Concordia’s administrative fee is frozen at nine dollars per credit indefinitely after the Concordia Student Union (CSU) and the administration came to a tentative agreement at last month’s Senate meeting.
“It’s definitely a victory, but that’s a battle that we’ll keep fighting,” said Patrice Blais vp of finance, who sits on Senate.
According to Blais, the administration fee will not be rising to $12 in 2002-2003 as originally planned. The agreement on the administration fee was approved by Senate and the Board of Governors.
However, Blais still is not entirely content with how the university is handling its finances. According to him, there is an agreement between the administration and CSU that 20 per cent of all new funding that is not already earmarked would go towards reducing the fee. “But so far,” said Blais, “the administration has found an excuse to earmark every government bonus that comes their way.”
At Senate, vice-rector and provost Dr. Jack Lightstone proposed that 42 cents per credit go toward to the reduction of the administration fee. “This could have been calculated 25 different ways and I found it unfair to the students,” Said Blais. Lightstone’s proposal was rejected by Senate.
Lightstone was not available for comment after many repeated attempts by The Concordian to contact him.
Blais added that the agreement was proposed by Commerce and Administration Student Association (CASA) president, Rabih Sebaaly. Sebaaly said at Senate that the administration does not need the $12 fee and that Senate get rid of the planned $3 increase. Sebaaly added that if it is absolutely necessary to add the $3, then Senate should discuss it. Senate agreed.
The administration fee is added to tuition and according to Blais, it is additional funding for the school’s administration. The fee came in the wake of education cuts from the government coupled with a tuition freeze.
A fee hike was proposed in 1999 and was supposed to eventually rise from $9 to $12. But student lobbying was successful in temporarily freezing the new fee at nine dollars per credit.
However, at the time there was always the fear that the frozen fee would be increased eventually.
Although the fear may now be alleviated, Blais insisted that the CSU will remain watchful of the administration’s actions. “They said so many times that they do not need it. If they were to try to raise the fee, I think there’d be a huge uproar, so they’d better not even try it.”
Another problem, said Blais, is that the fee is an unnecessary redundancy for the numerous minor administrative fees that are tacked on regular tuition fees. “Either have the administration or keep the small fees, but not both. One of them most go.”
Most importantly, Blais is not content with the little say that the student body has with respect to Concordia’s finances and fees. “Students never voted for this fee, students don’t decide where it goes… They refuse access to information. They’re not transparent and they’re not accountable.”
Additional reporting By Diana Thibeault
“It’s definitely a victory, but that’s a battle that we’ll keep fighting,” said Patrice Blais vp of finance, who sits on Senate.
According to Blais, the administration fee will not be rising to $12 in 2002-2003 as originally planned. The agreement on the administration fee was approved by Senate and the Board of Governors.
However, Blais still is not entirely content with how the university is handling its finances. According to him, there is an agreement between the administration and CSU that 20 per cent of all new funding that is not already earmarked would go towards reducing the fee. “But so far,” said Blais, “the administration has found an excuse to earmark every government bonus that comes their way.”
At Senate, vice-rector and provost Dr. Jack Lightstone proposed that 42 cents per credit go toward to the reduction of the administration fee. “This could have been calculated 25 different ways and I found it unfair to the students,” Said Blais. Lightstone’s proposal was rejected by Senate.
Lightstone was not available for comment after many repeated attempts by The Concordian to contact him.
Blais added that the agreement was proposed by Commerce and Administration Student Association (CASA) president, Rabih Sebaaly. Sebaaly said at Senate that the administration does not need the $12 fee and that Senate get rid of the planned $3 increase. Sebaaly added that if it is absolutely necessary to add the $3, then Senate should discuss it. Senate agreed.
The administration fee is added to tuition and according to Blais, it is additional funding for the school’s administration. The fee came in the wake of education cuts from the government coupled with a tuition freeze.
A fee hike was proposed in 1999 and was supposed to eventually rise from $9 to $12. But student lobbying was successful in temporarily freezing the new fee at nine dollars per credit.
However, at the time there was always the fear that the frozen fee would be increased eventually.
Although the fear may now be alleviated, Blais insisted that the CSU will remain watchful of the administration’s actions. “They said so many times that they do not need it. If they were to try to raise the fee, I think there’d be a huge uproar, so they’d better not even try it.”
Another problem, said Blais, is that the fee is an unnecessary redundancy for the numerous minor administrative fees that are tacked on regular tuition fees. “Either have the administration or keep the small fees, but not both. One of them most go.”
Most importantly, Blais is not content with the little say that the student body has with respect to Concordia’s finances and fees. “Students never voted for this fee, students don’t decide where it goes… They refuse access to information. They’re not transparent and they’re not accountable.”
Additional reporting By Diana Thibeault
