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The Spike [or Victoria University College Review 1961]

The Future

The Future

The appointment of a permanent secretary to the Managament Committee will solve many problems for the Association Executive. However, I can see many more that will arise to replace them. Because of the transitory nature of the Executive administration there are some duties that have never been satisfactorily tackled. Perhaps the worst of these has been the question of services to students — and all these will be fully developed now within the buildings. Although this will lighten the burden on the Executive, many new problems will come with the use of the facilities. Although the tendency of past Executives to set up sub-committees at the drop of a hat has been halted, the new portfolio system will have to be used skillfully in the future to keep pace with student life.

There was some confusion with the use of the word Union a few years ago; and at one stage a Special General Meeting actually changed the name of the Association to Students' Union. Unfortunately this confusion has persisted, and it is still by no means clear what the word actually does mean. In the ideal I consider that a University Union connotes an association of past and present students and University staff. It follows that the buildings are for the use of these persons, and the administration of them should be geared to encourage their wider use. As a first step I consider that the Court of Convocation could well be revived and a Graduates' Association set up. Provision should then be made for this group within the buildings; certainly as a top priority for the next storey. Further, the number of present students on the Management Committee could well be cut down, and the positions replaced by graduate members. If the buildings are ever to be more than a semi-oasis on the campus for the full-timers, I feel that the Students' Association must strive to instill some real meaning into the buildings along the lines of the ideal that I have stated. However, I am confident that if the same student initiative is maintained over the years, the Union at Victoria will flourish in the truest sense of the word.

J. D. A. Hercus,

President V.U.W.S.A. 1959-60