Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Getting what one pays for

Thank you, government of Manitoba, for allowing universities to increase tuition fees. With that decade of insanity out of the way, here are a few things my alma mater, the University of Winnipeg, can spend the increased revenue on:
-one of the lights at the entrance to Bryce Hall has needed replacing since at least January
-the leak in the ceiling in the main library (in the economics aisle, interestingly) might be served by a solution more suitable than a plastic garbage can placed below it, which, again, was there since at least January
-Still on the library, I can appreciate regularly finding books on the shelf that are the "Property of Wesley College" (with the oldest I have found in the main stacks being published in 1832), but a greater attention to the library, perhaps
-My favorite professor from this past term was brilliant and effective, and has a doctorate from the University of St. Andrews. He is also unsure if he will be re-hired for the Fall term. Keeping individuals like him around, might go a long ways in ensuring students recieve a quality education
-Offset the increased tuition fees somewhat by making Student Association fees non-mandatory. Please


...or, the University could just increase the pace that it quietly drives out nearby residents and property owners to build more Llloyd Axworthy legacy projects.


Related: "UMSU! However will I afford it?" - ProgressiveWinnipeg

5 Comments:

Blogger moc said...

"My favorite professor from this past term was brilliant and effective, and has a doctorate from the University of St. Andrews. He is also unsure if he will be re-hired for the Fall term. Keeping individuals like him around, might go a long ways in ensuring students recieve a quality education"Not sure who you're talking about, or what department, but having been involved on the inside of hiring faculty, most decisions made aren't financial. If this department doesn't hire him back, but hires someone else full-time, you've got a beef to pick with the departmental appointment committee, not broader university funding. Tenure is a funny thing; the absolute most-liked faculty member in my program for years (winning teaching awards as nominated by his own students) was a "contract" faculty member for about 8 years; he had to be rehired every year and was never allowed time to pursue his own research (a must when applying for tenure). Only this past summer was he awarded a full-time, permanent tenure-track position, and that was because the time had come to hire someone new in the faculty full-time (with a cost increase of maybe $10,000 a year -- hardly an economic decision).

11:48 PM  
Blogger Dave Shorr said...

Rob,

This comment on the freepress comments section sums it up perfectly:

"

Posted by:LJW

April 22, 2009 at 7:47 PM

Honestly, all students need to do is lay off the booze. $135 more for a full course load is nothing when so many students can easily spend more than $50 in one night of drinking, which occurs more than 3 times per year (3 x $50 = $150) SAVE YOUR DRINKING MONEY AND PUT IT TOWARD YOUR EDUCATION! As a university student myself, I can certainly say that some of my classmates could easily spare $135.
"

Friends of mine have maintained that the state should provide free education at all levels, as part of some sort of egalitarian ideal that education should not cost anyone anything. The thing is symbolism doesn't supplement the government or academic coffers. What people are also forgetting is that our neighbors to the south pay much, much more in post secondary costs than we do. A low level State school usually runs a minimum of $10 000 a semester, while schools with any semblance of respectability for for 20, 30 or 40 thousand a semester. If you're going into law or medicine, unless you are of affluence you will be working a very long time before those debts are paid off even with a professional salary.

As you said, $135 is a small price to pay for up-to-date books, sound infrastructure and visionary professors.

12:18 AM  
Blogger The Rise and Sprawl said...

Nick, the instructer stated that finances (of the department? school as a whole?) were the issue determining his and other instructer's return next year.

8:32 AM  
Blogger Lil Zebra said...

University is 10X what it should be.

Tuitions should be rolled back, and universities should be for people who actually want to study there, and is not designed for everyone.

9:08 AM  
Blogger omega said...

I don't see how making something more expensive will draw more people to it.

Or the right people.

Seems like post secondary is just something you throw money at until you get a credential out of it.

I have seen more people pay their way into fields they aren't passionate about than less wealthy passionate people.

Money has become too much of a factor, the system is broken.

4:49 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home