RESIDENCE FEES INCREASE

Magally Zelaya, staff

Students living in residence can expect average increases of 1.5 to five per cent in room and board rates for the 2008-09 academic year.

Recommendations to increase room rates by five per cent in Arthur V. Mauro and by four per cent in Taché Hall, Mary Speechly Hall and University College were approved by the Board of Governors last week.

Increases of 4.5 per cent to the 10 meals per week, 15 meals per week, and unlimited meal plans for students in Speechly and Taché were also approved.

Declining balance rates for Speechly, Taché, and University College were not changed.

“It’s a normal thing, there’s almost never a year when things stay stagnant,” said Daryl Lucyk, general manager of Aramark higher education.

He attributed the increase to an anticipated cost of food — especially wheat, an increase in minimum wage, an upcoming increase of 2.5 per cent to the Canadian Auto Worker union members that make up some of the food service staff, and the rising cost of oil, which he said delivery companies are now accounting for in a fuel tax.

“We haven’t raised our rates probably enough to cover it,” said Lucyk.

As for residence, Joe Danis, director of housing and student life, attributed the increase to rising salaries, infrastructure needs, and costs of utilities.

“We also factor in necessary increases and upgrades to information technology,” said Danis.

He said that the increases occur annually and vary between three and eight per cent.

Amanda Bell, a second-year university 1 student and the University 1 student council president, who lives in Mary Speechly Hall, is concerned about the increases.

“It’s horrible,” she said. “The prices are already way too expensive, and we don’t get nearly as much stuff as we need.”

“Last year, my heat didn’t get turned on,” she said. “My mom had to call, and they had to bring somebody in because the heat wasn’t working, and I had ice growing in my room.”

Students living in Arthur V. Mauro without a meal plan currently pay the least amount at $4,989. With an increase of five per cent next year, students will pay $ 5,238.

At the top end, students living in Mary Speechly and taking part in the most expensive meal plan, the seven-day unlimited, currently pay $7,797. With a 3.7 per cent increase these students will now pay $8,089 for eight months of room and board.

The smallest increase will occur in University College as those students will see not changes to their meal plan rates.

A student living in a “super single” in University College with the premium membership meal plan will pay $7,052 next year, up from $6,951 — an increase of 1.5 per cent overall.

Bell, who said she enjoys living in residence for the convenience and the social aspect, is unsure what she will do next year now that the rates have been increased.

“I can’t go back to rez because I can’t afford it,” she said.

Rachel Heinrichs, UMSU vice-president (advocacy), said that monthly rates as high as $1,000 are unaffordable for many students.

“I would argue that $1,000 a month is out of the range of most individual students, and that just means that students are graduating with much higher debt,” she said.

“Residence is often people’s first choice but that is an extremely high premium and it means that a lot of lower income students are definitely not able to stay in residence.”

In data provided to the Board of Governors, the U of M was ranked fourth in a list of nine other Canadian universities in a comparison of suite style room rates for the 2007-08 year.

The three universities listed with higher rates were Western university at $5,550, McMaster University at $5,805, and Windsor University at $5,961.

The U of M $4,989 rate topped the university of Calgary’s rate of $4,665 and Simon Fraser University’s rate of $4,448.

“The cost of living in Calgary is like twice as much,” said Bell. “And they’re paying less in rez fees than we are, which is ridiculous.”

Bell said she would like to see the administration make room and board more affordable for students who don’t have another option.

She added, “I just don’t think the university cares. They don’t care about us. We’re giving them their money.”