Volume 2, Number 12, Sept. 7, 1976 University of Victoria
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"Nobody ever made a grammatical error in a non-literate society. Marshall McLuhan, The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographical Man (1962) Volume 2, Number 12, Sept. 7, 1976 University of Victoria 7,000 mark may fall Enrolment of undergraduates at UVic is expected to hurdle the 7,000 mark for the first time. Administrative Registrar Gordon Smiley estimates that 7,200 students will sit down to classes next week, which is nearly a 5 per cent increase over last year's official enrol- ment of 6,886. If this is the case, this will be the third successive year UVic has seen an increase in enrolment, all coming in a period when the university is hard-pressed for space and funds. Smiley said however, that this increase may not be as difficult to accommodate as the previous two jumps, the first of which was a staggering 899, with last year's being 400. This manf Ken Shields, represents He explained that the number of freshmen a revolutionary concept at UVic. He's the will be about the same, with the increases new coach of the UVic Vikings coming more in the senior years. "It's much basketball team, but he's also a UVic This is a new part of the UVic campus. And these are students wading into their studies. See employee and is teaching two credit page 11. (Continued on page 2) courses. Turn to Page 9 UVic administrators meet this fall to impair our academic programs unless our fee increases at a time when other costs job situation the way it is and the cost of examine the feasibility of increasing tuition income can be increased." faced by students are rising rapidly while housing and food so high, more and more fees, effective July 1, 1977, and Alma Mater summer and part-time employment oppor- students are already discovering they can't He explained that UVic's operating grant tunities remain poor," he told the student Society president Alistair Palmer is not increase for 1976-77 included a 9.8 per cent representatives. afford to be full-time students," he said. happy about it. increase in the regular operating grant and an He pointed out that student fees account "Any increase in tuition fees would be additional supplementary grant of 4.4 per Fees for full-time winter session under- for only 9.6 per cent of budget funds for the unfair and an increase of more than 25 per cent ($1,113,450). graduate students are $428 for 1976-77. Fees 1976-77 academic year while the provincial cent would be criminal," said Palmer after The supplemental grant was provided to for students enrolled full-time in the first two grant accounts for 88 per cent. receiving notification of the feasibility study offset 1975-76 salary annualization commit- years of graduate programs is $450. Fee for "Funds from fees are insignificant in terms from President Howard Petch. ments which did not become effective until the Faculty of Law is $506. of the total budget," he said. "Increasing In a letter to Pai.i.er and Albert Rydant, the 1976-77 academic year. Petch said UVic's undergraduate tuition them now is just not worth the problems it president of the Graduate Students Society, Petch said that since this supplemental fees haven't been raised since 1965 and are would cause." Petch explained that the move to consider grant was directed towards the salary now about the lowest in Canada. Palmer said UVic should be attempting to fee increases was made after UVic officials component of the budget, a continuing cost, Palmer said he realized it wasn't the cut expenditures rather than increasing were told by Education Minister Patrick the universities hoped that this fund would university's fault that the provincial govern- revenues. He said the university should look McGeer that a $1.1 million supplemental be considered a part of the base budget for ment wouldn't supply more funds for educa- at such areas as expense accounts and grant in the 1976-77 budget would not be 1977-78. tion. department spending. "Right now there's available for 1977-78. "However, Dr. McGeer has made it clear "But putting the crunch on students to no incentive for any department to save "It will be necessary for us to examine the that this will not be the case. The impact of solve the university's financial problems money," he said. "If they have money left at feasibility of increasing tuition fees to offset, his decision is that, as things stand now, we doesn't make any sense to me. Students are the end of the year it's lost forever so depart- at least in part, the loss of the provincial will enter the 1977-78 fiscal year with an already living on peanut butter and jam and ments try to spend every cent they get." supplementary grant," Petch told the effective reduction of 4.4 per cent in our an increase in tuition fees would be terrible." Petch said while budget limitations were student representatives. provincial operating grant." Palmer said if the provincial government severe for this year, with almost no net Representatives of UVic University of Petch said that it was in this context that does not provide more money for the increase in staff despite an increasing British Columbia and Simon Fraser University UVic officials were reluctantly considering universities a "vicious circle" will be created student enrolment, more drastic steps will met McGeer July 30 to discuss financial tuition fee increases. He said consideration with the universities raising fees and students likely have to be made for 1977-78. problems faced by the universities. would begin about mid-September and was then having to go to the government asking He said these steps could include a In the letter Petch said "many economies writing to student representatives to provide for increased financial aid. cutback on staff and such things as the have been introduced already this year but it them with the opportunity of submitting Palmer predicted that a sizeable fee limiting of purchases of laboratory equipment. appears budget cuts will have to be made for input on behalf of students. increase would force more full-time students "The situation is serious this year but it 1977-78 which are likely to be so drastic as to "I am sorry that we must consider tuition into becoming part-time students. "With the definitely looks much worse for 1977-78," . The Ring-Page 1 7000 mark (Continued from page 1) Study hailed easier to absorb increases in the upper PRESS OTTAWA levels." President Howard Petch, however, sees an as jump in the right enrolment hike in gloomier terms. FACULTY URGED "Because of our tight budget for this year, it will have a drastic effect on our teacher- Alarmed by a continuing decline in federal government support of university research, direction pupil ratio. We've had almost no net increase in staff. And things definitely look Dr. John Dewey, Dean of Academic Affairs, The provincial government has hired a top worse for next year." has urged faculty members to write personal consultant to study post-secondary research Smiley cautioned that his projections are letters to politicians. in British Columbia and UVic's Board of the outcome of "a sophisticated guessing "Many of us feel it is now time to take Governors is hoping that one result will be game", and that if UVic has a higher enrol- more direct political action," Dewey said in a increased financial support for university ment than predicted it definitely would be a letter to all members of faculty. research. difficult situation. Dewey said that as a result of a policy n Dr. Roger Gaudry of Montreal has been Part of any increase will be the openings of decision by the federal government there has asked to investigate the present level of the Schools of Social Welfare and Nursing been no significant increase in the support of research activity in B.C. and to tell us what and the expansion of the year-old Faculty of university research since 1969. research our universities and colleges should Law into its second year. "As a result of high inflation during the be doing to nourish economic growth in the Only a slight increase of graduate students past six years the effective support for province," Education Minister Patrick is anticipated. L.T. Ghobrial, director of university research funding by the National McGeer explained when he announced the Graduate Registration and Records, said 509 Research Council and Canada Council has appointment in July. graduates will be permitted to study, 12 more dropped to almost half during that period," than last year. he said. BOG chairman Joseph Cunliffe sees the "Canada now provides less support for Dewey: it's better in Italy appointment as "a very encouraging and research than any other developed country, positive sign." less for example than Italy or Finland, and will be stifling inasmuch as an essential President Howard Petch said the appoint- scarcely more than some underdeveloped ingredient, the innovative basis for new ment could mean "significant changes in countries such as India." consumer products, has been removed." support for research." Dewey is convinced that the problem is Pearce said there are hardly any examples Economic Development Minister Don not a matter of urgency for the government of 20th century innovations which are not Phillips called the appointment "an impor- Civil servants since all previous attempts to persuade the indebted to basic scientific thought. - tant first step in relating B.C.'s economic government to increase funding have been "Without the nuclear physicists and opportunities to its educational require- engineers at Chalk River there would be no ments." unsuccessful.