Election time action: support a BC graduate scholarship program

Let BC's election candidates know we support the creation of a BC Graduate Scholarship!

Over the past few years, the GSS has worked with graduate student organizations at UBC, SFU and UNBC in advocating for the creation of a graduate scholarship program in BC. Our proposal is here.

Elections are a chance to raise important issues, and I hope you will take the time to send the party leaders a message about the importance of funding graduate education in BC.

Provincial graduate funding is important because:

 - Among the larger provinces, only BC has no graduate scholarship program

 - Graduate students contribute to the university as teachers-which in turn helps the ability of the university to accommodate undergraduate enrollment

 - A funded graduate student completes their degree in a timely manner

 - Graduate students contribute to the province-whether through research that benefits BC communities, or by adding to our province's ability to innovate after graduation

Visit http://bcgradscholarship.ca to send your message.

Here you'll find some sample text. You can send it as is, but we strongly encourage you to create your own message.

Please circulate this call to the students and faculty in your department to help us spread the word.

And of course, don't forget to vote on May 14!

Stacy Chappel

GSS Executive Director

Authorized by the University of Victoria Graduate Students' Society, registered sponsor under the Election Act, 250-472-5163.

BC Cabinet shuffle creates ministry of science and universities

Ida Chong - a former Minister of Advanced Eduction - is to take the helm of the new ministry, something UVIC VP Research has described as positive. Denmark has a similar ministry. (Any Danish students have insight into this model?)

The Vancouver Sun has described the shuffle as uninspiring (and the cabinet as too large).

According to the Vancouver Sun

[Chong will] now be responsible for university financing, degree approval, student financial assistance and research, innovation and technology. Although universities are mainly self-sustaining, Chong will oversee annual university spending of more than $1 billion a year across B.C.

She'll also oversee millions in provincial research grants, matched by federal and private partners.

This is curious as when asked about BC's high rate of student debt and tuition, Chong asserted in an interview on CBC Radio Victoria that taxpayers (note, not citizens) pay 70% of the cost of the university, and that BC tuition is mid range. (Too bad they cut the BC Grad Scholarships, which would have made BC more competitive with Ontario).

UVIC's audited statements (2009) shows BC contribution to UVIC is 40% of UVIC's funding, and all government funding combined adds up to 54% of UVIC's funding- just enough to continue to be called "public" universities. Tuition accounts for 24% (up from 12% in my day) and almost as much comes from sales of services (books, residency and meals anyone?).

Hopefully this change will see an increase in graduate student support in the sciences - but won't indicate neglect of the other important fields of study in our universities.

BC graduate tuition above national average

Statistics Canada produced a report yesterday about tuition for Canadian students by province.

According to the report, graduate student tuition is increasing at a rate higher than undergraduate tuition.



Of interest at UVIC is that BC graduate tuition is above the national average by about $1,000 per year. This is particularly daunting given BC's lack of a graduate scholarship program, and high cost of living.

Obtain the stats can report here.

The UVIC GSS is working with graduate student unions across western canada to advocate for better graduate funding, maintaining tuition caps, and support for students.

Festival of Budget news

Here is some more detail regarding the 2010 budget from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, there is this mention of graduate students:

Objective 1.2: BC’s post secondary education sector fosters creativity, innovation and knowledge development.

British Columbia’s future economy will be shaped by innovation. Collaborative partnerships and knowledge development will be critical to unlocking BC’s full economic and creative potential in the years ahead. Our ability to capitalize on BC’s leading-edge research and competitive strengths in key knowledge industries will require unprecedented collaboration between government, post secondary institutions and industry. It will also require a province-wide effort to build a culture of science in BC to ensure the province has a critical mass of people with the knowledge and skills needed to support the knowledge-based economy.

Strategies

- Work in partnership with the Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development on the continued development and management of research and innovation policy and research-related investments.

- Support research and innovation through operating grants to post secondary institutions, targeted funding for graduate students, and through the BC Knowledge Development Fund, which supports investments in research infrastructure.

- Work with partners to advance a culture of science across BC.

But what does it mean?

In past years the government has set targets for increasing grad enrollment. They have also created, then expanded, then put on hold the BC Pacific Leaders scholarship program which funded graduate students. This doesn't indicate if there will be a shift to more or less, or maintenance of the same.

The Advanced Education ministry's service plan also mentions international student recruitment as a key goal for BC, with Goal 3 to make BC a "global destination of choice for students, skilled workers and entrepreneurs".

Increasing first nations participation is another key goal, but unfortunately no specific targets are given except to increase enrollment over previous years.

Supporting research universities is also given as part of a plan to increase the knowledge economy in BC. They specifically mention supporting research in key labour market areas as well, and medicine gets a particular nod with a goal to increase the number of doctors. This sort of thing makes universities nervous. Traditionally universities have been arms length--receiving government funds, but able to allocate to areas of research and education as they choose. Recently past couple years, the ministry created quite a stir by adding "Letters of Expectation" to their funding letters, with the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia arguing the letters violated the University Act. The ministry seems to be addressing this fear in particular with Minister Stillwell's introduction:

We want our public universities to have the independence and flexibility needed for them to pursue their unique areas of excellence in partnership with others, and in a way that provides better services for students. Working closely with our institutions, we will be exploring ways for them to unleash their creativity and thrive in an increasingly competitive market.

You can read the full BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Management Development March 2010 service plan here.

BC September 2009 budget update and graduate students

BC's September budget update makes little mention of graduate school, graduate students or research, although graduate studies is briefly mentioned as one targeted area of expansion in the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour service plan.

Capital spending is discussed in the budget speech, with $500 million for capital expansion on campuses--$86.4 million is going to UBC's pharmaceutical research facility--which is a drug commercialization facility. The ministry must disclose projects over $50 million, sp presumably the rest of the capital spending falls under that amount. Other major projects mentioned focus on environmental technologies or research, including Okanagan College's Centre for Green Building Technologies ($27.6 million), Energy House project at Northern Lights College ($7.8 million) and 21 million for UNBC's project involving turning waste wood into energy. Indeed, the investment in research and development mentioned in the budget speech is in green energy.

The Ministry's service plan shows an increase in funds directed to post-secondary institutions (5% increase). Bear in mind there is a 2% price index increase over last year, and UVIC is slated to have a 14% increase in graduate enrollement this year. Meanhile there's a 15% cut back to Student Aid BC--this is for ministry spending so whether this will result in cuts to bursaries, and exactly how this will be handled, is not yet clear. But earlier this year, the Pacific Leaders graduate funding was put on hold, and other student support focussed on helping disabled students, nursing students and those needing loan forgiveness was quietly cut in July (see Vancouver Sun article).

Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Development service plan

http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2009_Sept_Update/sp/pdf/ministry/almd.pdf

Budget speech

http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2009_Sept_Update/speech/Budget%20Speech_Sept_2009.pdf

Pacific Leadership Scholarship being cut?

I heard the BC Advanced Education critic for (Rob Fleming, MLA) saying the Pacific Leaders graduate scholarship has been cut in the recent BC budget.

Please sign this petition to keep graduate student funding in BC!

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/pacific-leaders-graduate-student-fellowships.html

Victory on Fellowships .. partly

The campaign has paid off, we have achieved a significant improvement to the UVIC fellowship policy. It is not perfect, but it does provide more economic security for fellowship holders.

UVIC's new policy will be:
Fellowship cheques and cheques for all scholarships at UVIC (including the new BC Graduate Student Scholarships) will not be withheld unless tuition is unpaid in the previous semester. Therefore, students starting in September will receive their cheques in Septembr, October, November, December without interruption, but MUST pay their tuition by the end of December.
Late fees will apply as for any other student.

This policy will stand until the NOVA system is in place, allowing more flexibility for installments of tuition to be taken off cheques paid to students by UVIC.

The full text of the letter from FGS about this change is available in letter format outside the GSS office.

Stacy