and not all women will be like me and take their children to class or rely on friends and family. These are women of empowerment seeking post-secondary education and they can become contributing alumni and they will remember that the university did not help them." She also commented on the efforts of the student govern-
ment in keeping child care a priority. "I am very proud that they have kept up their work and that UTSU and UTMSU have worked together to keep this topic relevant in front of the administration. This campaign has been going on for seven years, and this year I hope students will step up and remember that people are counting on them," said Kibria. As of now, both UTSU and UTMSU have further committed to keeping the campaign for child care at UTM at the forefront of their campaigns. The student union representatives have organized a waiting list for the on-campus facility and are working with the university to offer guidance and alternative resources to parents suddenly left without crucial services for their children.