McGill has an established global reputation as one of the best academic institutions Canada has to offer. However, it has also gained notoriety for its ineffective ability to help students troubleshoot their problems relating to university life. It is inevitable that every student attending McGill University will interact with the immensely intimidating bureaucratic network of faculty offices and student services that McGIll is so well known for having. The university’s perceived aloofness towards student issues, focus on expediency over effective problem solving and inattentive consideration for student wellbeing are as renowned hallmarks of McGill as the fossilized remains of the Gorgosaurus housed in Redpath Museum.
          Logically, the value of an institution is directly dependent upon that institution’s ability to reflect the interests of that community it attempts to serve. If an institution cannot fulfill its fundamental purpose through representation, the basis of its existence can be called into question. Furthermore, an institution’s value is directly dependent upon the flow of information between the administration that oversees its management and the people it attempts to represent. But what happens when these channels of communication break down?
       As of late, McGill University has become increasingly separated from being able to cater to the needs of students. This is partly because of inefficient financial management and partly because of a lack of established systems that facilitate the flow of information. Since budget cuts were announced last year, management at McGill has instituted a hiring freeze in administrative and clerical workers (not to mention the drastic closure of McIntyre Library). With 75 percent of McGill’s operating budget going towards salaries and pensions, it is inevitable that employees that act as liaisons between the university and students will bear the blunt of the cuts. McGill is a huge institution and sifting through the entire student body is a tremendous feat.
          To add insult to injury, new students coming to McGill are often given an incomprehensive introduction to the services and avenues of representation available at McGill. They are handed pamphlets listing obscure administrative offices dotting McGill’s campus, are briefly introduced to an extensive list of extra-curricular organizations that McGill hosts (without any explanation as to their function), and are provided a general formula for how students can go about addressing their various academic and non-academic issues. All too familiar is the disillusionment that students feel when they searching for the answer to a serious question pertaining to their enrolment at McGill. Service Point is usually the start of their long pilgrimage and when they find their answer, it usually presents itself in the form of friendly advice from a student who is their senior.
It goes without saying that McGill University is not responsible for all areas of student representation, but when fundamental services necessary to the ability of students to pursue academic goals the institution is falling short of its duty. The point is this: students at McGill cannot rely on the administration to guide them in their quest for answers nor provide them with daily updates about events on campus.     McGill teaches students how to problem-solve; not just in their academic study but also imparts personal coping mechanisms for dealing with ineffective systems meant to help individuals troubleshoot their problems, but often work against that goal. Students should come to the realization that this is a valuable life-lesson and look elsewhere for adequate representation.
          One of the most contentious issues that characterize economic and political development is the extent to the creation of representative agencies fragment or facilitate a healthy political environment. One thing is certain though, the lack of institutional representation is the perfect habitat where agencies of self-governance blossom; they serve to represent a disgruntled section of society. From Aboriginal communities to the societies based upon civil disobedience led by Mohandas Gandhi, communal agency serves to represent the interests of people disconnected from established avenues of representation. You might think what comes next is a stretch, but don’t student organizations at McGill serve the exact same purpose?