Joey Coleman » McMaster University

The New Era for Student Unions in Canada

Joey Coleman — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 19:16:44 +0000

I have been saying this since I entered student politics almost two years ago: Students Unions cannot no longer survive as secretive organizations.
The MSU Inc is learning this lesson from me at the present time. They refuse to realize my private information (all the dozens of allegiations levelled against me by MSU Inc with McMaster University abusing the Student Code of Conduct). Under the old system that student unions used to operate under, there was nothing I could do as a student about the students union and its poor practices. These days, I can file freedom of information requests with the organization (the University) that the MSU communicated about me with.
Another example is the MSU funding of the Hamilton Police crackdown on students in Westdale. The MSU refuses to tell students (or even the Governing Council of the MSU – the SRA) how much money is being spent on these signs that have gone up all over Westdale in Hamilton.

More MSU: My Freedom of Information Request

Joey Coleman — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 09:02:41 +0000

About a month ago, I took advantage of the changes to the Freedom of Information Act in Ontario. The Act now applies to Universities which means that any personal information that hold on me, I am entitled to see unless it does harm or damage to another party.
I requested to see all documentation on the charges filed against me under the Student Code of Conduct when the MSU Inc. decided to ban me from all MSU space. I also was aware that the MSU attempted to have me charged under the Student Code of Conduct prior to the March General Assembly when the Movement for Democratic Reform of the MSU, of which I am a part, tried to ban the acceptance of corporate gifts by the MSU.
To jog the memory, you can read what I said that got me in trouble with the University then here:
MSU President Opposed to ban on Corporate Gifts, Threatens to Work to Rule.
Two weeks later, I decided to run for the appointment of Vice-President Education to make a point. Despite the fact that I was public enemy number one of the MSU, I was not going away. After this appointment, I found a lot of problems with the process and sent an internal email to the MSU SRA. I, incorrectly, pointed at one SRA member for the fact that an MSU member was not allowed to run for the appointment and called for a resignation. I publicly apologized for that and withdrew the call
Following this, the MSU Inc banned me from all MSU space and the University nailed me under the Student Code of Conduct. The charges were all false and never revealed to me. Instead, the University banned me from any communication with other full-time students unless I obtained prior written permission, reinforced the MSU’s ban on me and threatened that I would suffer more severe consequences if I continued to challenge the MSU. The MSU is currently in the back pocket of the University on most issues and is extremely ineffective at representing students. The University is doing everything they can to prevent students from having effective say over the MSU Inc. This is why I have been so severely punished by the University.

McMaster needs to get the summer schedule out!

Joey Coleman — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 04:10:32 +0000

I am trying to figure out what I at taking for the summer and where I am taking it. Will I be at McMaster or Manitoba? Guess, I have to wait for McMaster to get the summer schedule out! U of Manitoba already has the summer schedule out and my department (Poli Sci) already has the exam schedule for August posted.