Ideas
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The Surface Problems
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The three concerns most often raised in regard to the Federation of Students are TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, and STUDENT INVOLVEMENT. Transparency being a constituent’s ability to access information on the corporation; Accountability being the genuine response to criticism by those in charge of decisions made within the corporation; and Student Involvement being both the inclusion of constituents in the decision-making processes as well as the participation of constituents in FedS run initiatives.
When FedS is perceived to have failed in these aspects the direct result has been a LOST RELEVANCE of the FedS entity. This is to say that constituents have chosen to involve themselves with FedS only when it directly serves them and to circumvent FedS at all other times.
It would be wrong to believe that surface solutions are the best course of action.
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The Ideological Solutions
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There are three deep-reaching ideological solutions to these surface problems. They revolve around the concepts of EFFICIENCY, PRACTICALITY, and EFFECTIVENESS. Efficiency being the simplification of processes, publications and goals; Practicality being the construction of real solutions to real issues; and Effectiveness being the application and follow-through of said solutions.
When FedS is able to ensure that these three ideas are ingrained in its operations the direct result will be a regaining of RELEVANCE among the constituents of FedS. This is to say that constituents will become knowledgeable of the FedS corporation and find the value of immersing themselves in its inner-workings as well as its outward operations.
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The Practical Solutions
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A key facet in which these ideological solutions would be useful involves the collection and distribution of information concerning FedS. It would be erroneous to claim that FedS is a secretive organization, but this does not mean that FedS appears transparent. In order to approach this perceived transparency, FedS must ensure council minutes are made available in a timely fashion. This, however, would not be enough. FedS needs also to produce a digest of minutes as well as important publications from related bodies. By making information concerning FedS into a consumable product, it is more likely to be properly digested.
A manner in which FedS can increase its perceived efficiency is by making procedures more fluid. This is particularly true in mid- and long-term planning of FedS. Since a term in office is a mere 365 day cycle it is important that endeavours within the offices of FedS be consistent with FedS’ vision. If this is truly the case, the handing off of projects should be smooth as any member of FedS should share in the core values of the corporation. It is important for exec to have some completion to their term projects, as well as a proper handing off of mid- and long-term projects. Similarly, redundant activities in FedS should be eliminated, in particular when multiple councils discuss the same item. When efforts are collected within one committee or the sharing of information becomes more efficient between related committees, outcome will be greater.
A way in which the perceived effectiveness of FedS can be bettered relates to a myth about student involvement. To some, the lack of student involvement in FedS’ projects has to do with a failure on the executives’ part in fostering support for their projects. By analogy, the belief is that executives must find a horse (constituents) to pull their cart (the project). This is plainly false. The executive, and the resources of FedS, are the horse, and they are to find carts (projects important to constituents) to pull. In finding these projects to support, executives should do their best to be impartial and not just support the projects important to interest groups, important to friends, or items of a particularly newsworthy quality.
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The Intended Result
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In these solutions, which find their base in EFFIENCY, PRACTICALITY, and EFFECTIVENESS, the issues of TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY and STUDENT INVOLVEMENT are addressed.
The way in which this occurs is significantly domino in nature. When FedS information becomes consumable, through the production of digests and the like, true transparency will occur. Not only will information be available, but it will be in a form that is understandable. As constituents become more and more familiar with FedS policy, procedure, and bylaw, they will better understand when the actions of an executive fall, or fail to fall, within the goals of FedS. They will thusly be able to hold these, and other members of government accountable by way of public and media criticism, and more importantly, at the polls. Once constituents feel optimistic about these two factors, students will find it worth their time to involve themselves in FedS and start the projects that FedS will then support.