🚀 go-pugleaf

Stephen Gregory (gregorse@tuns.ca) wrote:

: The concenrs raised in the letter were valid and amazingly very simmilar
: to the concerns of students at TUNS.

: -- 
: Stephen Gregory                                    aa614@chebucto.ns.ca
: Electrical Engineering, 3rd year                       gregorse@tuns.ca
: Technical University of Nova Scotia        Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA



Actually, Stephen - its is not that amazing.   After all, we're 
not _that_ different :).   Students and faculty at both of the
schools have aparently been kept in the dark for far too long about
the discussions going on between President Rhodes (sp?) at TUNS
and Presdient Traves here at Dal.  These discussions have been going
on apparently for quite some time with the coersion of the Minister
for Education.  

I am not sure how it is at TUNS - but information around here regarding
future plans is not that detailed - The only information we have is
from an information session held last Friday afternoon by the Director
of the CS Division (Carl Hartzman).  The meeting provided information - but
there were some questions which could not be answered since Dr. Hartzman
just didnt know. Apparently there remains a fair number of "details to
be worked out." The two Presidents have yet to agree on everything and 
it looks like we will not be told untill they have agreed. This is really
not acceptable.  Students, and faculty deserve to be informed. 

As far as I know the Dalhousie Senate has yet to be officially informed
of this and probably won't be untill Traves is in a position to force
them to agree - with _any_ $$$ to be saved they will find it difficult
not to.  Interestingly, Dean Kimmins, Dean of Science here at Dal may
not have known about these plans much earlier than the faculty and
students.  

This kind of back room negotiating, though the Nova Scotia way - ought
not to be tolerated by students of either University.  I am certain that
at both schools there are students with many questions.

Let me finish by saying that I don't believe that a merger is a bad
idea. In fact, it is is not only inevitable - a meger per se is a
_good idea_ for both schools.   A merger can only produce a single
better Univsersity.  The resulting school should gain the bests
attirbutes of both schools.  The ends however, does not justify the 
means.   Just because the resulting school will _eventually_ be a
good thing - does not give Rhodes or Traves the right to rush into
a hap-hazard merger that appears to have everything other than the
current studnets (or perhaps more to the point future students) in 
mind.  If this is done carefully, there can be great benifits in the
short term - and long term rather than just in the long term.

Dialog between students at TUNS and Dal would certainly be usefull -
if only to share the little information we each have been able
to gather. 


James Keast 
4th Year Dalhousie Computing Science Student