Home Blog Page 1354

B.C. post-secondary has fastest rising tuition dependency

By
EIC
-
0

B.C. universities have the fourth lowest tuition in Canada, and are the third most dependent on tuition
By Micki Cowan

 

VANCOUVER (CUP) — When it comes to depending on tuition to fund universities, B.C. is now the third most tuition-reliant province in the country, following Ontario and Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada data shows that, in the past decade, tuition has come to account for 40.3 per cent of funding for B.C. universities, up from just over 25 per cent in 1999, according to the Canadian Association of University Teachers’ (CAUT) 2012-2013 Almanac of Post-Secondary Education. This marks the largest increase in tuition dependency of any province in Canada during that timespan.

While B.C. is still the province with the fourth-lowest tuition in Canada, responsibility is increasingly being put on the student, rather than the government, to fund post-secondary education.

John Yap, the newly appointed Minister of Advanced Education, said that for the province of B.C., there isn’t yet enough government money available to reduce the dependence on tuition. “In an ideal world, we’d find ways to increase affordability,” said Yap. “Maybe the timing is not right in terms of the funding available.”

The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a group that lobbies for lower tuition, says that B.C. needs to take measures to ensure the trend doesn’t continue. They hope B.C. can instead follow the example set by other Canadian provinces that have reduced their dependence on tuition fees — some by nearly 50 per cent in the past 10 years.

“What we’re seeing is an offloading of a public service onto a student demographic,” said CFS B.C. chairperson Katie Marocchi. “Other provinces, such as Newfoundland, have been taking measures to make sure post-secondary education is affordable, and we advocate for the province of B.C. to do so as well.”

Newfoundland decreased its dependency on tuition from 30 per cent in 1999 to 15.9 per cent in 2009. The prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba also reduced their dependency by about five per cent in the past 10 years.

Melanie Greene, a doctoral candidate studying post-secondary education at Memorial University of Newfoundland, said part of Newfoundland’s success story has to do with their unique position of only having a handful of publicly funded post-secondary institutions in the province.

But she also credits a provincial government push to increase access to higher education in 1999 that resulted in an ongoing tuition freeze. As a result, Newfoundland remains the province with the lowest tuition in the country aside from Quebec, whose low tuition rates only apply to residents of the province.

Student support has played a part in the continuation of Newfoundland’s freeze as well, says Greene. “Every time there is a budget coming through, we’re always pushing for a continued tuition [freeze].”

But the example set by Newfoundland is not likely to be mimicked here in the near future, as Minister Yap said he plans to focus on offering grants, rather than reducing tuition, in order to make university more affordable.

Marocchi thinks drastic action, such as freezing tuition entirely, is required to reverse this trend, or else more people in B.C. may decide against pursuing higher education.

“One of the biggest restrictions of people choosing not to get a post-secondary degree is financial reasons. People aren’t in the position where they can pay up front or don’t want to put themselves in a position of massive amounts of debt,” said Marocchi.

“There is an entire demographic that will be less likely to acquire a post-secondary education.”

SFU students work on children’s book application

By
EIC
-
0

Four SIAT students with Kibooco Interactive help create a creative computer application

By Graham Cook

A team at the Vancouver-based company Kibooco Interactive, which includes a number of current students and recent grads of Simon Fraser University, has used the power of thinking like a child to create a computer application. The Kibooco Workshop allows children to create and customize their own book using redesigned tools most commonly found on more advanced designing software.
The portion of the team with connections to SFU includes: the technical lead Nathan Sorenson, who graduated with a Master’s of Science in Interactive Art and Technology in 2011; programmer and developer David Choy, who earned his Bachelor’s from SIAT in 2009; usability lead and current IAT PhD student Allen Bevans; and SIAT Media Arts student Allison Koberstein, who was hired on through the Co-Operative education program.
Allen Bevans began working with Kibooco in November of last year during his internship that puts Master’s and PhD students into positions with local in companies. He spoke with The Peak about the project stating that “we reimagined the common Photoshop tools . . . we took the stuff that we learned from Photoshop, like the arrow picks something up, the back button undoes an action . . . the paint bucket is used to fill out a space.” They evaluated which concepts children could grasp to make it easy to use.
Bevans also said that co-founders Molly Schneeberg and Earl Hong Tai had stated that they looked at applicants from other institutions such as Emily Carr University, B.C. Institute of Technology, and Capilano University, but were generally more impressed with the SIAT program at SFU.
One unusual approach to finding mistakes prior to the launch was enlisting children from a local centre to act as testers. “We were working with the kids and they were testing different versions of the interface,” said Bevans. “Getting feedback, seeing what things they struggled with.” They pointed out aspects of the product that would not have been noticed by more mature users.
Allen Bevans said that Kibooco is hoping to launch a basic form of the product sometime later this fall. In this version, users will be able to make things like mugs, t-shirts, and calendars that they can order in time for the holidays. The full book-making application will most likely be accessible sometime in the next year. One reason for the delay, he said, was that they “want to see how well things translate from the computer to the product because [they] are not relying on any single third party.”

Labour update

By
EIC
-
0

By Graham Cook

Local 3338 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees represents around 1,200 workers, the majority of which are at SFU campuses. It is comprised of seven bargaining units including employees of SFU, CUPW Vancouver, Highland Pub, Higher Grounds, The Ladle, SFSS, the GSS, and SFPIRG.

Following a strike vote that was held from Sept. 25–27, CUPE’s support workers at Simon Fraser University have voted in favour of strike action. The 78 per cent strike mandate was tallied on Sept. 28, and represents union frustration regarding job security, inflation protection, and wages. 72-hour strike notice at the B.C. Labour Board is required before taking job action.

 

The Teaching Support Staff Union represents Teaching Assistants, Tutor Markers, Sessional Instructors, and Language Instructors at Simon Fraser University. In June of this year the Union held a strike vote and were given a 90 per cent strike mandate by their membership, putting them in the legal position to take job action. The main issues are wages, a centralized job posting system, equality for ELC instructors, improvements for T.A.s and T.M.s, integrating sessional instructors, and improved working environment.

On Sept. 20, the TSSU made the decision to serve strike notice to Simon Fraser University. At 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 27, the Union served 72-hour strike notice to SFU President Andrew Petter’s office. Job action will begin on Monday, Oct. 1, and the first step will be a ban on overtime with further action to follow. This move comes after 26 months at the bargaining table. In a media release, the TSSU’s spokesperson Derek Sahota stated that their goal is a collective agreement rather than a picket line.

 

– Graham Cook

SFU professor explores the longevity of the Occupy movement

By
EIC
-
0

Stephen Collis believes that Occupy is still going strong, and may ultimately change our entire society

By Alison Roach

Stephen Collis, an associate professor of English at SFU, has written a new book that explores the Occupy movement and the philosophical question of how our society affects social, economic, and political change. Last year, Collis was awarded the Shadbolt Fellowship after he presented a plan for a book that was more philosophically concerned about the history of change, but then the Occupy movement happened, and Collis saw the opportunity to look at his subject through this new lens. He says, “The book was sort of an accident in a way.”

The final product, titled Dispatches from the Occupation: A History of Change, was published in mid-August of this year, and is comprised of blogs and short essays Collis wrote while the Occupy movement was happening, as well as critical reflections of change as a larger concept. The book is heralded in its description as a collection of “short manifestos, theoretical musings, and utopian proposals.” Collis explained that his goal was to help the people involved in the Occupy movement understand the issues facing us now as a society, and to realize that these issues all stem from a larger problem. Collis said, “I think what Occupy did to people was represent that it’s all part of one big puzzle. . . . The whole system is built on inequality.”

Collis himself was an active member of the Occupy movement, making his way to downtown Vancouver every day of the occupation, and was recently interviewed by CBC’s The National for his involvement and opinion of the lasting power of Occupy. He believes that the movement left a lasting impact here, that “it introduced a bunch of people to activism and social movement that weren’t involved before.” Many of these activists still meet regularly in groups to discuss the issues that gave birth to Occupy, like, according to Collis, a “lame-duck” government in B.C., a government that favours privatization over public programs, and the fact that corporate profits are at a 50-year high, while wages are at a 50-year low for starters. These groups include the Environment Justice group, Food Not Bombs, and The People’s Library.

Of the people who were involved in Occupy and continue their involvement today, Collis said he was pleasantly surprised and excited that the majority were younger people in their 20s. He said, “I think it’s young people and university students who should be the most concerned,” and cited the fact that Canada — a nation not currently involved in any foreign conflicts — has a $25 billion military budget, while taking only $5 billion away from that would be enough to pay for every student’s tuition in the country. Collis spoke specifically of Brigette DePape, a 23-year-old who participated in the Canadian Senate Page Program, and stood up during the Throne Speech in the Senate silently holding a sign that said “Stop Harper.” Collis has heard DePape speak as an activist and says of the young woman, “She could be prime minister right now as far as I’m concerned.” For him, the idea of an apathetic millennial generation was completely abolished.

For now, Collis is interested in the future of the Occupy movement. He commends the idea of Occupy being leaderless, but said that “at the end of the day, you need to get organized . . . build structures that help you stay organized, but don’t create hierarchical problems.” The Occupy Vancouver movement has taken on a rolling, nomadic life, with pop-up occupations still occurring in the city. With a utopic vision, Collis hopes that the final outcome of Occupy will be a society very different from the one we live in today. He envisions a society based on the “commons” — all the regular people of the world.  Collis said, “I’d like to see a movement raising consciousness about the common, the importance of the shared, and that protects the common. . . . To me, it’s a simple idea.”

Environmental Economist one of Canada’s Clean50

By
EIC
-
0


Mark Jaccard receives award for his work in sustainability

By Graham Cook

When it comes to environmental sustainability, SFU is still represented by members of its community such as Mark Jaccard, a professor for environmental economics who is being recognized for his dedication to sustainable development and clean capitalism in 2013’s Clean50 list.

Delta Management, a boutique search firm with a vested interest in sustainability, selected Jaccard, along with 49 other leaders from a number of fields. The Clean50 are carefully selected from over 500 candidates spanning over multiple disciplines.

“I appreciate being recognized for my efforts to combine training of the next generation of experts with my climate policy advisory work for governments and my public engagement,” Jaccard told SFU media.

Jaccard is no stranger to accolades. In 2007 he was given the President’s Award at SFU for media. In 2008, the Confederation of University Faculty Associations named him B.C.’s academic of the year. He has also received awards for his various writings, has served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that collectively received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and been awarded The Nora and Ted Sterling Award to honour work that has provoked or contributed to the discussion of controversy. Jaccard’s accomplishments were also recognized by Corporate Knights, which named him a category leader in their supplementary Clean16 segment.

Jaccard’s profile on the Clean50 webpage elaborates on some of the work that contributed to his nomination. “For 25 years, Mark has combined his international experiences in energy and environment analysis and policy with his training of graduate students. Most recently, he served as convening lead author for the sustainable energy policy in the Global Energy Assessment, which was released at the Rio Earth Summit in 2012 after five years of international collaboration among the world’s leading energy researchers.”

Jaccard will accept his award at the 2013 Clean50 Summit in Toronto

Iran embassy closure has big implications for Iranian students in Canada

By
EIC
-
0

International students from Iran are still waiting to find out if they will continue their education in Canada

By Erin Hudson

MONTREAL (CUP) – After suspending diplomatic relations with Iran, Iranian students studying in Canada are still waiting on directives from Ottawa as to how, or if, they will be able to continue their studies.

According to the Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE), about 4,000 Iranian students are affected by the government’s decision.

The CBIE, an association representing 150 Canadian universities and colleges, is spearheading lobbying efforts to obtain information from the government on future steps for Iranian students seeking consular services formerly provided through Canada’s Iranian embassy. Such services include passport and study permit renewals, documentation to exempt male Iranian students from mandatory military service, and money transfers.

“At this point we haven’t gotten too much by way of official notifications on government websites or anything like that,” said Jennifer Humphries, vice-president of membership, public policy, and communications at CBIE.

“We’ve been seeking some answers from the Canadian government [but] so far we don’t have any sense that this could be done anywhere but in Iran itself which could be a serious difficulty and impediment for students here,” she continued.

A statement from the executives of the McGill Iranian Students Association (MISA) said that students were shocked by the Canadian government’s sudden decision and many are confused as to the legal processes they must now undergo to obtain travel and immigration documents.

“When the Canadian government announced this closure, [we] don’t think they were thinking of the 400,000 registered citizens, Iranian-Canadians, who need consular services. But on top of that, there is a great number of temporary study permit holders like the students,” said MISA executives in a statement.

“Students are already under a lot of stress because of financial problems back home and other things, and this is on top of that.”

Many institutions provide emergency financial aid for students unable to access funds in the aftermath of a situation such the closure of the Iranian embassy, said Humphries.

“Students are worried,” said Pauline L’Ecuyer, director of International Student Services at McGill. The ISS held a meeting with Iranian students last week to hear their concerns and attempt to address them.

“The bottom line is really about the issuance of passports for Iranian students, and that is something that the Canadian government can certainly not do on behalf of the Iranian government,” she said.

According to an email from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, the responsibility to “look after” Iranian citizens in Canada rests with the Iranian government. With the Canadian government’s approval, Iran could designate a “protecting power” to another state, entrusting this third party with managing Iran’s Canadian embassy, its property, archives and the interests of Iranians in Canada.

Humphries, however, believes the Canada can take action to address the situation of Iranian students both in and out of Canada. The first action item according to her would be the appointment of temporary duty assignments to the Canadian embassy in Ankara, Turkey, where student visas have been processed since January 2012.

“In terms of students coming in [to Canada] now and trying to have their permits processed through Ankara, our understanding is that there is a bit of a problem,” Humphries said.

She attributed the problem in Ankara to a backlog of files that could be addressed by more personnel tasked with helping to clear the documents and assist in increasing turn around times.

“According to my colleagues, there was some temporary assistance provided earlier in the summer but it would be timely to add some assistance now, because those students are definitely already missing classes,” Humphries said.

In response to concerns of renewals of documentation like passports, Humphries said the CBIE is hoping the Canadian government will take a flexible approach to potentially bypassing Tehran.

“If there could be some flexibility in extensions of study permits until such time as a system is worked out, that would be really great,” she said.

The suspension of Canadian-Iranian relations also has implications for staffing in universities across Canada. A significant number of Iranian students studying in Canada are graduate students who often occupy positions as research and teaching assistants, Humphries explained.

“So if programs were planning on having [Iranian graduate students] becomes T.A.s, there’s a real gap they’re facing now,” she continued. “This is definitely going to be an issue for the universities and particularly for the universities with large graduate programs.”

She noted the University of Alberta, University of Waterloo, McGill University and Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal as post-secondary institutions particularly concerned by the situation facing Iranian graduate students.

University Briefs

By
EIC
-
0

By Alison Roach

Wilfred Laurier team suspended for hazing

The entire men’s baseball team at Wilfred Laurier University was suspended after it was discovered that they participated in hazing, specifically an incident involving alcohol. The suspension lasted for four games, forcing the team to forfeit two games against the Western Mustangs and two against the Waterloo Warriors. The members of the team were required to make a presentation for athletic director Peter Baxter, interuniversity sport coordinator Wally Gabler, and vice president of Student Affairs David McMurray. It was decided that the team will be allowed to play out the rest of the season.

 

University of Saskatchewan students protest deportation

Two Nigerian students who attend the University of Regina are facing deportation after violating the terms of their study permits by working off-campus jobs. Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi both accepted jobs at a Regina Wal-Mart, unaware of the restriction. Both were later arrested by agents of the Canadian Border Services Agency. The women have taken sanctuary in a church in Regina where they have been avoiding a deportation order. U of S group “Students in Solidarity” have started a Facebook group and a petition to keep the two women in the country, with over 200 signatures collected so far.

 

Quebecís planned tuition hikes abolished

Recently elected Premier of Quebec Pauline Marois has decided to put a stop to the planned tuition hikes that sparked the seven-month-long student strike in the province this past academic year. This move marks the end of the tense coalition between student federations FECQ and FEUQ and the association CLASSE, who have collaborated despite historic tensions. Marois decided to abolish both the tuition hike and the controversial Law 12, an act aimed to put students back in the classroom. This marks Marois following through on a campaign promise she made for the September election.

The Big Fair

By
EIC
-
0

The peak covers SFU`s Big Fair hosted by Work Integrated Learning. We talked to some of the career and volunteer figures, as well student volunteers and employers.

Created: Julian Giordano

Score: Broke for Free

Special thanks:
Work Integrated Learning
Jeremy Mamisoa
and all the volunteers

Clan clipped by Crusaders, cruise passed Cougars

By
EIC
-
0

By Bryan Scott
Photos by Mark Britch

 

Clan lose first game since 2010, win second game

The Simon Fraser men’s soccer team ran into unfamiliar territory on Sept. 15, they lost for the first time since Nov. 21, 2010. The Northwest Nazarene Crusaders ended the Clan’s 24 game unbeaten streak, winning the game at Terry Fox Field, 2–1. “It’s great to have tied the GNAC record for consecutive unbeaten games, but it’s very disappointing not to get the three points today,” said Clan head coach Alan Koch.

It seemed as though the bounces were going against the Clan, as they fired four shots in the first 10 minutes of the game, including a shot off the post. The game remained scoreless for the entire first half; the shots were close at 7–5.

The Clan dominated the shot column at 15–5 in the second half, but not the scoreboard. In the 71st minute, the Crusaders buried their first goal on a scramble in the box. They added their second goal in the 87th minute. Clan midfielder Chris Bargholz managed to knock in a header off a Carlo Basso pass in the 89th minute, but it wasn’t enough. The Crusaders goaltender Alfredo Ontiveros made five saves in the second half alone to keep the lead safe.

The Clan must have learned from their lessons against the Crusaders, because they came out flying against the University of Sioux Falls Cougars. Once again the Clan pummeled the opposing goalie with shots, but still come up scoreless at the end of the first half. This trend wouldn’t last long, as the Clan scored three goals in four minutes to start the second half. After the cougars broke the shutout in the 57th minute, the Clan added more goals to win 5–1. This game also saw four yellow cards, with only one going to SFU.

Splitting this week’s games means the Clan are 6–1 on the season and 2–1 in conference play. The Clan’s next stop is Bismarck, ND to take on the University of Mary Marauders.

Clan gets lumberjacked in Humbolt State

By
EIC
-
0

By Bryan Scott

 

SFU football loses second straight, fall to 1–2

The Simon Fraser Clan football team traveled to Arcata, CA on Sept. 15 to take on the Humbolt State Lumberjacks. The Lumberjacks are the defending champions of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and are currently ranked 11th in all of Division II football. After conceding the game’s first touchdown at 9:27 of the first quarter, and then another at 13:58 of the second quarter, it didn’t look good for the clan. Clan quarterback Trey Wheeler connected with tight end Jamal Kett less than two minutes later to pull the Clan out of the depths. Bo Palmer managed to pound in a touchdown before the half, and the Clan only trailed by one score going into the second half, 21–14.

The Lumberjacks scored again in the third quarter, but failed to convert. Wheeler tossed a pass to freshman offensive lineman Tanner Davenport-Thuet to pull the Clan within the smallest margin of the game. Unfortunately, the offense started to break down late in the third quarter and early into the fourth. Wheeler threw four interceptions over this time, including a pick six that all but ended the Clan’s hopes of a comeback. Wheeler finished the game 34–57 with 310 yards and two touchdowns, but the four turnovers late were costly.

“I’m proud of the way our guys played,” said head coach Dave Johnson in a media release. “[Humbolt] is one of the best teams in the country and until we made some mistakes late, we had them. We came in and played physical. We’ve seen their stuff, we know what they run, and our guys gave them all they could handle.” The loss drops them to 1–2 on the season.

The next game for the Clan will take them to Monmouth, OR to take on the Western Oregon Wolves. The Clan will need to be on their best game to win, as the Wolves are still winless in 2012 and will be hungry. In the 2011 season, it was the Wolves who won the season series 2–0 with a 35–28 on the road and taking it to the Clan 34–10 at home.

1...1,3531,3541,355...1,430Page 1,354 of 1,430

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024