CFS Prepares For The Year Ahead

Delegates assemble for provincial CFS meeting

JENELLE PETRINCHUK STAFF

CFS delegates discuss approach for upcoming year. PHOTO: JENELLE PETRINCHUK

The Canadian Federation of Students — of which all University of Manitoba students are a member — held its Manitoba semi-annual general meeting on August 20, 2006 at the U of M campus.

Approximately 35 delegates from the province’s higher education institutions attended, including two members of CFS from the head office in Ottawa: Ian Boyko, CFS campaigns and government relations coordinator and CFS national chair Amanda Aziz. This number also includes a handful of students who do not hold an official position in CFS and attended for general interest.

The day started out with two workshops, the first conducted by Ian Boyko. Boyko’s presentation focused mainly on the differences between private and public schools and even more so, on the benefits of a university degree aside from earning a higher income, which he said was an overhyped reason to attend a post-secondary institution.

“[Attending university or college] is clearly a benefit to the individual . . . but it has been grossly exaggerated by those who are advocating for higher tuition fees,” said Boyko.

He added that student debt is holding graduates back more and more because of the high cost of postsecondary education and suggested focusing on the social benefits of a degree such as lower unemployment rates, a healthier population, and lower crime rates.

“Those who have been exposed to a greater diversity of people [while attending a post-secondary institution] tend to have a better tolerance for diversity,” said Boyko, adding to his list of social benefits.

Boyko said during his presentation that one of the reasons for the rise in tuition fees is because the federal government made massive cuts to their contribution of post-secondary education in the 1990s. It is now putting more pressure on provincial governments. Aziz also noted that these cutbacks also lead to an increased reliance on tuition fees.

“It’s not necessarily how rich the province is, it’s where they put their priorities,” said Boyko.

The second workshop, which focused on the tuition freeze and funding for education, was presented by Aziz and Stacy Senkbeil, CFS provincial chair. They went over in great detail the history of Manitoba’s tuition fee freeze, what has been happening since the freeze, and the next steps that CFS plans to take.

Aziz said that universities have been inflating budget requests, though “We’re not denying that universities need more funding.”

Loopholes in the freeze were also discussed, such as international differential fee hikes, ancillary fee increases and “sham services used to justify hikes.”

Guest speaker John Doyle from the Manitoba Federation of Labour also spoke to the delegates on unions and working together for a cause.

“There is a need to form coalitions, and coalitions don’t form by themselves . . . It’s really important that you as the CFS make contact with each other. It’s an active process. The word passive should be dropped out of your dictionary . . . it’s hard work, but at the end of the day it’s worth it,” said Doyle.

A plenary agenda followed which included preparing for elections, press reviews, a review of campaigns and government relations strategy, membership issues and financial issues of the CFS.