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NEWS AND EVENTS
STUDENTS SECURE HISTORIC VICTORY WITH DISCOUNTED TTC METROPASS
TORONTO, Nov. 17 /CNW/ - Today, students successfully convinced members of the Toronto Transit Commission to extend the high school Metropass to public college and university students. This decision will save students who purchase Metropasses hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"This victory will help Toronto students pay for transit while they contend with record high tuition fees and youth unemployment," said Hamid Osman, Ontario Representative of the Canadian Federation of Students. "For the first time in the history of Toronto, college and university students are going to be able to pay a student rate for a Metropass starting next fall."
The Canadian Federation of Students and its Toronto member student associations launched the Fair Student Fares campaign when it was announced that a TTC fare increase would be introduced for all riders. The TTC voted in favour of granting post-secondary students access to the high school pass regardless of age and course load. Such a provision will allow all students to access the discounted Metropass.’ . . .
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/November2009/17/c2390.html?view=print
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RESPONSE TO POTENTIAL CLOSURE OF OISE PROGRAM
GSU Letter to Dean Corman (pdf)
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GSU LETTER IN SUPPORT OF McMASTER TAs
GSU Letter to McMaster (pdf)
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RESPONSE TO UofT's PLAN TO IMPOSE LIBRARY USER FEES
GSU Letter to UofT (pdf)
GSU Letter to Minister Milloy (pdf)
York GSA's Letter to UofT (pdf)
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CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS RELEASES ITS EDUCATION ACTION PLAN;
A blueprint for post-secondary education in Canada.
CFS Education Action Plan (PDF)
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COALITION MEETINGS FOR A POVERTY FREE ONTARIO
Over the past year, about 1.3 million people in Ontario have been living in poverty, and access to basic social rights and services such as health care, housing, education, childcare, and a living wage are severely compromised. The Canadian Federation of Students is organizing a province-wide campaign for a "Poverty Free Ontario". The campaign aims to incorporate labour unions and community allies to reverse the regressive cuts on social services.
GTA-Wide Coalition: Meets every Sunday in the Ryerson Students' Centre, 55 Gould St. @ 4:30pm.
UofT Coalition: Meets every Monday in the Sidney Smith Lobby @ 4:15 pm.
Info: sara@utgsu.ca
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The Coalition is a group of students, workers and faculty from across U of T who are concerned about post-secondary education growing increasingly more expensive and privatised in Canada and Ontario. The meetings are completely open and everyone is encouraged to come. All you need is enthusiasm to make education affordable. We are working to build momentum towards an Ontario-wide Day of Action on Nov. 5th, and then to continue the public pressure to create government policy on tuition fees that ensures universal access to post-secondary education.
For more info: uoft@dropfees.ca
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CANADA STUDENT LOAN DEBT SURPASSES $13 BILLION
Canadian Federation of Students - January 21, 2009
Canada Student Loan debt will surpass the $13 billion mark today for the first time in the nation's history.
"The students and families who can least afford to pay for post-secondary education are carrying a $13 billion burden," said Katherine Giroux-Bougard, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "Saddling a generation of students with billions in debt will have far reaching implications for Canada's economy and socio-economic inequality."
Total student loans owed to the Government of Canada increases by $1.2 million a day. The $13 billion figure does not include approximately $5 billion in provincial student loan debt or personal debt such as credit cards, lines of credits, bank loans, and family loans. This school year alone, almost 360,000 students required loans from the federal government.
In an open letter to Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty sent on December 11, the Canadian Federation of Students proposed four issues to improve access to post-secondary education and reduce student debt: increasing the Canada Social Transfer for post-secondary education, increasing graduate student funding, greater financial support for Aboriginal students, and a boost in student summer jobs funding.
"The best way to weather the current economic downturn is to invest in social programs, especially post-secondary education," said Giroux-Bougard. "Public post-secondary education should be treated as a public works mega-project that will reap benefits for decades to come."
The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest students' organisation. It is composed of more than 80 university and college students' unions with a combined membership of over one-half million students.
For more information:
Katherine Giroux-Bougard, National Chairperson, 613-232-7394
Ian Boyko, Campaigns & Government Relations Coordinator, 613-232-7394 ext. 22
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On Institutional Organization (pdf)
On Enrolment Strategy (pdf)
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CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE POST-RESIDENCY FEES
What are Post-residency fees?
PRF or post-residency fees are a fee structure that allowed
students who completed their course work, and were in the
independent part of their research or thesis write-up stage,
to pay reduced fees. University of Toronto graduate students
who met these criteria until 1993 paid 40% of tuition. This
fee structure still exists in many universities around Canada
and the United states. Please read the PRF
fact sheet for
more information.
Why are Post-residency fees important?
Students who no longer do course work use less of the university
resources. This was recognized by charging lower tuition
fees. Nowadays, however, these students pay full tuition at
a time when they usually are not part of the funded cohort.
For financial reasons students are then forced to work outside
the university to supplement their income and pay for their
tuition, thereby prolonging their time-to-completion.
Another outcome is that many are forced to drop out before
finishing. This reflects poorly on the university as the number
of successful graduates is lower.
What can you do?
Sign the pledge form or
pick it up from your department’s GSU representative.
The pledge form states that you will withhold donations
from the University of Toronto upon graduation until such
time
that PRF are reinstated. Universities depend on alumni
donations as a
source of funding and since we can’t withhold tuition,
we can choose not to donate after graduation.
For more information or to help with this campaign please
contact external@utgsu.ca
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GSU HANDBOOK AND DAYPLANNER
Your 2009/10 GSU handbook and dayplanner will be sent to your department in early fall. The handbook provides valuable information on the work and services of the GSU and our provincial and national students’ union – the Canadian Federation of Students. Each section of the handbook will enable you to navigate around the university as you commence and move toward degree completion. It's a great tool to have at your disposable - we highly recommend you picking one up!
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UTSU (formerly SAC) sells monthly TTC passes for $96 the last few business days of each month. Sales dates, locations, and further details available on the UTSU website.
The TTC only supplies UTSU with a limited amount of passes each month so to be guaranteed one please purchase it during the first few days of sales, before they sell out.
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