January
      25,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Students
      respond
      to
      House
      of
      Commons
      Report
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Graduate
      Students
      in
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island
      hope
      the
      Federal
     
     
      Government
      will
      put
      its
      money
      where
     
     
      its
      mouth
      is,
      literally.
     
    

    
     
      In
      a
      recently
      released
      report,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Moving
      Forward:
      Balancing
      Priorities
      »
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      Making
      Changes
      for
      the
      Economy
     
     
      of
      the
      Twenty-First
      Century,”
      the
      House
     
     
      of
      Commons
      Standing
      Committee
      on
     
     
      Finance
      supported
      the
      call
      from
     
     
      students
      to
      provide
      a
      realistic
      approach
     
     
      to
      post-secondary
      education
      issues.
     
     
      Student
      Organizations
      have
      been
     
     
      pressing
      the
      government
      to
      create
      a
     
     
      dedicated
      federal
      transfer
      payment
      for
     
     
      post-secondary
      education
      and
     
     
      research.
      This
      past
      week
      the
     
     
      committee
      answered
      by
      calling
      on
      the
     
     
      government
      to
      “.
      .
      .
      split
      the
      Canada
     
     
      Social
      Transfer
      into
      a
      Canada
      education
     
     
      transfer
      and
      a
      Canadian
      social
     
     
      assistance
      and
      services
      transfer.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      report
      also
      included
      support
     
     
      for
      students’
      call
      to
      expand
      the
      low
     
     
      income
      grant
      program
      from
      the
     
     
      Conservative
      Party
      of
      Canada,
      as
      well
     
     
      as
      a
      call
      from
      the
      New
      Democratic
     
     
      Party
      (NDP)
      to
      implement
      a
      tuition
      fee
     
     
      reduction
      strategy
      in
      conjunction
      with
     
     
      increased
      federal
      transfer
      payments
      to
     
     
      the
      provinces.
      The
      NDP
      also
     
     
      recommended
      the
      phasing
      out
      of
      the
     
     
      Millennium
      Scholarship
      Foundation
      in
     
     
      order
      to
      fund
      a
      national
      system
      of
     
     
      needs-based
      grants.
     
    

    
     
      “It’s
      good
      to
      see
      increasing
     
     
      funding
      and
      a
      comprehensive
      grant
     
     
      system
      finally
      on
      the
      agenda
      of
      the
     
     
      Federal
      Government,”
      said
      UPEI
      GSA
     
     
      President
      Fortune
      Sithole.
      “Students
     
     
      across
      this
      country
      have
      been
      denied
     
     
      the
      fair
      and
      equitable
      education
      they
     
     
      deserve
      for
      far
      too
      long.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      Graduate
      Student
     
     
      Association
      hopes
      the
      changes,
      if
     
     
      implemented
      in
      this
      next
      budget
      will
     
     
      translate
      into
      a
      more
      accessible
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education
      system.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “We
      feel
      that
      these
     
     
      recommendations
      will
      work
      well
     
     
      together,
      to
      ensure
      that
      university
     
     
      administrations
      no
      longer
      look
      to
      high
     
     
      tuition
      fees
      to
      solve
      their
      burdening
     
     
      financial
      problems.”
      Sithole
      said.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Canadian
      Government
      has
     
     
      had
      a
      steady
      decline
      in
      post-secondary
     
     
      education
      spending
      in
      the
      past
      20
      years
     
     
      and
      remains
      one
      of
      only
      two
      member
     
     
      nations
      in
      the
      Organization
      for
     
     
      Economic
      Cooperation
      and
     
     
      Development
      (OECD)
      without
      a
     
     
      nations
      system
      of
      needs
      based
      grants.
     
    

    
     
      “Canada
      has
      some
      of
      the
      highest
     
     
      tuition
      fees
      in
      the
      world.”
      Sithole
      said.
     
     
      “T
      can
      only
      hope
      that
      increased
      funding
     
     
      will
      work
      to
      reduce
      those
      fees
      and
     
     
      provide
      more
      opportunities
      to
      those
     
     
      seeking
      higher
      education.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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      THE
      CADRE
      @
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      University
      of
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
     
     
      Graduate
      Students’
      Association
      (UPEI
      GSA)
     
     
      urges
      support
      for
      Glendon
      College
      students.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      the
      Glendon
      College
     
     
      Students’
      Union
      (GCEUV)
      launches
      a
     
     
      $2.7
      million
      dollar
      lawsuit
      against
      the
     
     
      York
      University
      Administration,
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      GSA
      urges
      students’
      groups
      to
     
     
      take
      action.
      .
     
    

    
     
      “The
      actions
      of
      the
      York
     
     
      University
      Administration
      are
      not
      simply
     
     
      undemocratic,
      but
      fly
      in
      the
      face
      of
      the
     
     
      basic
      rights
      of
      students,”
      says
      UPEI
     
     
      GSA
      Executive
      Vice
      President
      Joy
     
     
      Elliott,
      “Student
      governments
      should
      be
     
     
      treated
      with
      respect
      by
      University
     
     
      Administrations,
      these
      actions
      are
      part
     
     
      of
      a
      very
      dangerous
      trend.”
     
    

    
     
      These
      comments
      come
      after
      the
     
     
      Glendon
      College
      Students’
      Union
      was
     
     
      forced
      to
      turn
      to
      litigation
      to
      regain
     
     
      control
      of
      assets
      seized
      by
      the
     
     
      University
      in
      December
      of
      2004.
      The
     
     
      actions
      by
      the
      University,
      which
     
     
      included
      changing
      the
      locks
      on
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Postgraduate
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      student
      unions’
      office,
      suspending
      the
     
     
      student
      representatives
      and
      freezing
      and
     
     
      then
      redirecting
      the
      association’s
      funds,
     
     
      has
      brought
      the
      activities
      of
      the
      students’
     
     
      union
      to
      a
      screeching
      halt.
     
    

    
     
      On
      behalf
      of
      their
      students
     
     
      GCSU
      is
      seeking
      $2.7
      million
      in
     
     
      damages,
      including
      $200,000
      for
     
     
      breach
      of
      contract,
      $1
      million
      for
     
     
      breach
      of
      fiduciary
      duty
      and
      $1
      million
     
     
      in
      punitive
      and
      exemplary
      damages.
     
    

    
     
      ““We
      want
      to
      send
      a
      message
      to
     
     
      York
      and
      other
      universities
      that
      they
     
     
      can’t
      treat
      students
      this
      way,”
      said
     
     
      GCSU
      legal
      counsel
      Xavier
      Navarrete.
     
     
      “York
      has
      followed
      different
      procedures
     
     
      when
      dealing
      with
      student
      governments
     
     
      and
      breached
      their
      contract
      with
      the
     
     
      students.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      UPEI
      GSA
      couldn’t
      agree
     
     
      more.
      In
      the
      past
      year
      York
      University
     
     
      has
      not
      only
      seized
      the
      accounts
      of
      two
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      other
      campus
      students’
      unions,
      but
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      also
      reprimanded
      by
      the
      courts
      for
     
     
      expelling
      a
      student
      activist
      without
      due
     
     
      process.
      The
      Association
      is
      urging
     
     
      students’
      organizations
      across
      the
     
     
      province
      to
      join
      students
      across
      the
     
     
      country
      in
      pledging
      their
      support
      to
     
     
      GCSU.
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      GSA
      executive
      members
     
     
      will
      be
      taking
      action
      this
      week
      by
     
     
      personally
      writing
      to
      York
      President
     
     
      Loma
      Marsden
      condemning
      the
      actions
     
     
      she
      has
      chosen.
     
    

    
     
      “Glendon
      College
      Students’
     
     
      Union
      has
      fully
      complied
      with
      university
     
     
      regulations
      and
      is
      an
      autonomous
     
     
      students’
      union,”
      Elliott
      says,
      ““These
     
     
      actions
      can
      not
      be
      tolerated.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      University
      of
      Prince
      Edward
     
     
      Island
      Graduate
      Students’
      Association
     
     
      is
      amember
      of
      the
      Canadian
      Federation
     
     
      of
      Students
      and
      represents
      Graduate
     
     
      Students
      at
      the
      University
      of
      Prince
     
     
      Edward
      Island.