FEATURES Imprint, Friday, October 14,1994 15 Tuition Fees: What Are Students Paying For? by Ian special Mm to Imprint U niversities are under attack from both the federal and provincial govern ments to reduce costs. The Ontario Council of University Affairs (OCUA) wants universities to do more with less. The federal Minister of Human Resources, Lloyd Axworthy, has introduced a@&i~Q@@@@@W%5 transfer payments for p6<&$$$@ti~ education. In all these discussions on@ @ii&. : :: seems to remain constan: rising tuition fees: Th& <...I. @ca that concems me the most is the p6s;i,t@$aper that proposes the cutting of trans& payments, and the implementation of an In&,&& c&tingent Loan Repayment (ICLR) Plan,’ ’ ‘.This:.:would allow tuition fees to rise, and sp~@&c~~~ is tuition fees could double by 1997~“~~~2&~posium on ICLRs held at Queen’s P&&&k- ported in Imprint sept~~~~~~~~~~:~~~~~~e~:i:;.~'~-~~~~~~~~~:~~~~ .:,;* ,,:, j 1 expenses for UW came in at $178.7 million, possible in every case. It would seem that a 1992-93 the Ontario government contributes which gives 20.9%. A figure close to that of the laboratory instructor could easily be put in the 73-l%, and tuition fees bring in 21.4% of the much quoted 18%. However this 18% figure teaching category, but an undergraduate secreincome for universities. However there are ignores the dual role of universities in Canada. tary who staffs the office to answer phones federal transfer payments given to Ontario for Canadian universities not only have the responwhile the other departmental secretaries are on post-secondary education so that provincial and sibility of teaching undergraduates, but also lunch could not be considered solely in the federal governments are sharing the burden of performing basic research. category of teaching. ,,_::,the 73. I% The agreement, as 1 understand it, is Currently research is funded directly by Faculty positions are of the same complex- _.,: ..:.<” that the federal government’s share of research federal agencies such as the National Science iitx,. b!t. s.Frne evaluation can be made. At .the...I*,:li].:[,.:,’ ..;,,: :h 5,.:bThe . I province’s and the s&id .:. ,.$&nces and Hurnaniti~~~~~~~ theorist$$$.$&d to teach 3 cours#f$$&@&ar~~~,/z~ covti8@$$&@qrhead costs. It would seem that ,S’ search Coun@: (SSHRC). NSERC al@j @$I(an expe@@#&ist teaches 2.:&@&s and a,zc.!this situa&@&$ breaking down. The position labora&& to ~he,~$&t&&ity finan-:$;,:i paper prop&&, cutting transfer payments for tributed $@Zj of the total grant fundig&&E,the /i :‘Q< ;.-#&&ding : :T..:ir-@ University’of Waterloo in 1994. T$@&$&es cial staten’l&&; $64.5 milli~@@$~ to faculty ..;lg:ll:post-seconda&&education, and reports say a are usually for direct expenses like -~$&&ent salaries and benefits. The ~$@puterized’.I ‘::‘,‘30% reductionTin the provincial money availinformation server (UWinfo>‘~~~~~~:~.,full time’: $: able. The shortfall will be covered by allowing or reseafch assistantships for grad&i: $&&ts. and 101 part time faculty posi@&.& (,.’$f$e:count tuition fees to double. Assuming everything Most of these grants may not be us&#&~er‘i head costs. Overhead costs include &@&es the part time positions as worth ~@@&$~full~~~?::3 :j. 2 else remains constant and applying these figlike’utilities, manpower to repair ari$Q&ii&n time position this gives an avera~~j~~,$~~;~~:~~::I~:~ ures to the 1994 income statement for the uni, &k buildings, administrrr$$y;-ed e$&+?~&; Jo.: ~~~~:f~~ulty member for 1994. N~~:;~~p~,~~~‘..~.~~~fy means the Ontario contribution will fall , x:;...: funds aluj'~~~~~bs;~~~~~lii.~~~~~ from time to time, hire outside peois;~~~~,~,l:~~~~~.~'i:32.4 Inilion to $92.7 milion. Tuition _::,..;y* j: j *.‘A’I. teach courses, and these people are commonl~iliji”f~,.trlfe from. $37.3 million to $74.6 million, ,:..:...: :,T :%:y. ‘. that I thought was very relevant: Are ICLI$& .‘. Shops the rates of labour charged p~$&&y’ibo called a sessional. Sources inform me that ;.:/.::, to tuition fees covering41.7% .:GtiQ?#‘@&$@~ _....:.. method of giving student aid, or of fund& , ,: not cover the costs of service. Anqi&&&a guidelines indicate a sessional would make be- $::,;,of the &$@$@&+ning the university. tween $15,000 and $18,000. This is a differ- :z;zii Th~@@$#&$ remains, to what extent are universities? The seco~~~~:~~:~~~~.~~~~~~,~~~~ p~&~lc; ) &&?.!..:...&~e __,.;;,~.i~F::,. “‘1.:I~ ,L,.*.. <~+$<+.d>?.subsidies towards rese&& k&t ... ence of $48,800 if we use the highest sessional $1: undergrad~&$$.$es being subsidized? Stustudents are the main: .l.&!&!&&&&~~@~ tieq. i..~~~~~~~~~~~~ academic journals. f $@$ne ..I<.,... :,... . ,., .. payment. Why is there sucl-& difference ? I’m : \ ‘:.;dent groups”$&&&ounter, to what extent are university education, and therefore should .A.. PtiF : .I the number of titles carried could be r<&ced if :;;:.‘::.:‘: j the most. The question that comes to my a.& ? this was solely a teaching university. T’ .:?!:! told that sessionals are rec&&,Ph.D. graduates $..$tuition fees s@&+ing research? These quesis what are students being asked to pay f~f$:$f;~~~~ Of course UW is not just :a::.’@.$$~$&&$y. or Post-Doctoral.,.~@ows tig,;.are around the E.b,;itions have &$$&answers. With the proposed ,:..?h. ..‘g,q,‘?.<.::)- : The response is that students are ,,l$$ti$~‘:~~~~ The overhead costs are o@&ea that ~s~~~~~~.~.~~~~~~~)s~~n~~and ag~$$$$~;each these $$$utting o~&#&&r payments from the federal ,<,::,::*q; ,...qy+ "G$ v';&&c;; ~, ',:" .;;:G?.; ..y?s .:.1. .a:.iL,;.:qPp>+ c education, What is a fair share? I b&$ pf&~ .+ f:hajor. expense of fie u@i~~~~~~~~&$&&&. ~~~~~~:~~~~~~:~~ n was hire to tea &-I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~u~ation that tuition fees will double by .$ : :&$x.x. . ‘,., q&,*>L $.‘:.$;y;kg <,~:‘~~,~.~~.::‘:::;m ‘“%&, x?$g;y*y,, :?$; *p ..~:i~:.;‘,:,~.8,~:~~~ ,iT ‘I ~..~‘3r~~~,!i‘:il~l~~,I:~i:,.-:.. <,<,.:>::$:.’ I::>.L+.c,heard the statement from governr&&ts’tti&t”t& 1?&G$its cost the univers~~+&~~.6 million ~~B&&# as a sessional it would cost more. s;‘-;. 1897, I begin to wonder what a figure like tion fees cover 18% of the cost of running the which represents 86.5% of the total cost of However, the fact remains that an outside per- $‘:‘,41.7% of total costs covers. In the end, it is universities, but is this figure realistic? 1 derunning the university. What proportion of the son receives about $18,000 to teach the same ?‘$impossible to evaluate how much an education tided to check this claim for myself for the staff and faculty manpower resources are used course load as a research professor earning ‘@%osts because of the way accounting is done at . Canadian universities. No effort is made to University of Waterloo. I obtained the financial for teaching? How much for research? This is $66,800. distinguish the costs of teaching from the costs statements for the University of Waterloo for a difficult question to answer. Staff members Who pays for research activities at the of research. One thing is sure: before we ask the fiscal year ending April 30,1994. I discov