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Senate recap: Budget 2023/2024

Tuition increases, language requirements, and the problem of persistent inequities

RACHEL TAIT

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“Senate is the academic governing body of UFV, with the university president and vice-chancellor, Joanne MacLean, as the chair. They are responsible for making decisions on everything academic, including: approving new courses and programs, approving changes to programs, and setting entrance requirements and the academic calendar. The Board of Governors, which looks at the business side of the university, is advised by Senate on matters of mutual interest.

All at the university are welcome to attend Senate’s public meetings, held once a month. Senate makes decisions that impact the daily lives of both students and faculty. This article will recap the main agenda items of the hybrid Senate meeting on Friday, March 10, 2023.”

Jackie Hogan, chair of the senate budget committee, presented the recommended budget for senate and pinpointed that tuition fees will increase by 2% for domestic students and 4% for international students. There is also an anticipated increase in the number of international and domestic students enrolling at UFV in the upcoming school year according to the consolidated budget plan draft for 2023-2024. The plan also shows that “international enrolments increased by approximately 25% in 2022-23 and are estimated to be at 93% of target.”

The budget plan also mentioned that out of total revenue, fees paid by students make up 47% and the budget plan shows this is “directly linked to annual enrolment plans. This revenue budget is up by $5.3M over prior year to $79.0M.”

A motion that was carried by the board was the recommended changes for the “language proficiency requirements” for the Bachelor of Education program. The reason for this change is that they are being “lowered to reflect recent changes made by the BC Teachers’ Council to the Language Proficiency section of the teacher certification standards.”

The changes will include removing EDUC 441, which is for online learning and helps “build teacher candidate skills in relation to classroom management, behaviour support, and trauma-informed practices” as well.

The one-credit course, EDUC 453 (literacy across the curriculum), will be taken out of the spring semester and that credit will be added to EDUC 420 (designs for learning elementary language arts), making it a four credit course.

Acting chair and president, Dr. James Mandigo gave his report, which called attention to the importance of International Women’s Day and the issue of gender inequities around the world.

Mandigo wrote,“we must never become complacent in our quest and support for universal gender equity for all.” Mandigo mentioned the bill to “ban state funding for gender equity studies and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) programming for Universities in Florida,” which was introduced by Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida.

Mandigo concluded that “it is important that we continue to advance our commitments towards Indigenization and EDI so that we can demonstrate to the world that this is what makes our communities thrive.”

News Briefs

European Commission president thanks Canada at the House of Commons.

In a parliamentary meeting at the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mar. 7, Justin Trudeau called Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, an “inspirational leader who has been central to galvanizing support for Ukraine and its people.” Von der Leyen later addressed the parliamentarians of the House of Commons. She said that she perceives Canada as being “true friends” of the European Union amid Canada’s response to Russia’s invasion. Both Canada and the European Union are in support of Ukraine. Von der Leyen hailed Canada’s Operation UNIFIER, (an initiative launched in 2015 and designed to help train Ukrainian soldiers), for having “saved Ukraine in the first days” of the war.

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