Green Matters // why the brunswickan went tabloid >> PAgE 7 Volume 142 · Issue 15 • January 7, 2009
thebruns.ca
brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.
the money issue.
Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan
It’s no secret that life costs a lot of money – and so does university. In this issue, the Brunswickan explores the ups and downs of the almighty dollar.
Where our precious tuition dollars go $ Sarah Ratchford The Brunswickan
It’s no secret that tuition is costly. Coupled with additional fees for the Student Union, campus media, facilities improvement, technology and a health and dental plan, the total cost of fees at UNB is $6070 for the average student in 2009. It doesn’t stop here either – books are virtually a mandatory purchase, and for some, like science students, the price of textbooks can climb to $1,000 per year.
While other fees are broken down and explained, many students are left questioning where that big, bulky tuition fee is going. The answer is not so complex as one may think, however. Tuition fees go straight into the university’s operating budget, says VP Finance and Corporate Services Dan Murray. The operations budget is comprised of “all of the operations of the university for each campus day to day, such as teaching, libraries, scholarships, and student services,” Murray explains. All of those things are paid for by the operating budget, which, this year, is $161 million. “Students pay for 34 per cent of the operating budget,” Murray says, which means that $55 million stems
from students’ tuition. “One of every three dollars in the operating budget is paid for by students,” Murray simplifies. He goes on to outline exactly what this budget pays for in comparison with other universities. “About 57 per cent goes to instruction,” he says. This category includes faculty salaries, technical positions, and supplies, among others. The Canadian average is on par with UNB, Murray says, at 56 to 57 per cent. About 12.4 per cent of the university’s operating budget is spent on utilities, electricity, and maintenance. This is in comparison with the 11 per cent national average. Murray cites the age of UNB as a main factor for its slightly higher
expenditure. Acquisition of library books, electronics, and library staff must also be paid for; the “library” category eats up 6.3 per cent of the operating budget. 9.5 per cent takes care of central IT, administration, HR Finance and the President’s office. The Canadian average is 10 per cent. The remaining 5.6 per cent is dedicated to student services, which include scholarships, the Health Centre, campus recreation, and the like. Not all students are treated alike when it comes
SEE TUITION PAGE 4