Student
      Union
      meet
      with
      Minister
     
     
      of
      Education
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacCallum,
      UPEISU
      President,
      and
     
    

    
     
      Bruce
      Davison,
      UPEISU
      Vice
      Presi-
     
     
      dent
      External,
      met
      with
      the
      Paul
      Connolly,
     
     
      MLA,
      the
      Minister
      of
      Education
      and
      the
      Deputy
     
     
      Minister
      to
      communicate
      to
      them
      the
      concerns
     
     
      of
      UPEI
      students.
      The
      following
      is
      taken
      from
     
     
      1
      summary
      of
      the
      meeting
      presented
      by
      them
      at
     
     
      he
      January
      10th
      meeting
      of
      the
      UPEI
      Student
     
     
      Council:
     
    

    
     
      Specifically,
      the
      three
      objectives
      of
      the
     
     
      neeting
      were:
      1)
      to
      present
      the
      minister
      with
     
     
      ver
      200
      letters
      addressed
      to
      him
      from
      UPEI
     
     
      tudents
      calling
      for:
      an
      end
      to
      the
      freeze
      on
     
     
      unding
      allocated
      to
      the
      University
      of
      Prince
     
     
      ‘dward
      Island,
      a
      reversal
      to
      cuts
      to
      the
      Provin-
     
     
      ial
      Bursary
      Programme,
      and
      far
      better
      treat-
     
     
      hent
      of
      part-time
      and
      mature
      students
      by
      the
     
     
      ducational
      system,
      2)
      to
      discuss
      with
      the
      Min-
     
     
      ter
      the
      grave
      consequences
      of
      the
      freeze
      on
     
     
      ding
      to
      UPEI
      and,
      3)
      to
      voice
      UPEI
      students’
     
     
      treme
      displeasure
      with
      and
      problems
      created
     
     
      cuts
      to
      the
      Provincial
      Bursary
      Program
      and
     
     
      discuss
      with
      the
      Minister
      the
      future
      need
      for
     
     
      ¢
      Bursary
      Program.
      The
      meeting
      lasted
      ap-
     
     
      oximately
      45
      minutes.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Letters
      to
      the
      Minister
      -
     
    

    
     
      |
      letters
      to
      the
      Minister
      signed
      by
      UPEI
     
     
      dents
      to
      that
      date
      were
      delivered
      and
      re-
     
     
      ived
      by
      him
      (complete
      with
      festive
      ribbon
     
     
      dbow).
      The
      concerns
      expressed
      in
      the
      letters
     
     
      te
      then
      used
      as
      a
      starting
      point
      from
      which
      to
     
     
      ch
      discussion
      on
      funding
      and
      accessability.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Funding
      Freeze
      -
     
    

    
     
      behalf
      of
      the
      students
      we
      represent,
      the
      point
     
     
      ‘
      made
      that
      the
      University
      budget
      has
      been
     
     
      ined
      to
      its
      absolute
      limits.
      Any
      further
     
     
      €ze
      on
      funding
      will
      have
      dire
      consequences
     
     
      the
      quality
      of
      education
      at
      UPEI.
      Mr.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      O
      n
      Monday,
      December
      21,
      1992
      Michelle
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      REASED.
      Although
      it
      appeared
      that
      they
     
     
      Ned
      to
      our
      concerns
      attentively
      and
      were
     
     
      to
      state
      that
      no
      extraordinary
      austerity
     
     
      Ures
      would
      be
      put
      in
      place
      as
      had
      been
     
     
      last
      year,
      Mr
      Connolly
      informed
      us
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Student
      Aid
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      'o
      our
      meeting,
      it
      had
      been
      feared
      that,
     
     
      Wing
      the
      recent
      elimination
      of
      Provincial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Grants
      in
      Ontario,
      our
      bursary
      program
      (as
     
     
      inadequate
      as
      it
      is)
      might
      also
      be
      in
      trouble.
     
     
      Thankfully,
      the
      Minister
      assured
      us
      that
      the
      PEI
     
     
      bursary
      program
      will
      be
      left
      in
      place.
      Unfortu-
     
     
      nately,
      the
      cuts
      made
      to
      the
      program
      in
      the
      last
     
     
      Provincial
      Budget
      (making
      very
      many
      students
     
     
      ineligible)
      will
      not
      be
      reversed.
      We
      explained
     
     
      how
      inadequate
      student
      aid,
      skyrocketing
      tui-
     
     
      tion,
      inadequate
      funding,
      and
      a
      host
      of
      other
     
     
      factors
      are
      making
      a
      university
      education
     
     
      impossible
      fora
      large
      and
      ever-increasing
      group
     
     
      of
      students.
      The
      Minister
      and
      Deputy
      Minister
     
     
      listened
      and
      agreed
      with
      a
      great
      deal
      of
      what
      we
     
     
      were
      saying.
      We
      also
      discussed
      at
      length
      rap-
     
     
      idly
      changing
      student
      demographics
      --
      how
     
     
      more
      mature
      students
      are
      going
      to
      university,
     
     
      more
      students
      are
      simply
      going
      to
      university
     
     
      part-time
      for
      economic
      reasons,
      how
      more
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      are
      having
      to
      spend
      more
      time
      working
     
    
   
   
    
     
      than
      their
      academic
      loads
      can
      afford,
      and
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      are
      having
      to
      spend
      longer
      periods
      of
      time
     
     
      to
      get
      their
      degrees
      due
      to
      decreased
      course
     
     
      loads
      that
      result
      from
      higher
      costs.
      Also
      the
      sad
     
     
      truth
      that
      the
      present
      student
      aid
      system
      almost
     
     
      COMPLETELY
      IGNORES
      the
      unique
      needs
      of
     
     
      mature
      students,
      part-time
      students,
      and
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      with
      children.
      We
      agreed
      to
      meet
      again
     
     
      next
      semester,
      especially
      after
      we
      have
      had
     
     
      time
      to
      further
      research
      student
      demographics.
     
     
      Summary:
     
    

    
     
      Overall,
      the
      Meeting
      with
      the
      Minister
      was
      a
     
     
      success
      at
      least
      as
      far
      as
      he
      is
      now
      aware
      of
      our
     
     
      concerns,
      even
      if
      we
      did
      not
      yet
      change
      govern-
     
     
      ment
      policy.
      This
      meeting
      should
      start
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Union
      Council
      on
      a
      much
      more
     
     
      vocal
      stance
      as
      we
      represent
      our
      members
      on
     
     
      the
      provincial
      political
      scene.
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      annually.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Applicants
      must:
     
     
      ©
      bea
      Canadian
      Citizen
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      time
      of
      the
      award
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Programme
      Manager
     
    
   
   
    
     
      85
      Albert
      Street,
      Suite
      1400
     
     
      Ottawa,
      Ontario,
      KIP
      6A4
     
     
      Tel:
      (613)
      237-4820
     
    

    
     
      Fax:
      (013)
      237-1073
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
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