This post really disappointed me:
http://counterfactual.blogdrive.com/archive/476.html …

This graphic is from The Paulinian which continues its coverage of the Tuition Hike:
…

U of M spokesman John Danakas said the university has been facing “serious budget challenges” and needs the cash to make up for a $3.8-million budget shortfall. With the tuition freeze in place, the university has had to find other ways to generate money, he said.

A 3.8-million shortfall?
So you impose $11.625 Million in new fees to make up for it?
Come on! I cannot believe how stupid the University of Manitoba Administration seems to think their students are!
As I have said before (and I say again)
“We are your students (U of M), if you think we are stupid, why should employers think we are smart” …

The University of Manitoba has imposed one of the highest tuition increases in Canadian History and the highest tuition increase in Canada this year. Sorry, it is not a tuition increase, it is an “ancillary fees” increase…… Good old Enron-style accounting!
http://winnipeg.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=mb_umanitoba-20050518 …

FROM UMSU:

Hey Everyone,
As many of you have no doubt heard, the University of Manitoba Board of Governors is meeting today at 4:00 pm, 160 Continuing Education. The budget for the upcoming year is coming forward, and contains four new student fees. For a full time student, these new fees will total up to $465 (some are per credit hour). These fees are for the costs of programs that are already provided, and not for implementation of new programs. The U of M wants to increase tuition regardless of the fact that Manitoba has a provincial tuition fee freeze.
I encourage you and your members to attend the Board of Governors meeting. There will be a preparatory meeting in the UMSU Office at 3:30 pm for those needing more information.
Thanks,
Josh Mason
Director of Student Affairs
University of Manitoba Students’ Union
“27,000 members strong”

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Nomination Watch is a great site for following the nomination in preparation for next months election:
http://nominationwatch.blogspot.com/ …

The Canadian Federation of Students are falling all over themselves to make it appear they are behind the recent Ontario Budget (which is the best Ontario Budget is my lifetime BTW) and the increases to Post-Secondary Education. They sent the following News Release: …

BTW, Dana Gregoire writes another good column on the issue today: http://thepaulinian.blogspot.com/2005/05/clarification-fee-increase-meeting.html …

FROM UMSU:

Hello!
This Tuesday (May 17) the University of Manitoba’s Board of Governors will vote whether or not to create fees that could cost students up to $465 a year – the equivalent of a 17% increase in tuition. The university administration claims that these fees are needed to avoid cuts to staff, programs, and services. However these fees would violate the Manitoba Government’s Tuition Freeze as they are effectively an increase in tuition.
**********************************************
TAKING ACTION!
The UMSU exec is busy working with the administration and government to find an alternative to this tuition increase. But you can help too!
CONTACT THE U OF M ADMINISTRATION!
Tell them they are circumventing the Tuition Freeze by proposing to increase tuition by 17% for full time students and that you would rather them find another means of generating increased revenue.
University President
Emoke Szathmary
Tel: 474.9345
email: emoke_szathmary@umanitoba.ca
Board of Governors Chair
Wayne Anderson
email: stbpallet2@mb.sympatico.ca
Copy your email to the University of Manitoba Students’ Union
Amanda Aziz, President
email: pres@umsu.ca
CONTACT YOUR MLA!
The Manitoba Government needs to step in and stop the University of Manitoba from breaking the Tuition Freeze policy and adequately fund our University. Contact your MLA and tell them to stop the tuition increase and increase government funding for the U of M. A list of MLAs can be found at http://www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/members/alphabetical.html. You can also e-mail Gary Doer (Premier of Manitoba) at premier@leg.gov.mb.ca
**********************************************8
Here is a summary of the fees and what they are for:
REGISTRATION FEE $4.50/credit hour ($135/year for full-time students)
For registration of courses: student ID card, course calendar, registration guide, time-tabling, exam scheduling, course changes, registration services, convocation
STUDENT SERVICES FEE $3/credit hour ($90/year for full-time students)
For the university’s student services: advising services, UMinfo, counselling services, health services, student affairs guide, aboriginal student centre, student employment services, financial aid and awards admin, chaplains, disability services, learning assistance centre, playcare, student advocacy, safewalk, shuttle bus services, red emergency phones
LIBRARY FEE $3/credit hour ($90/year for full-time students)
For library services: extended hours, electronic ressources, information and reference services, personal assistance with resources, orientation tours, online computer searches, assistance searching electronic database, multi-lingual library service, document delivery, online catalogue, NETDOC databases and online journals
TECHNOLOGY FEE $5/credit hour ($150/year for full-time students)
For technology: e-mail, JUMP, academic computing labs, wireless internet, classroom technology, computer courses, network support and trouble desk, user advocacy

…

I am sorry, of course it is not a tuition hike! It is an ancillary fees hike but the fees will be going into general revenues much like tuition hikes.
Can we say shell game?
This hike has been reported on by Dana Gregoire of The Paulinian It works out to $456 in fee hikes to be approved by the U of M BoG on May 22nd. I do not know if this includes the $110 “technology access fee”.
An interesting note for my readers at McMaster, Dr. Emoke J.E. Szathmary is the President of the University of Manitoba. She applied for the President’s job at U of T and it is expected that she will apply here at Mac when Dr. George retires. I have seen her many times: cutting the line at Tim Horton’s, walking by the Students’ Union President without even acknowledging the UMSU prez, held the door for her three times over the school year and she never said “Thank You”. …

I have not been blogging because I am still awaiting my new laptop … but I had time today to cover this:
…

I opened the McMaster University Student newspaper and saw the following ad. It was the Everywhere Girl (also known as the fake University of Manitoba Student)
…

I have now moved into my new apartment in Hamilton. I started classes today and McMaster. I do not think I am going to like McMaster during this summer. More on that another time… but it got me thinking of the irony involved. I loved U of M during the summer and not during the school year yet it appears it will be the opposite at McMaster.
My grievances are:
no 24 hr computer lab
arcade is closed
computers do not have any functionality
I had a great weekend having gone to the Education Summit and learned a lot. I will be very busy very soon as I will be sitting on a School Board Committee, I am sitting on a MSU (McMaster Students Union) Committee, and I will be working at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club (by working I mean half paid / half volunteer).
I will start working on a full paper about U of M food services after the May long weekend and hope to post it late June after my first round of exams. …