Engineering students to vote on 40% tuition increase
UMSU backs 1 of 2 ‘no’ campaigns
MICHAEL OLSON STAFF
PHOTO: TESSA VANDERHART
Students in the faculty of engineering have a major decision on their hands. On Mar. 6 and 7, students enrolled in the faculty of engineering will vote in a referendum to determine whether or not the faculty should raise tuition by nearly 40 per cent as soon as next September.
The decision to hold the referendum was made at the end of the University of Manitoba Engineering Society (UMES) council’s Feb. 21 meeting, which lasted nearly four hours.
According to a presentation made to council by engineering dean Douglas Ruth, the move for the fee increase has been made in response to the fact that the faculty of engineering’s debt, as of 2006, has amounted to $1.5 million. Roughly 20 per cent of the income generated by the proposed tuition surcharge would be used to cover the deficit.
Ruth said that the remaining finances would be utilized to hire more professors, more TAs, acquire new lab equipment, and to increase funding for academic bursaries.
“There’s not a lot of money wasted at the university,” said Ruth. “The problem is that the needed money just isn’t there.”
If the faculty’s financial deficit were to remain unabated, engineering could face the possibility of losing its accreditation. Losing accreditation would mean that the faculty of engineering would not be able to grant degrees to graduating students.
The proposed increase, from $104 to $144 per credit hour, would only affect undergraduate engineering courses. In total, students would be paying approximately $1,000 extra STAFFeach year.
There are currently about 1,100 students enrolled in the faculty of engineering at the U of M.
If the students vote in favour of the referendum, the proposal to do so will then be taken to the university’s Board of Governors. Next, the proposed increase would be taken to Diane McGifford, minister of advanced education, to decide whether or not to override the tuition fee freeze and grant the proposal.
In establishing the precedent that allowed other U of M faculties like management and law to increase tuition, McGifford set out five criteria for breaking the tuition fee freeze: the tuition increase must not reduce students’ accessibility to engineering; it must not harm the labour market in Manitoba; the program must have a high graduation rate; the program must have high cost and quality requirements; and students must show support for the proposed increase.
As was outlined at the UMES council meeting by Ruth, the faculty’s financial problems cannot be solved directly by its own means. Therefore, the faculty requested that UMES find out if students would support a proposal to raise tuition.
“We just can’t support what students deserve and need,” said Ruth. “We’re treading water right now.”
Not everyone is in support of the move to increase tuition. On Feb. 15, engineering students approached the University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) asking what action they could take against tuition increases, according to UMSU vice-president (external), Rachel Gotthilf. Subsequently, they officially formed Engineers Against Tuition Hikes (EAT Hikes). The group, which currently has about 20 to 25 members, issued a petition against the tuition hikes for engineering students.
“Right now, we’re asking for them to postpone the referendum because we are expected to get some money from the government soon,” said Parneet Mavi of EAT Hikes. “If we have the referendum beforehand, the government is not pressurized enough.”
At its Feb. 22 meeting, UMSU council was asked to consider a motion to oppose the referendum. The motion presented read: “Be it further resolved that UMSU actively campaign in opposition to a tuition fee increase in the Faculty of Engineering.” The amended motion went on to state: “UMSU Council urges the UMES to join with UMSU in applying pressure to the Provincial and Federal governments to increase funding for more affordable post-secondary education.”
“So what that means is that as of last night [Feb. 22], UMSU has been directed to organize a ‘no’ campaign,” said Gotthilf,.
UMSU and CFS are working with EAT Hikes by registering the protest group’s official website, eathikes.ca. In response, students in favour of the referendum have set up their own website, heckyes.ca. In addition, the UMES-affiliated “yes” campaign has a website at saveengineering.ca.
“I am somewhat concerned about UMSU’s interference in this undergraduate engineering student referendum, given their decision to actively campaign against the proposed surcharge,” said Steve Woodrow, senior stick of UMES. “But I hope that engineering students will look at all of the facts surrounding the referendum and make a decision that’s right for them.”
According to Gotthilf, UMSU believes that the move for a referendum is being made too quickly.
“We don’t understand what the rush is to have the referendum because the university has no idea how much money we’re getting next year,” said Gotthilf. “Also the university’s budget has not been finalized yet, and there are a lot of misplaced priorities in the university.”
EAT Hikes remains uncertain as to what the outcome of the referendum will be.
“We’re not sure yet, but hopefully we will be able to make people more aware,” said Mavia. “I think it will be pretty close.”
As of Feb. 24, both EAT Hikes and Canadian Engineering Students Vote No will be campaigning for the “no” side; Tech Socs for Improving Engineering and Save Engineering will be campaigning on the “yes” side.
During the Feb. 21 meeting, following the approval of holding a referendum, UMES council members proposed that engineering students stage their own spin on the day of action and hold a protest at the Manitoba legislature. However, the planned protest will be given an original name so as not to be confused with the CFS National Day of Action, a nation-wide campaign for lower tuition through increased government funding.
“We’ve got a lot of ideas for ways of showing the university and provincial government that we’re not satisfied with the level of funding that has been provided to our faculty, and we’re currently working on selecting the best and most feasible ideas,” said Woodrow.
UMES plans to request engineering’s faculty council to grant a day off so that more students may participate in the protest. Also, UMES plans to invite the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of Manitoba — which professional engineers in Manitoba must legally be a member of to practice — to participate in the request of increased financial support for the faculty of engineering.
The results of the referendum will be ratified on March 8.
With files from Jenelle Petrinchuk and Dylan Ferguson
