A recent campaign on behalf of members in EPLS has been successful--with second year students in the counselling program obtaining a rebate of a $350 per term fee implemented September 2009 by UVIC.
The GSS had raised concerns about the fee, but was told it was not tuition. As a result, the GSS Executive decided to send a formal complaint about the fee to the Ministry of Advanced Education, which is responsible for BC's tuition limit policy.
The university argued that the counselling program constituted a new program, thus the new fee being admissable under the tuition limit policy. As a result we successfully argued that second year studetns could not be charged the fee as they are covered by the university calendar regulations in the year they began their degree. UVIC agreed and refunded the students.
However, the complaint to the ministry regarding the fee for new students is outstanding.
