Council Forum — November 19, 2009

I'll make the point right now. Just because we don't have mics doesn't mean you can shout out.
— Council speaker Craig Turner, on council's conduct while the council chamber's microphones are unavailable during an upgrade

Emptying pockets

Council heard another presentation from Provost and Vice President (Academic) Carl Amrhein and Vice President (Finance and Administration) Phyllis Clark on tuition changes to help offset the $59-million 2010/11 operating budget deficit. The administration is proposing market modifiers for faculties that cost more to run — for example medicine, business and law. The administration is more in favour of this differential tuition system to make up the $20 million of the gap students are expected to cover than they are for mandatory fees.

Council went in camera to hear the rest of the provost's discussion, in which he and deputy provost Dru Marshall outlined the exact numbers of market modified differential tuition that will be proposed to the provincial government later this week. Council policy stipulates that media be barred from the council chamber in an in camera session, and all other students and councillors sign a binding confidentiality agreement, preventing anyone from discussing the information afterward. Amrhein explained that this is necessary to prevent difficulties in negotiations with the Ministry of Advanced Education and Technology.
However, the numbers presented were the same ones brought forward by SU president Kory Mathewson in the council meeting on October 27. The increases will be grandfathered, with first year students taking on the full increases in 2010/11, and by 2012/13 the price jump will be absorbed by everyone. The price jumps are proposed as follows, 66 per cent for Pharmacy ($3,375 per year), 39 per cent for Business ($2,000 per year), 35 per cent for Engineering ($2,040 per year), 35 per cent for Medicine ($4,000 per year), 32 per cent for Law ($3,151 per year), 21 percent for Dentistry ($4,000 per year), and three per cent for Economics, Design students in the Faculty of Arts, and Nutrition and Food Sciences in Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences ($150 per year).

Speaking out

SU President Kory Mathewson spoke about the national student survey being conducted right now at www.canedproject.ca/survey. It's sponsored in part by the Council of Alberta University Students. He was happy to report that U of A students represent around 16 per cent of the 11,000 responses so far, and said he hopes that trend continues.

And how does that make you feel?

Vice President (Student Life) Nick Dehod spoke about the apparent shortage of psychologists and counselling services available to U of A students. He said that they are reviewing the possibility of charging for the services to allow for increased quality. He noted his intent to make sure the fees would be covered by the SU health plan.

Question Period

The SU executive fielded a number of questions about their course of action following the administration's tuition presentation. Mathewson argued for the need for a long-term solution on the U of A staff's portion of the $20 million deficit. He thinks the recently approved six furlough days to cut costs is merely a band-aid solution.

Vice President (Academic) Leah Trueblood stated her opposition to the market modifiers. She expressed how the SU's position argues that more money doesn't automatically equate to better program quality. The SU would rather see user fees helping to bridge the gap. Mathewson also noted the SU's intention to strongly advocate for strong student financial aid programs as students' costs increase in coming years.

Mathewson also spoke about the recent undergraduate survey. He said winners of prizes will be notified by the end of this week. He expects preliminary analysis and data of the results to be available by the end of November.