Metro Universities React to Cuts

NEWS -t Registrar's office at a loss over forged profs' signatures, p.3. ARTS -t Former Kids in the Hall writer Paul Bellini strips down, p.8. SPORTS -t Bump, set, spike! Women's volleyball cleans up, p.13. \'~1: 12&,1\;o ~ 11 DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY, HALIFAX, N.S. Thursday, November 30, 1995 12 per cent Metro universities react to cuts tuition hikes BY SAM MCCAIG recommended The seven metro universities have teamed up to cut costs and pres To increase revenues, Dalhousie's sure the federal and provincial Budget Advisory Council (BAC) IX governments to moderate report, released on Nov. 2 7, "is upcoming budget cuts. recommending an additional 2 Over four years, the Metro per cent general increase in tui Halifax Universities Consortium tion fees beyond the BAC III rec plans to save $17 million through ommendation of 10 per cent." the centralization of administra "In addition to the 12 per cent tive services and the non-replace general increase in all tuition fees, ment of academic staff. the BAC is recommending addi A working draft of the Consor tional increases of $13 5 per stu tium's proposal was released to dent in the Faculty of Arts and the Halifax university community Social Sciences, and $100 per stu on November 21. Two days later, dent for undergraduate Public Ad Dalhousie president Tom Traves ministration and Commerce addressed a crowd of approxi programs," the BAC wrote. mately 500 students, faculty, staff. and concerned onlookers in the CONSORTIUM MEMBERS Mcinnes room of the Student Union Building (SUB). Atlantic School of Theology, 'L\ll we have is a proposal for Dalhousie University, University the government... we want to limit of King's College, Mount Saint government cutbacks to sustain Vincent University, Nova Scotia able levels ... [but] the government College of Art and Des1gn (NSCAD). has the final decision," he said. Before the cuts ... After the cuts? Saint Mary's University (SMU). "We're encouraged that we can Technical University of Nova limit the damage." Scotia (TUNS) The "damage," according to a predicted by the BAC. Metro uni million of that will be through over the next three years from the report released by Dalhousie's versities' share of this reduction academic change. This includes centralizing of administrative PROJECTED CUTS TO DAL Budget Advisory Committee wo uld be $17 million . $5 million in savings "from the services, such as computer serv (BAC) Ia t Monday, will be fund "Dal will lose $10 to 11 mil non-replacement of faculty ices, financial services, and physi- According to ... ing cuts of up to $46.3 million lion over three years instead of through normal and early retire . cal plant. over the next three years for Nova $20 million [if the Consortium ments, resignations and other The Dalhousie Board of Gov The Budget Advisory Council: Scotia universities. The BAC proposal is accepted]," said vacancies." Another $5 million in ernors approved the Consortium $19.8M over 3 years projects that funding by the prov Traves. "academic savings ... will be iden plan in principle last Tuesday. The ince will decline from $19 5. 4 In total. savings of up to $17 tified over the course of the plan." proposal will be presented to Edu The Consortium: $1 0 to 11M over 3 years million this year to $149.1 mil million over three years are pre The Consortium predicts sav cation Minister John MacEachern lion in 1998-99. dicted by the Consortium. $10 ings of the remaining $7 million on December 1. The Consortium, however, ex pects a "system-wide goal of $171 million of provincial funding by 1998-99." The BAC projects that cuts to DSU questions Consortium proposal Dalhousie's operating budget will total $19.8 million over the same BY MILTON HOWE rationalising." three years. This is a drop to "If we don't want to merge, we $63.7 million in 1998-99, from This week, the seven Halifax uni "I don't think students- n1aybe are going to have to reduce the $83.5 million this year- a cut versities unveiled their business amount of programs. And some of 25.9 per cent. plan for future co-operation and even the university community in schools have done that already, The numbers in the BAC re resource sharing. like Acadia and Saint Mary's," port assume a "worst case" sce The presidents of the seven general- realize the magnitude Cox said. nario. The Consortium plan is schools endorsed the proposal as The Consortium suggests, more optimistic. a response to "actual and pro of the cuts that are coming in however, that the collective Metro "The Consortium is saying to posed funding cuts confronting University could support some the government that cuts are in the universities." the next three years. " .new programs such as Film/Me evitable- make certain cuts but Academically, the proposal in dia studies and Material Culture go no further," said Traves at a cludes a collective planning proc - DSU President David Cox studies which they could sell to Senate meeting on Nov. 27. ess, grade sharing, ease of student students from New England and An assumption made by both movement from school to school, is that as fees go up, will our stu first step towards a merger. And other out-of-province markets. the BAC report and the Consor and common course numbers. dents be paying for the bigger if it's the first step towards a Cox hopes that this report will tium was that the federal Canada David Cox, president of the burden of student services if eve merger then we could be accom raise awareness among students Health and Social Transfer Dalhousie Student Union (DSU), ryone's sharing them?" he asked. plishing those savings now." he of the problems facing the uni (CHST) payments to Nova Scotia is concerned about some of the Although cautiously optimis said. versities in the years to come. would be reduced by a total of academic issues in the report. tic about the Consortium's plans, Many critics of the university "I don't think students - $330 million over the next three "I don't think Dal students will Cox feels in some ways that the rationalisation plan worry that maybe even the university com years, from this year's $615 mil support SMU students bumping Consortium did not go far the plan will destroy the indi munity in general - realize the lion to a 1998-99 total of $285 them out of their class. for what enough. vidual identities of the schools, magnitude of the cuts that are million. In addition to post-sec ever reason." he said by way of ''I'm an advocate of a com especially the smaller institutions. coming in the next three years." ondary education, the CHST helps example. plete merger, and that's what Cox dismissed that concern by he said the provinces pay for health care The plan also calls for $7 mil Dal's original position was. I pointing out the inevitability of The Consortium estimates sav and social services. lion in savings from reduced du think that true savings comes the funding cuts. ings of $5 milhon through non For Nova Scotia universities, plication in administrative when you eliminate all the presi "Schools like SCAD are going replacement of retirements this represents a reduction of services. including computer serv dents (except one). when you to have to sit down and say 'well, (including some early) and resig $3 7.1 million in federal funds. ices, registrar and admissions, eliminate all the VP academics, what quality of education do I nations of professors. The province has budgeted an human resources, physical plant. when you eliminate all the fac want and how do I want to pay This worries Cox. additional $9.2 million reduction. and libraries. Cox sees this as a ulty department heads, all the for it' - because if we continue "The only sad thing about all If the Consortium proposal is particular area of concern for chairs," he said. on the route that we are on, with these cost savings is non-replace accepted by the provincial govern Dalhousie students, as it is likely "I wholeheartedly believe that out the Consortium, in five to six ments of professors. You're get ment, Nova Scotia universities that most of the retained infra this Consortium will either lead year's time, to pay for the quality ting rid of these profs, with early will face a budget cut of $24 mil structure will be Dalhousie's. two things: because it's not bind you want, you're going to be pay retirements and stuff, and you're lion, instead of the $46.3 million "The biggest worry that I have, ing, it might fall apart. or it's the ing a lot of money. Or we can start not hiring anyone back," he said. ALEXANDRA'S 1263QUEENST.,HALIFAX P IZZA 425-1900 FREE DELIVERY LARGE • Large Pizza with works · Garlic Fingers PIZZA wtYh Donair Sauce · 2 Litres Pop :tif4. 9 Dalhousie Student Union The 1995/96 Student Directory is available to all students. Take your Dalhousie ID card to Campus Copy, Third Floor of the Student Union Building to receive your complimentary copy. An otlier service of your Dalhousie Student Union. DSU General Meeting THURSDAY, .JANUARY 25, 1996 NOON @ CREEN ROOM, S.U.B. 494-'2146 C"ll,t for information on DSU Services, Tiger Patrol Shuttle Bus Route Times, Monthly Campus Events, Varsity Info, and Society Contact Information!!! INF uts Get DSU Information and Campus Events Schedules regularly sent to your Internet Account.

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