The Cadre -

By MELISSA DOUCETTE

Since 1993, tuition at UPEI has risen by almost 45 per cent, and another increase seems likely.

“(Tuition has] gone up the last twenty years. I can’t see why next year would be different,” commented Neil Henry, Vice-President of Fi- nance and Facilities at UPEI. The administration will not be certain how much tuition will cost for the 1999-2000 year until the provincial gov- ernment’s budget comes down, sometime within the next month.

But Henry estimates that tuition will probably in- crease by five to eight per cent. “It’s not something the administration wants to do,” he added.

First year student Ryan O’Connor is not im-

. “It’s expensive,” he says of the already high costs students face.

Athletic fees, which are tied to tuition, will also increase. Residence fees are set for other reasons, said Henry, and residences are in- tended to be a break-even

There are already dif- ferential fees for programs at UPEI, where Education stu- dents pay for their practicum, science students pay a labo- ratory user fee, and music students are subject to certain The revenue for the university depends on the grant given to UPEI by the

vernment, and on tuition eS UPEI is currently in the middle of a ten percent reduc- tion of the government grant, which has been spread over three years.

16 March 1999

Last year saw a six per cent cut in provincial money. This year there was supposed to be a four per cent reduc- tion, but the government cut less than they projected. For the 1999-2000 school year, the government grant is not intended to either rise or de- crease.

The total amount of money cut from UPEI over the last three years was $1.5 million.

But a zero per cent cut does not mean UPEI’s operating budget is unaf- fected. According to Henry, a decrease in government grants has two effects: the university loses money, and must also swallow cost in- creases.

“We need to look for $3 million [for the budget]},” said Henry, adding that over two years costs to the univer- sity have matched the $1.5 million reduction of the gov- ernment grant.

Henry also claims that 75 per cent of the universi- ty’s operating budget to s the salaries of the 600 faculty and staff. Even a rise of one or two per cent — a to the cost of runn university.

“it's the biggest single reason why costs go up every year,” Henry replied.

The early retirement package given out several years ago costs. In addition, UPEI cut staff and

faculty positions, gave up

ownership of the rink, took from the t Health Cen- tre, and increased tuition to on for the difference.

“It’s not in the univer- sity’s interest to raise tui- tion,” Henry maintained. He also indicated that the Health Centre is one of the last places when cuts are

necessary. “You get to the point where you can't take bits of things anymore,” added

alscteagude: program is once Sack year, the

a serious signifi- cant reduction in the services it provides. Students and fac- ulty alike reacted strongly against the proposed cuts,

News 3

Tuition rises again

Spanish program in jeopardy

and the survived.

“Its life [will be] deter- mined by the [provincial] budget,” commented Henry. “There is very little argument for cutting programs,” he continued, adding that the administration is very reluc- tant to cut any program.

H indicated that students affect the govern- ment when the grant is being eee: Last November, a group of students protested at = of the Provin- cial Legislature about tuition hikes.

O'Connor was asked if he felt students could affect tuition prices j

Indirectly,” he re- plied. “By doing nothing that insures it will go up.”

Recycling at UPEI not as green as it could be

LISA HOGAN

Beyond the arguments of landfill placement, there is the constant concern of the amount of waste produced by the community. Recycling efforts are at the forefront of many waste reduction plans, but many are concerned that UPEI is not keeping pace with the movement.

Dr. Marina Silva is an ecologist with the biology

“We [Silva and other professors in the biology de- ] don’t think that it

reduction] is Lalor tht thove i enough

awareness. ; Facts supporting the

of recycled paper saves 3,700 pounds of lumber and 24,000 gallons of water. Incinerat- ing 10,000 tons of waste cre- ates one job, landfiling the same amount creates six jobs, and recycling the same 10,000 tons creates 36 jobs.

But despite these sta- tistics, many are still uncon- sciously reluctant to partici- pate in the improvement of

No student is foreign to the seemingly endless stream of paper and photo- copies that amass on a daily basis. Much of this never

i

finds its way to the desig- nated blue bins for eventual recycl

very i

ing. “Recycling of paper is

” Silva says. Silva and other biol- ogy professors offer a number of suggestions to help reduce paper waste and awareness of recycling at UPEI

“One possibility to in- crease awareness is to have a day of recycling at UPEI, just as a starting point,” she says. dial pootdents Gould Gil unieck neta on pectin on the Internet.”

“Both sides of paper could be printed on to reduce

paper waste, and professors could give out double sided handouts,” she adds. “As well, students could learn

how to using both sides of the paper, and recy- cled can be used.”

hen it comes to

many students seem

an automatic incentive

in recycling. “Pop bottles are often taken to be recycled for money, but fruit juice bottles often end up in the garbage.” There are also indi-

by archiving many of their

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