T u it io n F e e s D e f in it e ly G o in g U p by Martine Gagnon V.-P. (External Affairs) Be ready to pay more to go to university next year. Tuition fees for all Canadian students will be going up this coming fall. At two recent press con ferences, the first at Concordia and the second at E cole P olytechnique, the Québec Minister o f Education, Yves Bérubé, stated with no ambigui ty whatsoever that tuition w ou ld go up next year. However, he refused to be more explicit as to how much the in crease would be and who it would hit the hardest. The most recent rumours have it that part-time students and continu ing education students would suffer the largest increases.
Following these confirma tions directly from the Minister o f Education himself, Claude Ryan, member o f the opposi tion in charge o f educational matters, was recently invited by RAEU (Rassemblement des Associations Etudiantes Univer sitaires, one o f Québec’S stu dent federations) to meet with some student leaders and cam pus journalists at Université de Montréal. As all good politi cians do, Ryan said very little. However, he sided with the party in power to say that the days o f frozen tuition fees and eventual abolition o f tuition altogether at the university level were over. He was in favour o f a yearly indexation o f tuition to the cost o f living, starting in Fall 1985. Such an increase
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should be compensated accor dingly in the loans and bursaries program. He did not feel that su ch m e a su r es w o u ld significantly limit access to university level education. He stated he was opposed to differential fees for nonQuébécois, but did not address the question o f differential fees for foreign students. On matters concerning the funding o f universities, he a g re ed th a t th e th re e anglophone universities o f the province, Bishop’s, Concordia and McGill, were grossly under funded, but he was not surpris ed that such a situation had developed under the present government. He did not feel that this was right and further thought that measures should
photo by Ezra Greenberg
B e h in d T h e Sm ile: A C a n d id a te ’s P erspective by Grace Permaul Now that the elections for im portant student government positions are once again upon us, students are probably wondering not only whom they should select as their leaders, but more importantly, whether or not they should vote at all. Naturally, there are drawbacks to casting a ballot. Topping the list o f major considerations is the possibility that the five minutes (five precious minutes) used to check o ff the preferred candidate’s name may jeopar dize one’s chances o f securing a table in The Alley or Gert’s. In addition, one’s sacred student card becomes a target o f the many pinholes which in time
will signify that “ yes, you have done your duty” . Given these major dilemmas, it is quite understandable that the majority o f you do not bother to vote. As a matter of fact, next to studying for ex ams, election campaigns have gained recognition as the most tiresome ritual that a student must endure. As you rush o ff to classes, a myriad o f posters seem to follow your every move. Those who live in the residences not only wake to a pile o f handouts and pamphlets that have been slipped under their doors the night before, but where and when least expected (e.g. in the shower), the can didates make a personal ap-
pearance. Day in and day out for approximately a week you are the victim o f pleading souls who urge you to vote in their favour. Nevertheless, having viewed the situation both as a member o f the electorate and as the stu dent politician, I have come to realize that it is in fact the latter who is the real victim. Once the c a m p a ig n b e g in s , th e candidate’s academic career ends. As the papers and assignments continue to pile up, his/her mind cannot focus on anything other than the next “ public appearance” . Scrambl ing through the university calen dar, the ambitious candidate continued on page 12
be taken as soon as possible to correct the situation. Nevertheless, he saw McGill as a special case because o f our unrestricted endowment funds, According to Ryan, the whole system o f funding o f universities needs a thorough review, A new system should treat
French and English universities equally. In short, recent discussions with Bérubé and Ryan confirm that we can no longer avoid an increase in tuition fees next year. All we can do is wait for the details to be announced within the next few weeks.
Science Senators by Stephen Hum In the Senate races, Science features a contest among four candidates for two seats. Edw ard Gibbard Edward Gibbard is a U1 biology student. Gibbard has little experience in student government at McGill but “ ... I feel that I bring a lot o f ex perience with me from my time in high school in Ontario.” Gibbard was the organizer of his high school’s graduation prom, and he feels that this is not inconsequential experience since the job called upon him to handle over $10,000 in funds and gave him an opportunity to learn how to work with people. Before the prom Gibbard had already cut his teeth on various school activities. His decision to seek high office at McGill, he says is a “ natural continuation” o f these activities. “ I haven’t had an opportuni ty to really study the issues of the election in any depth, and I’m not overly familiar with the workings of Senate, but I think I can offer science students my organizational abilities and my energy.” Gibbard said he was concern ed with opening up Senate to students. As well, he promised to familiarize himself with the
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Charter o f Student Rights and work for its passage. R on Leber Ron Leber, the incumbent V-P (University Affairs), feels his strongest selling point in his race for a seat in Senate is his experience. As V-P (University Affairs), Leber says that he has learned a great deal about the inner work ings o f the university such as its sundry committees and Senate which he has sat on in an exofficio capacity. Leber feels that with such knowledge he could be all the more effective on Senate. “ I found this past year that most o f the issues which most interested me could be best pur sued in Senate. That’s why, even though I won’t have time to be V-P (University Affairs) again, I wish to . run for Senate.” Leber stated that there can be a number o f issues which he felt were important, among them the passage o f a Charter o f Stu dent Rights, with the addition o f a policy dealing with sexual harassment. “ I believe it will still be an issue next year and I’d like to see it passed.” Leber did not elaborate on the other planks in his platform. continued on page 3
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