The new bursary program will cover university tuition and living expenses, providing personalized financial support to Haudenosaunee and Mississauga students
A new bursary program for Indigenous students of Haudenosaunee and Mississauga ancestry has been launched this year at McMaster University. Eligible applicants can receive financial assistance starting in Fall 2024 for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students will be required to submit documentation to verify their Indigenous ancestry in accordance with the Indigenous ancestry verification guidelines.
The new bursary is named ionkhihahonnién:ni which translates to “they’re making a path for us” from the Mohawk language. It is intended to assist eligible Indigenous students with both tuition and cost of living expenses such as housing, transportation, food and childcare with the goal of making post-secondary education more accessible.
Chrissy Doolittle, the director of Indigenous Student Services and co-developer of the bursary program was interviewed by The Silhouette. She noted that they are currently assessing the financial needs of the first round of students and working towards disbursing the bursaries to those individuals.
“There is quite a bit of misunderstanding out there about how federal funding works from band funding offices in that not all students receive funding and that funding does not cover their entire cost to come to post-secondary education. So
There is quite a bit of misunderstanding out there about how federal funding works from band funding offices in that not all students receive funding and that funding does not cover their entire cost to come to post-secondary education. So
Chrissy Doolittle, Directorwe really wanted to make sure that we looked at this in a way that was meaningful and was going to make an impact on each student .
Indigenous Student Services
The bursary aims to address the specific financial barriers Indigenous students face which stem from a
The program is open specifically to members of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga nations, the traditional territories and lands of which McMaster University is located on. Students that are band members of these nations are eligible to apply for the bursary even if they live elsewhere in Canada or internationally. “The Haudenosaunee and Mississauga nations actually span quite a wide area, including Western New York and Eastern Ontario. There are approximately 24 different communities that would be eligible,” said Doolittle.
The Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations actually span quite a wide area, including Western New York and Eastern Ontario. There are approximately 24 different communities that would be eligible.
Chrissy Doolittle, Director
Indigenous Student Services
In addition to the bursary program, a new Indigenous Financial Aid Specialist role has been established within Indigenous Student Services.
Doolittle mentioned that the specialist will be responsible for administering the funding by first conducting an analysis of each student's financial needs, which will determine the amount that they will receive for the bursary.
“In the past … we’ve always been the middleman where we have been able to help direct students to Aids and Awards or help navigate Award Spring applications with them or help connect them to emergency supports … but having this position in-house allows us to actually help the student here … we can look at their financial picture and can determine how we can best help support them,” said Doolittle.
Having this position in house allows us to actually help the student here … we can look at their financial picture and can determine how we can best help support them.
Chrissy Doolittle, Director
Indigenous Student Services
Through these initiatives, the ISS and McMaster hope to ensure that Indigenous students have the financial support and resources they need to be able to focus on their studies and goals and thrive academically. More information about the bursary can be found on the Aids and Awards page in the Office of Registrar.
With inflation at its highest, it's time to start skipping those $5 coffees
This summer Canada’s annual inflation rate peaked at its highest since 1991. While these relatively poor economic conditions affect all Canadians, it has taken a greater toll on post-secondary students who are dealing with a multitude of different expenses beyond their necessities, such as tuition, student fees, health insurance and course materials.
Of course, inflation is to blame for the increase in student spending over the years. However, these economic circumstances do necessitate better financial planning from students to ensure they maintain a healthy lifestyle and effectively reduce their outstanding student loan debt.
Before students can begin financial planning, however, they must break down the biggest barrier standing in their way – differentiating between their needs and wants. This is easier said than done. It takes responsibility, and more importantly, a strong sense of self-discipline.
Everyone is guilty of impulsively splurging their dollars from time to time but habitual spending on needless items can quickly add up, especially during the current period of inflation. It takes practice to question whether a purchase is absolutely essential and budgeting can help. A survey by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada found that Canadians, under the age of 35, who budget are less likely to graduate with student loan debt compared to non-budgeters.
A survey by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada found that Canadians, under the age of 35, who budget are less likely to graduate with student loan debt compared to non-budgeters.
Just as students plan out time to study and complete assignments, it is worthwhile to create a budget that sets limits on weekly, monthly and annual spending. This may involve tracking regular purchases to gauge where money is being spent unnecessarily. For some that inessential spending may look like $5 coffees every morning or a spontaneous purchase of a pair of $200 shoes. The point is these dollars could be better spent elsewhere.
On the other hand, some students may be having trouble even affording their necessities, causing them further stress and anxiety.
With the immense pressure students face in their everyday lives, it is understandable budgeting is not always a priority. Students may feel overwhelmed or simply lack the time to even think about planning out their finances.
Whatever the case may be, all students must improve their financial literacy. Not only are these skills valuable for dealing with educational expenses, but it provides students with the confidence and capacity to make well-informed financial decisions later in life. There are many resources offered by Mac’s Money Center and the Government of Canada can help improve your financial literacy.
If this was not convincing enough, consider that being mindful of personal purchases and effective budgeting also promotes the development of financial wellness. By managing their money, individuals prevent and mitigate the stress invoked by poor financial conditions. In these ways, an individual’s financial health has a tremendous impact on their overall health and well-being.
Whatever the case may be, all students must improve their financial literacy. Not only are these skills valuable for dealing with educational expenses, but it provides students with the confidence and capacity to make well-informed financial decisions later in life.
In the current economic climate, students face the rising costs of tuition, rent, food, clothing, entertainment and, not to mention, higher interest rates on student loans. But inflation does not have to completely ruin your morning stops at the coffee shop. With effective financial planning, you can become financially independent and still treat yourself to those $5 coffees without hurting your wallet.
In late 2017, Ontario experienced its longest college labour dispute when the Ontario Public Service Employees Union went on strike.
Representatives from the student associations of multiple colleges penned an open letter to members of provincial parliament, speaking on behalf of their respective student bodies.
One of these representatives was Nicola Lau, president of the Seneca Student Federation at the time. She led 2,000 students in a protest that gained attention from media outlets such as Global News and CBC — a fact with which she introduces herself in the Facebook description of “OSAP CUT 2019”, a group she created on Sept. 7, 2019 as a means of reaching out to students severely affected by the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) cuts.
Too bad your cuts to #onpse & #osapcuts will make it impossible for many students to experience the great opportunities offered by @McMasterU and other institutions across the province. Your funding changes in 2020 will make it even worse. #cutshurtkids #handsoffmyeducation
— AJ (@MacGirl2002) August 10, 2019
The provincial government announced their planned OSAP cuts in January 2019; this constituted the end of reduced tuition for low-income students and a change in the guidelines for OSAP grant and loan eligibility. In response, student advocacy organizations such as the Students for Ontario, March for our Education and the Ontario Student Action network hosted a march toward Queen’s Park, with student activists and MPPs expressing their intolerance for consequences stemming from OSAP cuts.
When the OSAP changes came into effect in the summer of 2019, another wave of outrage emerged across Ontario as students reported that their OSAP estimates were much lower than previous years. This led to an additional round of protests from several Ontario universities, with some taking to social media to show their frustration.
Lau, now a second year Health and Aging student at McMaster, points out that the protests have since trickled into near non-existence. She feels that the level of outrage has faded into a quiet reaction, a change that she does not believe adequately represents the struggles that students continue to experience every day as a result of the cuts.
“I think that the problem is that when Doug Ford came out last year [with the OSAP cuts], a lot of people were really angry, right? A lot of people were like, ‘Okay, I need to stand up right now. We have to do something about it.’ But quickly, all these actions and things just stopped,” said Lau.
As a student impacted by OSAP cuts herself, Lau is determined to provide a platform for students to voice their concerns. She started “OSAP CUT 2019” with the hope of raising awareness until she has gathered people for a protest similar to what she did as president of the Seneca Student Federation.
Since the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, the Facebook group has amassed more than 100 members. Most members are students who cannot afford textbooks and school supplies or are on the verge of dropping out because they are no longer financially equipped to continue. The Facebook group has also attracted concerned parents, who are worried about their childrens’ future post-secondary experiences as the full extent of the OSAP cuts gradually become clearer.
Lau is particularly disappointed with what she perceives to be the lack of action on behalf of McMaster students and the McMaster Students Union.
“Why is McMaster, such a big school, not caring about [the OSAP cuts]? Why are we not having protests? I don’t get what they [the MSU] is doing. I don’t get what they’re doing with our student money,” said Lau.
However, Shemar Hackett, vice-president (Education) of the MSU, says that students have indeed reached out to the MSU with concerns about OSAP cuts. As a member of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) steering committee, he has also encouraged McMaster’s participation in OUSA’s letter writing campaign, an initiative that calls for students to write letters to Premier Ford’s office to highlight how the cuts have affected them thus far.
“Students aren’t always aware of the issues that involve them, and what they can do about it,” said Hackett, when asked about the student-led advocacy scene in McMaster.
Financial accessibility is one of Hackett’s priorities for the school year, according to his year plan. Much of this, according to Hackett, revolves around gathering as a student community and lobbying for change.
Despite the overlap between her intentions and the MSU’s, Lau questions what has really changed. She does not believe that change is happening quickly enough, she noted that students are beginning to struggle with juggling multiple part-time jobs in order to stay in school and other students having to scavenge rent money on top of their academic responsibilities.
Lau fears it might soon be too late to change the new status quo.
As a response, she has taken it upon herself, as well as the many others involved in her Facebook group, to form a voice on behalf of all those affected by the OSAP cuts. Lau hopes for the group to continue growing and, through its growth, to persuade the government to listen to them before it is too late.
In the group’s Facebook description, Lau writes, “Let’s not [let] these politicians change what will not even affect them … Let’s make a difference together.”
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Students across the province may soon have a little more change in their pockets. On Jan. 11, a letter-writing campaign was launched by the MSU and other schools belonging to the Ontario University Student Alliance with the aim of convincing the Ontario government to fund a five-year tuition freeze.
TimeOut Tuition is the actualization of MSU President Ehima Osazuwa’s much-discussed tuition platform point, an issue whose solution students have been waiting to see come to fruition.
“Tuition and financial aid and affordability has been a priority for the MSU this year, and one of the biggest things we wanted to do was galvanize a lot of student support behind ideas like a tuition freeze for the next tuition framework,” explained Spencer Nestico-Semianiw, VP (Education).
He hopes the letter-writing campaign will help gain much of this support. The letter itself succinctly explains the main concerns OUSA-affiliated schools have with the steady increase in tuition, namely the unsustainable nature of the increase and the serious financial burden tuition and debt place on students. Nestico-Semianiw hopes that students relate to the issues identified in the letter, and welcomes any who wish to write their own personal notes.
Nestico-Semianiw’s goal is to send a package of 1,000 signed letters to Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Ministries of Training Colleges and Universities and Finance. “What we’re urging the government to do is reallocate some money that’s already in the sector, specifically the tuition and education tax credits to fund a fully-funded tuition freeze,” he said. This means that not only will tuition remain stable for the duration of the freeze, but that it will be funded by the government to ensure Ontario and Canada at large remain competitive in the academic world.
“If next year’s teams don’t make this [advocacy] as big of a priority, then it’s going to be very easy for this conversation to be lost in the next framework.”
Nestico-Semianiw was quick to admit the freeze comes at a high price. It would cost the province around $106 million. The MSU and its OUSA colleagues are asking that this be replaced with money from the $340 million the government spends on post-secondary education tax credits. He explained that the issue with these tax credits is that they are not distributed in an equitable manner. Lower income families claim around one fourth the amount that higher income families do because they pay less taxes.
Another issue with the way tax credits are distributed is that none of the money is available to students or their families upfront. “It’s something you only get back after you’ve completed a year or two years or you might not receive the benefit for half a decade,” Nestico-Semianiw said.
If the letter-writing campaign is successful, the Ontario government will freeze tuition rates for five years, following the expiration of the current framework in 2017. Without this constant hike in tuition, a first-year student in the 2017-18 school year would hypothetically save approximately a total of $750 over the course of their four-year undergraduate program during the freeze. Students in a five-year program would save closer to $1,000.
While he anticipates a successful outcome for the campaign, Nestico-Semianiw acknowledges TimeOut Tuition is only the beginning of a surge of advocacy for lower tuition in Ontario. He expressed confidence in the soon-to-be-announced MSU presidential candidates, many of whom are eager to work on this project as well. “If next year’s teams don’t make this [advocacy] as big of a priority, then it’s going to be very easy for this conversation to be lost in the next framework if students aren’t at the forefront of that,” he said.
The MSU hopes to gain support for TimeOut Tuition not just from students, but from politicians, community members and even the university. “It’s definitely student-centered and student-run, but we want to show that these are ideas [others] all get behind,” Nestico-Semianiw explained. As of Jan. 12, the campaign had received just over 400 signed letters, including one from Hamilton Ward 1 councilor Aidan Johnson.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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After a decade of operation, students will no longer have the option to explore the beginnings of the universe.
The Faculty of Science has decided to discontinue the undergraduate Origins Research Specialization. The ORS will be phased out over three years, meaning that the students currently enrolled in levels two through four will be the last to complete the specialization.
Robert Baker, Dean of the Faculty of Science, explained that the decision to close the program was a financial one.
“Our main concern over the research specialization is the low number of students who take it so we have to put on courses for the relatively new students taking it,” said Baker. “We just don’t think that’s very effective.”
The ORS enrolled 18 new students in level II for the 2014-2015 academic year, two shy of its enrolment goal.
The Institute was opened in 2004 and is one of few such institutions in North America, aiming to provide “broad interdisciplinary courses aimed at fundamental questions in science.” In addition to the ORS, the Origins Institute continues to run a graduate program in astrobiology.
Jonathan Stone, Associate Director of the Origins Institute, admits that he and his colleagues were somewhat surprised by the closing of the specialization.
“It was very informal,” he said of the discussions surrounding the closing of the ORS in the spring. “From my perspective […] it disappeared overnight.”
Stone speculated that it was because of the lack of protection by any one faculty that the ORS was so quickly shut down.
“I understand the faculty is in dire financial situation,” he said. “And I think we were just the easiest member of the herd to trim.”
Students in the specialization, as well as faculty, are disappointed at the decision to end the ORS.
“I think it’s a huge shame, because I think the Origins courses are really what a science course at McMaster should be,” said Julie-Anne Mendoza, a fourth-year Arts and Science student pursuing a combined honours in Origins studies.
“The current format [of science courses] is boring, and it’s not a great way to learn. But the Origins courses take a very creative approach. We talk about problems from a much more holistic approach.”
As VP Academic of the Origins Undergraduate Society, Mendoza has helped to collect letters from students and alumni who are unhappy with the decision from the Faculty of Science. The letters were submitted to the Academic Planning committee in the hopes of appealing the closure.
Though the decision is not technically final, Stone has little hope that the decision would be overturned, considering the committee’s previous comments.
“I would say the odds are literally 99 percent against,” he said of the possibility for a reversal of the cut.
Despite this, Stone, with the support of the OI, has proposed that Origins be preserved at the undergraduate level in the form of a stream in the Life Sciences program. He envisions a collection of courses, hosted by a variety of different departments within the Faculty of Science, that can be combined into a form of origins studies and would enroll a larger number of students.
The OI submitted a document proposing this option to the Dean.
“It is a possibility,” Baker said of a potential Origins stream. “We haven’t made that decision yet.”
He explained that the current stages of academic planning are still preliminary, and before any final commitments are made the committee will convene working groups to explore different curriculum options.
A new stream in Life Sciences would fit with the Faculty’s new priorities.
“What we really want to do is try and take some of the things we’ve learned from things like Origins Research Institute and the iSci program and bring some of those ideas to a much larger range of students so more of them can profit from that interdisciplinary hands-on type of approach,” said Baker.
The committee is considering establishing a stream in health geography and health policy, as well as one focused on human health, toxins, and environmental issues.
The Dean recognized that the closing of the ORS was not ideal, but was a pragmatic choice.
“It’s not like we’re saying it’s not a good program and students aren’t learning from it,” he said. “It is simply that we need the resources to improve other programs that need improvement and we will reach more students.”
Jeff Doucet
MSU VP-Finance
Last week, Stephen Harper flew to Brussells to sign a Free-Trade agreement with the European Union. After Harper secured the support of all ten Premiers, Canada has reached an agreement in principle to sign the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with our viagra and canadian European peers. The full-text of the agreement has yet to be released, but the agreement has already been supported in principle by both the Liberal and New Democratic Party.
This is remarkable, as it was only twenty-five years ago that Free-Trade was a divisive election issue. However, since the Mulroney government’s implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement brought nation-wide economic growth and diversification, all federal parties now support free trade.
While we have yet to find out the finer details of the agreement, we know enough to start talking about its benefits and what it means for our local economy in Hamilton. When hearing about government initiatives such as CETA, it is easy to hear large, broad statements such as “12 billion annually” or “80,000 new jobs” and not really know what it means.
While the industry has taken a hit, Hamilton has remained a local economy supported by a manufacturing sector. Contributing billions of dollars to the national economy, Hamilton’s manufacturing sector makes up roughly 4 per cent of the province’s GDP. Several major industries such as automotive parts dominate the local economy while other important industries are growing rapidly. Green automotive technology in particular has the potential to grow and produce innovative, exportable products. The federal government and McMaster University demonstrated this commitment to green automotive technologies with the recent opening of the McMaster Automotive Research Centre. The research centre will collaborate with the private sector to develop, design, and test innovative hybrid technology.
With our globally recognized research-intensive universities, Canada has the ability to pair local industry with Post-Secondary Education and deliver commercial and economic success.
We all know that large-scale, simplified manufacturing has left North America for good. Other countries with lower wages and lower environmental standards will continue to hold the advantage in mass producing simplified goods. Because of partnerships like MARC, Canada will continue to hold the comparative advantage is in the advanced manufacturing of complicated, innovative technologies. But here is the thing: on a global scale, the Canadian automotive sector is relatively small. If you are a company that is producing technology that will one day be hidden under the hood of a car, you need unrestricted access to the global market to truly prosper.
The EU is the world’s second largest producer of automobiles, producing over 16 million cars, trucks and vans in 2012. To put this in perspective, last year Canada nearly produced 2.5 million automobiles. While Canadian auto-parts companies can currently sell their product in Europe, they face barriers to entry. CETA will eliminate EU tariffs on auto parts, which currently run up to 4.5 per cent. With the implementation of CETA, local companies in Hamilton will have an important leg up over competitors in other countries. Volkswagen while assembling a car in Germany could can now use Canadian technology at a lower price.
This example of how our local economy will benefit illustrates the importance of CETA, and the impact it will have on other industries and local economies. As tariffs as high as 22 per cent are lifted on our industries, Canada will continue to grow as a world leader in the trade of our unique goods.
Whether these goods are lumber exports from Northern Quebec, shrimp from the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, mineral production in Nunavut, or software technology in British Columbia, local economies across Canada stand to benefit from increased access to five hundred million consumers in the European Union.
The board of the McMaster Association of Part-time Students will meet with its members on Feb. 5 for an annual general meeting. And at this year’s gathering, they’ll have a little more to answer for.
McMaster University launched a probe of MAPS last summer following allegations of irresponsible spending. It has been withholding a portion of part-time student fees collected for the organization while the investigation is ongoing.
The University made the decision “in light of significant concerns that were raised regarding MAPS’ business practices,” it said in a December public statement.
The 2011 earnings of MAPS executive director Sam Minniti appeared on Ontario’s 2012 public salary disclosure list at $126,152. It was the first time since he became executive director in 2005 that his salary has shown up on the ‘sunshine’ list, which discloses the salaries of all employees on public sector payroll making more than $100,000 annually.
UPDATE: The Hamilton Spectator reported this week that Minniti was also given $101,116 in retroactive pay in 2011.
Although MAPS is not a public organization, Minniti’s earnings were listed because McMaster University processes MAPS’ payroll.
The retroactive pay, though, was not processed through McMaster.
“Any salary that comes in [through McMaster], anything that’s issued on a T4, shows up on a ‘sunshine’ list,” said Andrea Farquhar, McMaster’s assistant vice-president of public and government relations, to the Silhouette.
Minniti and MAPS president Jeanette Hunter have declined interviews with the Silhouette on multiple occasions.
MAPS represents all McMaster students taking fewer than 18 units in an academic session, as well as continuing education students. Although it is incorporated separately from McMaster, the University charges fees on the Association’s behalf.
“McMaster took this extraordinary measure to protect the interests of part-time students,” read a December statement from the University.
MAPS currently charges part-time students membership fees of $7 per unit. The Association requested an increase to $10 per unit last year, but was denied by McMaster’s Board of Governors at an April meeting. The Board pointed out that the fee had risen from $5 per unit three years prior, and felt that there was insufficient evidence presented for the need of this second increase.
“That’s not usual,” said Farquhar of the denied fee increase. “There are some times, certainly, when requests for fee increases are sent back; it’s not that it never happens. But it doesn’t tend to be the norm. I think that probably began with some people starting to ask questions.”
MAPS bylaws last approved in 2008, which are absent from the Association’s website but were obtained by the Silhouette, say that MAPS must present finan- cial statements to its members at an annual general meeting each February.
“Several months ago con- cerns were raised about some of MAPS’ spending practices over a period of time including, salaries, expenses and reimbursements, travel and office costs,” read a Dec. 21 statement from MAPS.
“The Board reviewed these significant and serious concerns, identified means to ensure it adheres to best business prac- tices and committed itself to an enhanced governance structure for consideration by the member- ship at its next [annual general meeting].”
When contacted in late No- vember 2012, Minniti and Hunter declined to share financial statements with The Silhouette. The MAPS bylaws also say that a new board of directors must be elected at the general meeting.
The board, it adds, must be made up of “not less than 10 and not more than 16 directors.” The board currently has five members.
The Hamilton Spectator spoke with former MAPS presi- dent Elaine Marion earlier this month about allegations that she used part-time student fees for a trip to Italy.
“This was not a vacation; this was a course and I was a student,” Marion told the Spectator.
She explained that a bursary allowed her to take art theory classes in Italy.
“The board was looking for ways to support [the program] ... this was an investment in art his- tory at McMaster,” she added.
There is not yet a definitive timeline for when the Univer- sity’s investigation of MAPS will conclude.
While activists call for investment in more sustainable industries, Mac's own practices are unclear
It’s no secret that universities deal with a lot of money. Between tuition, research funding and corporate sponsorships, cash is often on the minds of McMaster administrators. But what people may not know is where the school spends its money.
Elysia Petrone is hoping to change that.
A new Hamilton resident and recent graduate of Lakehead University, Petrone has put forward a petition to Maclean’s Magazine to offer a ranking of schools based on “ethical investment” in their annual University Rankings issue. Together with Kyuwon Kim and Yasmin Parodi, also recent graduates, she hopes to promote divestment across Canada.
“Canadian Universities are proud to claim they are on the cutting edge of sustainability education and research to solve global problems,” reads their online petition, run through Change.com.
“However, together Canadian Universities are investing billions of dollars in unsustainable and unethical industries that we think students would have a problem with.”
The petition lists examples of these “unethical” industries, which includes fossil fuels, weapons manufacturing and tobacco companies.
The three young women thought Maclean’s was a suitable way to promote their commitment to divestment.
“We were thinking [the petition] would be an easier way to create effective change, because it’s going to be a challenge to go to these universities that have vested interests,” Petrone explained in an interview.
“We thought that instead of working with one university, [Maclean’s] could do a lot of the groundwork and find this information.”
She described Maclean’s University Rankings, now in their 22nd year, as the “be-all, end-all of rankings” in Canada.
Although the goal of the petition is focused on the magazine, Petrone hopes to encourage students to pressure their own universities towards divestment.
“I’ve been able to raise this issue with people in my circles here [in Hamilton], and I [thought we should] start something at Mac,” she explained.
“Right now our goal is to find local activists on campus and people who can get on board and invest their time in this project … I don’t go to McMaster, so I want to inject this idea and help it get founded.”
No Canadian universities have yet agreed to divest from fossil fuels, though campaigns exist at McGill, University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia and University of Toronto. Activists at U of T also found success with a 2007 campaign against investment in tobacco companies. The university eventually agreed to divest from tobacco and tobacco-related stocks.
While divestment hasn’t been an institutional priority at McMaster, students supported a 2005 referendum to end the university’s exclusive contract with Coca-Cola due to the company’s alleged human rights violations.
“McMaster’s a big institution, so it’s time to get this thing going here,” said Petrone.
The focus is to avoid investment in any companies that could be deemed unethical or unsustainable, but at McMaster, it is unclear whether or not such investment exists.
Details of investments made by the McMaster Department of Treasury Operations, which manages the school’s endowment funds, are not available to the public. As of 2011, McMaster had a total endowment of $519 million.
“[The investments are] managed on McMaster’s behalf by private investment managers, and these investment managers are guided by the policy, and we’re working with them to make them aware of the policy and ensure they’re directed by it,” explained Gord Arbeau, Director of Public Relations at McMaster.
“With the nature of the investment, it’s impossible to keep up-to-date information or lists as this is frequently changing.”
However, other large universities across Canada, including University of Victoria, Western University, Queen’s University, York University and many others, have such data available online. This has resulted in McMaster being ranked behind most major Canadian universities in terms of endowment transparency, according to the US-based College Sustainability Report Card.
McMaster’s policy on social responsibility in investment, last updated in 1980, states that “the primary social responsibility of the University is to fulfill its role as a centre of learning and free inquiry,” noting also that “the Finance Committee ... does have a serious obligation to consider matters of social responsibility that may arise in connection with its investment decisions.”
The policy stipulates that moral judgments of an industry are to be made based on the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights as a guideline.
Despite their enthusiasm, Petrone, Kim and Parodi have not been met with much support from Maclean’s for their proposed ranking.
“We believe this is an issue best explored in an article,” the magazine wrote in a press release. “At this point we are not considering introducing a ranking indicator on ethical investment of university endowment funds.”
The Change.com petition was set up to send one email to Mary Dwyer, Senior University Rankings editor at Maclean’s, for each signature it received. Petrone and her colleagues agreed to disable this function, but she acknowledged the initial series of emails might have strained relations. Dwyer was unavailable for further comment on the matter.
Maclean’s did respond to the petition with two articles posted on Maclean’s onCampus, a subset of the magazine’s main website. One article argued in favour of investment in divestment; the other made a case that ethical investments are not so simple.
“We want more than just two articles on this website that no one ever goes to,” insisted Petrone. “The petition has [almost ten thousand] people and we want publishing; we want [Maclean’s] to actually publish in [their] print paper every year.”
“I just feel that if there’s a will, there’s a way,” she said. “Hopefully things will spin, and pretty soon all universities will be on the divestment train.”
That the MSU’s finances ended up in the black this year has got to be a relief.
The students union is only a few years removed from deep operating losses. The 2007-08 and 2008-09 financial statements combined for what were then record shortfalls of more than $500,000. That included a campus bar – called Quarters before it underwent an approximately $400,000 facelift to become TwelvEighty in 2009 – that lost a total of almost $780,000.
The following year, the deficit skyrocketed to a loss of $958,190, roughly two-thirds of which was the responsibility of a failing student health insurance plan.
But the 2011-12 audited financial statements, which were passed and made public at the Sept. 30 Student Representative Assembly meeting, showed an issue of another kind. The not-for-profit MSU collected close to a million dollars more in student fees than it spent last year.
What is supposed to be a break-even organization wasn’t intended to make near that amount of money. A $150,000 loss in 2010-11 was budgeted to improve to a modest surplus of just over $120,000 in the year that followed.
“If we’re continuously posting profits, that’s an issue. Obviously, the larger they are, the more of an issue it is,” said Jeff Wyngaarden, Vice-President (Finance) of the MSU.
A few things went right. TwelvEighty cut its losses down to roughly $71,000 from $200,000 the year before. Underground Media & Design boosted its profits by more than a hundred thousand dollars. Losses on MSU services decreased in a few departments, and the health and dental plans went from being budgetary burdens to small sources of extra cash.
“In any one given year, breaking even may not be a good thing. Coming off of four years of substantial losses, posting a profit isn’t a major concern,” said Wyngaarden.
But now that a portion of the losses have been recuperated, there are areas of the budget where student fees are, at least for now, unnecessarily high.
CFMU posted a profit of more than $150,000. The campus radio station receives a set levy via the MSU annually, and has consistently spent well below their allotment in recent years.
The plan, according to Wyngaarden, is to increase spending in order to bring expenditures closer to revenues in the CFMU Fund. An expansion of programming and more emphasis on community outreach are in store.
The MSU has also switched providers for its student health insurance plan. The student fee for the plan now exceeds the actual cost by about ten dollars per student. That money will stockpile into a reserve fund for the time being.
Wyngaarden also hopes to work with the SRA’s finance committee to establish a strategic reserve fund, into which future surpluses would go.
“Right now, when we make money, it just gets put in the bank, more or less, and it sits there for a rainy day. What I’d like to do is earmark that money as a strategic reserve, and that’s mostly putting a name to what we already have,” he said.
“We’d have that set aside, and then set a policy-based plan for making profit if we’ve had a loss in previous year or having a loss if we’ve made a profit in previous years.”
The MSU spent a total of over $12.5 million last year on its operations. Almost half of that amount came from fees charged to full-time undergraduate students.
Brian Decker
Executive Editor
The Ontario Liberals’ plan to give a 30 per cent discount on tuition may end up costing some students a little bit more.
The Liberals’ election promise, which offered a 30 per cent decrease in the cost of tuition to students from households earning less than $160,000 per year, may be followed by a rise in the overall cost of tuition starting next year.
The current framework that dictates tuition fees expires at the end of the 2011/12 school year.
“Universities can’t really withstand having no new revenue, because they’re going to spend $420 million on this new grant,” said Sam Andrey, Executive Director of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.
Whether tuition increases at the current rate of five per cent per year is still to be determined.
Andrey said OUSA is advocating for a lower increase rate, but that no increase at all is unlikely.
“We know changing [the tuition increase rate] to something lower is on the table. That’s something we’re going to be advocating for.”
“With the 30 per cent reduction, I think there is a very low appetite on the part of the government to compensate an outright freeze.”
The plan to offer students a tuition discount is set to take place in January, but much of the details of how it will be implemented and distributed is currently pending confirmation.
Residents of Ontario in full-time, first entry programs (excluding law, medicine and graduate programs) will be eligible to apply for a tuition break for the winter semester, but the process of how and where students apply has not yet been determined.
Andrey said for the winter 2012 semester only, approved students will likely receive a cheque equivalent to 30 per cent of tuition, and that a true 30 per cent discount on tuition won’t start until 2012.
“In all likelihood, it will be something like an $800 cheque for most students,” said Alvin Tejdo, OUSA’s Director of Communications, of the 30 per cent discount in January.
Tejdo said many students could potentially be caught unaware of the cheque’s availability. “It’s going to be really important to tell people to apply for it,” he said.
The process by which students’ financial means are approved – determining whether their household earns less than $160,000 – is yet to be established.
The slow implementation of the remaining details is partially due to the change in governing officials. After the Oct. 8 election, Glen Murray became the new Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, replacing John Milloy. There are also new education critics to be appointed in the opposition.
Andrey said other changes coming to Ontario campuses in the coming year include increasing the availability of mental health and the construction of three new campuses in the Greater Toronto Area, with the site still to be determined.
