August 8, 2016

Page 1

Vol. CXXXVII, No. 1 August 8, 2016 thevarsity.ca —— University of Toronto’s student newspaper since 1880

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ARSIT THE V

FEATURE Dorm Decor: Class can get dull but these tips ensure that your room won’t be page 12

ARTS & CULTURE Brew’s Clues: A quick guide to becoming a beer snob page 17

SPORTS Sweat City: U of T offers endless opportunities to get active page 22

STUDENT HAND BOOK INSIDE! Find out who to know and where to go on al l three campuses

4.0 SMCSU under investigation for financial mismanagement

PROVINCIAL POLITICS

COLLEGES

Caps to expire at the same time province rolls out new student grant policy

Details withheld until investigation completed

Helena Najm & Emaan Thaver Varsity Contributors

Emily Johnpulle Varsity Contributor

Expiry on three per cent tuition hike cap looms

The province of Ontario implemented a policy in 2013 to cap year tuition hikes at three percent until 2017, the same year that recently announced tuition grants are set to take effect. The Ontario Liberal government announced the Ontario Student Grant (OSG) in March of 2016. They claim that the new program will make tuition largely free for students who come from families with household incomes of $50,000 or less in 2017. Ontario post-secondary institutions receive the lowest per-student grants and have the highest undergraduate university fees in the country. The province faced criticism in 2013 from post-secondary institutions and student unions for decreasing the tuition hike cap from five per cent to three per cent per year. Opponents argued that the decrease in funds to schools was not coupled with an increase in provincial post-secondary investment to compensate for the schools’ funding deficits. The Canadian Federation of

Students was disappointed in this decision because the three per cent rate was one per cent higher than the inflation rate at the time. They asked for a tuition freeze and cut of 30 per cent over the following three years. According to the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ 2013 Tuition Fee Framework Guidelines, while tuition fee increases for undergraduate Arts and Science programs were firmly capped at three per cent, undergraduate professional programs had a cap allowance of up to five per cent, with a university-wide imposed average of three per cent. The hike cap was also inapplicable to international students’ tuition.

Tuition grants and the budget There was no mention of updating the hike rate in the 2016 Ontario budget. The upcoming tuition grant program for low-income students was planned as a response to the persistent gap in the likelihoods of attending college or university between people of lower income brackets and people of higher income brackets; it was

meant to increase enrollment for people who are underrepresented in higher education. Ontario students from households with incomes of $30,000 have a 38 per cent chance of attending college or university, while students from households with incomes of $110,000 have a 63 per cent chance. In Chapter V of the 2016 budget, the province proposed to discontinue tuition and education tax credits and reinvest that money in the renewed Ontario Student Grant or other education programs, stating that “grants are more effective than tax credits at targeting financial support to students with the greatest needs and providing support upfront.” The budget shows that the OSG could cover the costs of tuition for low-income individuals up to $6,610; statistics demonstrate that the average tuition is closer to $8,000. This gap is likely due to the primary use of arts and science programs; it does not accurately represent the tuition cost of professional programs with deregulated tuition.

Tuition continued on page 5

After discovering shortcomings in financial management, the University of St. Michael’s College (SMC) is investigating St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU). The college is working with an independent auditor to look into the union’s financial records. Stefan Slovak, Director of Communications, Events and Outreach at SMC, denied The Varsity’s request for comment as the investigation is still ongoing. Slovak referred The Varsity to SMC’s online statement, which partly reads: “In the course of our efforts to renew and improve campus life, we have discovered shortcomings in financial management at our student union (SMCSU)... This is an important effort as it relates to our core management values: transparency, accountability and adherence to best practices. The investigation is currently underway. As soon as the results are conclusive, we will disclose our findings.” SMCSU president Zachary Nixon also declined The Varsity’s request for an interview. SMCSU released a statement on Facebook, which says: “We’ve been working closely with the administration to make sure our financial reporting is improved and up to standard. We share the University’s values of trans-

parency, accountability and adherence to best practices. As such, the student union is acting in full cooperation with the investigation. As soon as the results are determined, we are convinced they’ll be released to the public. Both we and the administration share the goal of fostering a fully alive and vibrant student body.” Last year, the college withheld the fees that SMCSU collected from students through its levy. In February, SMC Dean of Students Duane Rendle told The Varsity in an email statement that the college withheld SMCSU’s funds twice — once for each semester — until it retained a chartered accountant for its audit and publicly announced its annual general meeting. “Once these requirements were met in November and January respectively, SMCSU’s funds were immediately released,” explained Rendle. The investigation began in mid-July; it is unclear when it will be completed. SMCSU is not the only college student society to experience difficulty with financial management. Last October, The Varsity reported that U of T had withheld student fees from the New College Student Council (NCSC) for failing to file an audited report for the 2013–2014 finances on time. The NCSC executive alleged there were instances of falsified information, destroyed documents, and misappropriated funds in the previous year.


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