News of interest: $2M penality for McGill and Cracks in the PhD Glass Ceiling

Quebec slaps McGill with $2M penalty over MBA

Tuition increase to 29,500/year going too far, say courts.



Meanwhile, the "glass ceiling" has some cracks at the PhD and Full prof level:

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=415400&c=1

It would be good to know how this relates to the 60% majority female undergrads over the same time periods...

BC Student Activism goes waaaay back

In a tribute to the students around the world standing up for public post secondary education systems in past weeks, here is some archival footage of BC's first (I expect) student demonstration -- the UBC Great Trek of 1922, which demanded the campus finally be build so students didn't have to study crammed in old huts.

On a personal note, I recently learned my Great Aunt Eunice was a student on the Great Trek, as my cousin found a letter she wrote home describing the demonstration to her family. Guess I know where I get my activist streak!




Here is a bit of a history lesson in a bit of a bland but more structured and informative video about BC's history of establishing universities. Given the financial struggles we are having, it is good to learn from this mini-doc that BC's biggest university fought off closure during the great depression, only 7 years after it opened.



To learn about some current grad student campaigns visit the UVIC GSS at http://gss.uvic.ca

80% cuts to eduction in UK draws 50,000 protestors

At the GSS we are following the demonstrations for public education funding with interest.

Excellent democracy now coverage on the demo, followed by very good explanation of the cuts happening in the UK to education and other cuts to social programs.

University was free in the UK in the 90s, it will now be 9,000 pounds per year ($14,600 Canadian)

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/11/over_50_000_students_protest_in

It’s your call: One click could save you $55 per term in athletics fees

Should students pay for a new athletic facility with a “new” $55/term fee (in addition to the current $73/term fee)?

You will be asked to vote on this question October 19-23, 2009 on webvote at https://webvote.uvic.ca

The Graduate Students’ Society is opposed to this fee increase. Here are some of our reasons:

Is this fee increase legal?

The GSS is concerned that the fee increase is not permitted under BC’s tuition limit policy, which caps increases of tuition and fees for current programs at 2% per year. This new fee will be a 75% fee increase for students.

The GSS has sent UVic a letter (PDF) asking UVIC to account for this, and will post any reply we receive on our campaign site here: http://gss.uvic.ca/2009athletics.htm

Who uses and who pays?

In the January 2009 term alone, contribution by students to the Athletics and Recreation budget was $1,082,939.00—without including additional fees paid by students for intramural, weight room, and program fees.

According to UVIC data for January – March 2009, which assumes average usage of 1-3 visits per week, about 30% of undergraduates and 8% of graduate students are using the Ian Stewart Complex (the most popular recreation facility on campus).

Athletics fees: the goal posts keep moving!

Until UVIC purchased the Ian Stewart Complex (ISC), athletic fees increased at a rate almost identical to inflation. Since the purchase of ISC, students have been paying a greater proportion of the cost for Athletics at UVIC each year. In the past decade, the proportion of the Athletics budget covered by student fees has risen from 20% to 38%.

Mandatory fees can be a benefit—if they are less than market rate

Compare this fee proposal to the U-pass... the U-pass costs one quarter the cost of buying a monthly buss pass. Every student pays in, but the cost is kept lower than market rate. In return, transit improves bus service to Victoria campuses.

Now compare the proposed athletics fee proposal to other recreation passes in Victoria *:

No. of terms	Current fee	New fee
One term	$73	$128
Two Terms	$146	$256
Three Terms	$219	$320*
COMPARE
Sannich Rec student pass	285/year
Oak Bay Rec annual pass	$345/year
YM-YWCA pass - family pass	$444/year $780/year

* graduate students will have the option to opt out of the summer term; summer term will be charged at 50%. 60% of graduate students and 20% of undergraduates pay 3 terms of fees per year.

What are the other options?

UVIC says mandatory student fees need to cover 36.7% of the cost of the building—but what are other options? UVIC’s consultation process suggested selling the Ian Stewart Complex as one revenue source. Other options include bigger donor campaigns, a stronger lobby for government support.

UVIC’s facility analysis indicates UVIC will seek to cover costs of the building with the following revenues:

1. New students Mandatory Fee

2. Program revenues

3. Donors

4. Government funding

5. UVIC contribution

What are the arguments in favour of the fee increase?

UVIC made a presentation to the GSS Grad Council about the proposal. It can be found here.

UVIC’s facility analysis (500 pages) can be found here.

UVIC’s/vikes website supporting the fee increase is here

Student facebook group in support of the fee increase is found on the vikes website here

Visit open houses

Help the campaign

Visit the GSS campaign site, download a poster, learn more: all here

Office Space Campaign Launched!

CUPE 4163 and the GSS have launched a joint petition campaign, and the petition is here in PDF format.

This was circulated at the Grad Council meeting and folks are circulating them in their department and returning them to the GSS or CUPE 4163 offices.  We are also asking grad reps in departments that are moving office to take inventory (count the offices) before and after their move so we can assess the actual net change due to renovations effectively.
If you don't have access to copying or printing, we are also printing copies at the GSS for you to pick up.

Upcoming issues for grad students at UVIC

At the beginning of each semester I start thinking about what the key priorities will be at the GSS office. I am always a bit overwhelmed at the broad range of subjects I am expecting to deal with, and a bit nervous I am missing something. So here is my list, and I am wondering if others see some I don't?

GSS members have some major decisions to make about our internal affairs.

Building expansion:
Should we expand our building, and if so, how much should we invest in expansion (and how will we get the money?!) Watch for a Special General Meeting in February to look at architects plans and to give your executive board direction on what you want your building to be like, and how it should be financed.

CFS Membership:
March 18-20 graduate students will go to the polls an decide on whether to continue membership in the Canadian Federation of Students. The referendum will be governed by CFS bylaws so the GSS so my big concern at the moment is whether our familiar processes can be used--most of our members use web vote in GSS referenda and elections, but it remains to be seen whether the CFS will agree to that process.

Beyond our student union, grad students also continue to face many other issues in their studies:

Office space continues to be a big concern for students on campus. Perhaps the engineers, with so much experience stuffing themselves into beetles could offer advice on sharing an office with 10 other students (and two desks!)

Expansion of the graduate student population through new provincial funding also poses some problems for our members--what if there aren't enough resources in your department already, and now your population is doubling? Some students are worried they may never find a supervisor.

Funding. After much pressure from both students and university administration, the BC government created a graduate scholarship program in 2007 and redesigned some others, like MITACS. Great news! But is the program design working for graduate students? I would like to hear more from students who are involved in the various funding programs established this year.

Most frustrating to me is that fellowships administration continue to be a problem... and so we continue to be a thorn in the side of the administration. Check out our original report on fellowship policy if you don't know about this issue.

For many students, poverty, housing, immigrant/international students rights and lack of adequate childcare are problems faced in their lives outside of school--but that cause problems academically. Generally support for these campaigns comes in the form of writing letters in support of agencies lobbying effots. For example, the GSS has been active in supporting the BC childcare campaign.

The First Nations Day of Action: Why we should support it

Thursday June 28, 2pm
Grad Centre Room 108 (board room), UVIC.

Come join the GSS for tea and coffee and an informal round table discussion with:

Chiinuuks, an MA student in Indigenous Governance who is from the Nuchalnuth First Nation

Glen Coulthard, a Dene activist and PhD student in political theory at the University of Victoria who teaches courses in the Indigenous Governance Programs and the Department of Political Science.

What is the day of action?
National Chief Phil Fontaine issued an invitation to all canadians to join a peaceful First Nations Day of Action to improve the lives of First Nations people. Information on June 29th activities and the campaign can be found at http://afn.ca. Chief Fontaine also discussed many of the issues faced by First Nations in this short YouTube statement about the Day of Action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skV_UB32fxA

For more information about this event, contact Stacy at gssmgr@uvic.ca

UofT to dump tobacco investments

Found online at macleans.ca. Interesting given the move to consider smoking ban at UVIC.

The University of Toronto is the latest university to alter its investment portfolio, citing ethical concerns. With yesterday’s announcement to divest millions in tobacco stocks, U of T became the first educational institution in Canada to boycott the tobacco industry.

A student activist who successfully campaigned to have U of T sell off its tobacco investments says other Canadian schools should follow suit and end the "unethical practice."

"We hope that other institutions will get a clear message that investing in tobacco companies is an unethical practice and it's something that should not be done," Tyler Ward, president of Education Bringing Youth Tobacco Truths (E-BUTT).

Many universities have taken similar steps for ethical reasons. Recently, Queen’s University divested its holdings in two Chinese oil companies because of their involvement in Darfur.

Read the full story here