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The Cascade Volume 7 Issue 12 2000-04-06

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UCFV givestuition announcement mixed reactions

BCextends tuition treeze, puts more monev intoeducation by Nicholas Bradley

The Ubyssey

by Christopher Bolster cascade UCFV administrators are not celebrating just yet with the announcement of increased funding for post-secondary education and the continuation of the tuition freeze in British Columbia. "The announcement is ,good news, but we are taking a wait and see approach," says Bob Warick, executive director of UCFV Community Relations. "I don't like the tuition freeze and I don't think students like it either," says Student Union president Stephaine Martin, "Right now the Student Union is in the process of developing policy that would insure UCFV could not drastically raise tuition when the freeze is lifted. The policy would favour small incremental increases over a number of years with annual caps." With this budget, the provincial government recognizes that British Columb~a has had the largest jump in university enrollment in Canada over the past six years. A recent Statistics Canada report shows that BC universi• ties have seen an 18.4 per cent increase In the number of full-time students, and a 10.7 per cent rise in the number of parttime students, between the fall of 1992 to the spring of 1999. With five years of the tuition freeze, institutions have not been able to 'keep up' with the demand and provide adequate resources for their students. With more access for students, the provincial government hopes that this budget will address the need of BC's post-secondary institutions. "There are students graduating from BC Institutions who have never seen a tuition increase, and that is something to celebrate," said Finance Mister

la Paul Martinm11klng an Importantpoint or le he gettingroayto pick hla nose? The CilScado dooan't roally know • but we have an Interview with Mr. Martin on pagofour. Reporter Kent Bruyneel lntervlowod Mr. Martin when he travelod to Prince Edward Island. "In the knowledge economy your greatoet natural roaource la In fact your younger minds," said Paul Martin In an excluslve Interview with Canadian Unlveralty Preas. "So they [students) really are the number one priority aa far as I'm concerned."

VICTORIA (CUP) • As expected, British Columbia's new provincial budget extends the province-wide tuition freeze for another year, but it also Includes additional funding for postsecondary education across the province. The budget, announced March 27 by BC Minister of Finance Paul Ramsey, increased funding to the province's universities and colleges by $85-million - a jump of 7. 5 per cent over last year's advanced education spending - and confirmed that tuition fees in BC will remain at their current levels. "The freeze has helped enrolment grow faster in BC than anywhere else in Canada," Ramsey said in his speech to the Legislative Assembly. "Enrolment is growing throughout the province, reflecting our commitment to provide quality education and opportunities in all regions." The new advanced education funding will be granted to post-secondary Institutions to help offset the cost of the tuition freeze, to increase core funding and to pay for new courses. "One of the focuses [of the budget] is investing In vital services, including education," Ramsey told the media Monday. Of the $85-million in new spending, $39-million will go towards creating over 5,000 new spaces at universities and colleges. The new funding has not yet been divided among BC's various schools, although some has been earmarked for Royal Roads University and the Technical University of BC, located in Victoria. A capital development fund of $133-million will also go towards university infrastructure. A ministry official said that although the Minister of Advanced Education will announce new projects at a later date, approximately $97-million of this fund will be allocated to ongoing care and maintenance projects. Another $117-million will go to research infrastructure. The budget received an enthusiastic response from both student and university officials

Poor hardest hitbvenvironmental collapse, savs conference by Hamish Copley The Link (Concordia University) . MONTREAL (CUP) . The world's environment is worsening and the

biggest losers are poor countries, said delegates at a recent conference of activists from across the Americas. The three-day gathering, Paul Ramsey, "But a tuition f~eeze alone held at the Universite de Montreal, will not guarantee access, 1f our post- d' d . k b t · · . . . , Iscusse 1In s e ween lnJUS 1ice, s.econdary InstItutIonscant afford to offer d the b I eco1og1ca1 co11 apse an gIo a t ., I. "BC' t d t d t I economy. . s pos -secon ary s u en s Delegates from North and will continue. ~o enjoy the second-most South America focused on the effect affordable tu1t1onin Cana~a. However, of environmental damage on the poor the fifth year of the province's tuItIon d th . d b $ 133 .1 an e power1ess. f_reezewi_11be accompanie Y mi_"There's no water left to drink lion to build and modernize colleges, urn- . El S d " ·d R s d versities and Institutes, plus $39 million ~ . . ; Iva ~r, sai . 0 en t ~ to support 5,025 more student spaces, aunc10 erme o an environmen a Mixed reactions cont on page two.

activist from Central America. "Sometimes you get earthworms out of the tap. The [logging] companies call this drinkable water." Mauricio said logging In El Salvador has destroyed the country's water table and polluted its rivers and lakes. "A large part of the territory can no longer support life," he said. Mauricio added that between the country's environmental collapse and its civil war, one-fifth of El Salvador's population has left the country in the span of a few years. He said native populations, who are the poorest segment of society, are the hardest hit. Marie Mazalto, from environmental activist group Eau-Secours, said the first world has no reason to environment cont on page four.

Budget cont on page three.


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