GSS wins tuition rebate for students

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.

Grad School in Pop Culture

Aside from PhD Comics, and bit parts (like two episodes of the Simpson (here and here) and references to the grad work of the depressed uncle played by Steve Carrell in Little Miss Sunshine) how often does grad school make its way into the plot of popular (or even unpopular) culture? There are zillions of films about undergrads, of course--including Canada's highest grossing film ever, btw.

If you are starved to see your life as a grad student represented on the screen, you may wish to catch the latest episode of Being Erica which features Erica travelling back in time to grad school and a remembered confrontation with her supervisor. Yike!

A recent article on blueavocado.org about the lack of pop culture references to non profits (or at least the lack or realistic ones) got me thinking... where are the grad students in pop culture?
We certainly have an abundance of lawyer shows and doctor shows, and oh yes, detectives. Why not charities, or jobs like mine, working in a non profit--the GSS. Better yet, why not a show in a student union for grad students!

Queens, athletics and cut backs

Hat tip to Dan for this link, regarding another athletics facility partially funded by student levy, and in this case the deficit and budget cuts that followed when the rest of the funding wasn't secured...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/queens-principal-to-do-less-with-less/article1399045/

Ryerson students athletics increase

$126/year increase for student athletics fees at Ryerson was approved by student ballot. Fees are curently about $20.98 for graduates -- and a per credit fee up to max $30/term for undergrads--so students will now pay ... less than UVIC grad students pay for athletics per term (or the same as undergraduates now pay at UVIC) but get Maddison Square Gardens as their athletics facility...

Hmm.

The Canadian Federation of Students' AGM: A reformer's perspective | rabble.ca

The Canadian Federation of Students' AGM: A reformer's perspective | rabble.ca

Rabble has picked up the debate regarding the CFS. I am surprised how long it would take for the debates among student activists to become significant in the broader left.

This is one of the rare thoughtful articles--yes, on the left it has to be about ends and means.

I wasn't at the meeting, so my response is based on past experiences not the 2009 meeting.

Graduate Students join massive strikes at U California

Graduate students joined staff unions and undergraduates in a state wide strike protesting plans to drastically increase tuition in the face of cuts to university funding in the state.

Graduate students are facing a wide range of possible fee increases, including increases of a whopping 64% for some programs, in a move which violates a university policy to keep the grad tuition in line with other schools.

Undergraduate tuition is slated to increase 32% across the baord.

Meanwhile, senior adminsitrators apparently voted themselves a raise at the same time, while cutting wages or laying off staff and non-tenure professors.

Callout to graduate students at UC Berkeley is here.

The website of the strike is:
http://ucsolidarity.org/

A fascinating interview with Bob Samuels, president of the University of California, American Federation of Teachers (author of the blog Changing Universities) and Zen Dochterman, UCLA grad student taking, was on Democracy Now on November 20, and the interviewees provide some interesting analysis of the privatization of the university and how funding is allocated.

Martlet Story: GSS responds to athletics referendum

Amy Cox and Mike Large have been busy ensuring grad students are heard on the referendum campaign with two recent op eds in the Martlet.

Newest is here:
http://www.martlet.ca/article/20376-gss-disappointed-with-referendum-information

My fave comment is "Why is the GSS so well run?" Thanks, "argh", it's because we have people like Amy and Mike!!