University Briefs

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Female-only hours at the Ryerson University gym

UBC gets a boost for speech pathology masters program

The University of British Columbia has received increased funding from the provincial government toward its Masters of Science in Speech Pathology program.

The $2.475 million initial investment will allow for 13 spots to be added to the existing 23 by 2016, with another $932,000 for the program yearly. The reasoning behind the bump in funding is that it will address the need for speech therapists in northern and rural BC, where these experts have been scarce in the past.

With files from The Ubyssey

Saskatchewan universities see large tuition increases

Universities in the province of Saskatchewan have seen the highest tuition increases in Canada this academic year, according to a recent Statistics Canada report. The changes will affect students at both undergraduate and graduate levels, with four per cent and 5.2 per cent increases respectively.

The tuition fees for undergraduate students in Saskatchewan has increased from $6,402 to $6,659 this academic year, making it the second highest in Canada, with Ontario in the top spot with an average fee of $7,539.

Ernie Barber, interim provost and VP academic of U of S explained, “Despite the fact that Stats Canada reported that we had the highest increase, that doesn’t mean that we have the highest tuition. Our tuition fees, even with the increases, are about where we intended them to be set.”

With files from The Sheaf

Female-only gym hours introduced at Ryerson

Ryerson University is attempting to reduce feelings of discomfort in their campus recreation facilities by instituting female-only gym times for places such as the campus pool, weight rooms, and various studios.

The pilot project was launched after a survey of female students found a large portion of participants wanted women-only hours. As of September 18, the number of women using the facilities had increased by seven times. U of T and York University have implemented similar initiatives in past years.

With files from The Ryersonian

9 COMMENTS

  1. If you’re new to the Vancouver area, consider checking Craigslist for used furniture (Craigslist is more commonly used in Greater Vancouver than Kijiji). You’ll be able to furnish your apartment or dorm for less than you’d spend at Ikea – you might even get some free items!

  2. Tell us how much they were making before the roll back. That way we can make an informed decision. Teamsters have a habit of demanding more than businesses can afford and would sooner see a company shut down rather than negotiate a comparable contract to others in the same business. Give us the facts if you want support.

    • More than businesses can afford?!?! So that their President, Peter Agnefjall can get that yacht he always wanted? So that he can get the third house on the beach in Maui?!?! I mean surely we can’t expect multi-millionaires to sacrifice such things for their employees to have a liveable wage! These workers are greedy!!! I mean seriously IKEA only made close to $60000000000 in revenue last year! How can they afford to pay fair wages!!

    • Some of us – those who had been there for 20 years plus – were making close to $20 or just over. The majority of the workers are part-timers who make between minimum wage and $13 with no guarantee of hours. To clarify; we aren’t asking for more money, just the chance to reach top wage in under 9 years and to retain our benefits and benefit entitlement. There are other issues, but those are the main ones.

  3. you can find amazing deals through thrift stores, garage sales, etc. I got our new-to-us solid wood dresser for $20. Can’t beat that kind of pricing, and you always feel like you are on a treasure hunt!

  4. Workers who earn a living wage form a significant tax and consumption base in the economy, that everyone benefits from. If wages decline in real terms, eventually the workers will become net consumers of rather than net contributors to public welfare. Ikea has paid a living wage in this market for decades, and does so in many markets around the world. They should continue to do so.

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