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' J* \, Hk\ March 19, 1999 Memorial University of Newfoundland Volume 49, Number 20 Memorial scores low on efficiency study Low ranking could be due to university's isolation and unique status in province, says economist By AMANDA LABONTE A National Post article on a study which gave Memorial a low efficiency rating could give people an incorrect impression of the university, says the university's president and an economics prof. Prepared by two University of Alberta economists, the study measured the efficiency of 45 universities across Canada, grading them in nine categories. Melville McMillan, one of the report's authors, says efficiency was measured by comparing a university' s output—the number of students who graduate in four years, the number of grants and research dollars faculty bring in— with its input — all the resources put into running the university such as faculty, libraries and building maintenance. The report was published in the December 1998 issue of the journal Canadian Public Policy and was subject of a news story in the National Post. The Post reported that while most Canadian univer- Several Burton's Pond ducks enjoy a swim. Photo by David Laidley Students pressing for ombudsperson by 2000 CSU, GSU want admin., MUNFA together to develop guidelines By MICHAEL CONNORS Unions representing graduate and undergraduate students at Memorial are hoping to have a campus ombudsperson up and running by next January now that they've drafted proposed guidelines for the position. Nancy Peckford,presidentof the Graduate Students' Union, says the terms of reference were developed last fall. She adds that with the helpofacommittee established byuniversity'svice-presidentaca- demic, she hopes to see the administration, faculty association and both student unions meet to develop the final guidelines. The guidelines call for an independent ombuds office that could help resolve problems informally and inquire into university-related concerns or complaints. Serving as a general information resource, the ombudsperson could recom mend but not impose solutions, and would be restricted from infringing on the provisions of any collective bargaining agreements. The position would be governed by a co-ordinating committee with representatives from the two student councils, the MUN Faculty Association (MUNFA), a member appointed by the vice-president academic, and a non-studentmem- ber of Senate. • Please see "MUNFA"page 4 sides operate at "uniformly high levels of efficiency," Memorial University lagged significantly behind the national average. McMillan says while the most efficient schools got scores of 100 percent,Memorialscored between 55 and 77 per cent. But Wade Locke, an economics professor at Memorial, says the Post article could give people an inaccurate impression of the university. "People reading that story could get the impression that MUN is somehow wasting resources and that would not necessarily be a legitimate inference to draw from that particular story," he said. • Please see "May"page 5 Policy unfair, say students By MICHAEL ROSSITER A provincial policy that claws back the living expenses portion of a student loan from students who are also on social assistance is unfair, say student leaders. Under the policy, established in April 1997, students receiving social assistance cannot receive full loans from student aid. In ex- changeforsocialassistancemoney, students applying have to pay back the portion of their loan normally calculated to cover living expenses. Gloria Williams, social work representative with the CSU, has been circulating a petition to fight the policy. She says students on social assistance should be able to take out a full loan like any other student. "All of a sudden, they decided that they are going to take 'X' amount of money out of our loans because we receive assistance," she said, adding that the policy is "blatant poor bashing." But Wayne Penny, director of incomesupportforthe Department of Human Resources and Employment, says the policy exists to help social assistance recipients get an education. "We continue their social assistance unaffected, and the arrangement is the living expenses portion of the student loan is returned to the department," he said. "And we' ve made an arrangement with student loans to have that automatically done." By clawing back part of the student loan, the policy also helps reduce the total amount of debt social assistance recipients accumulate. Penney says the department is interested in helping those who are on social assistance improve their "lot in life" by improving their education. "Obviously social assistance is much greater than the living expenses [portion of a student loan], so it is to their advantage to continue with social assistance and to repay the small portion ofthe student loan that is designated for the * living expenses," he said. "[Living expenses] is what social assistance was designed to govern." Jeff Braun-Jackson, a political scienceprofessorat Memorial, says the policy only serves to further marginalize those who rely on social assistance. "This policy is not very logical, in the sense that you have people on social assistance who are obviously for the most part demonized or marginalized by society," said Braun-Jackson. "Certainly marginalized economically, they • Please see "Students"page 4 www.atwarpspeed.com /ymPATic®" @w«p
Object Description
Description
Title | Cover |
Description | The Muse, vol. 49, no. 20 (19 March 1999) |
PDF File | (22.82MB) -- http://collections.mun.ca/PDFs/muse/TheMusevol49no2019March1999.pdf |
Transcript | ' J* \, Hk\ March 19, 1999 Memorial University of Newfoundland Volume 49, Number 20 Memorial scores low on efficiency study Low ranking could be due to university's isolation and unique status in province, says economist By AMANDA LABONTE A National Post article on a study which gave Memorial a low efficiency rating could give people an incorrect impression of the university, says the university's president and an economics prof. Prepared by two University of Alberta economists, the study measured the efficiency of 45 universities across Canada, grading them in nine categories. Melville McMillan, one of the report's authors, says efficiency was measured by comparing a university' s output—the number of students who graduate in four years, the number of grants and research dollars faculty bring in— with its input — all the resources put into running the university such as faculty, libraries and building maintenance. The report was published in the December 1998 issue of the journal Canadian Public Policy and was subject of a news story in the National Post. The Post reported that while most Canadian univer- Several Burton's Pond ducks enjoy a swim. Photo by David Laidley Students pressing for ombudsperson by 2000 CSU, GSU want admin., MUNFA together to develop guidelines By MICHAEL CONNORS Unions representing graduate and undergraduate students at Memorial are hoping to have a campus ombudsperson up and running by next January now that they've drafted proposed guidelines for the position. Nancy Peckford,presidentof the Graduate Students' Union, says the terms of reference were developed last fall. She adds that with the helpofacommittee established byuniversity'svice-presidentaca- demic, she hopes to see the administration, faculty association and both student unions meet to develop the final guidelines. The guidelines call for an independent ombuds office that could help resolve problems informally and inquire into university-related concerns or complaints. Serving as a general information resource, the ombudsperson could recom mend but not impose solutions, and would be restricted from infringing on the provisions of any collective bargaining agreements. The position would be governed by a co-ordinating committee with representatives from the two student councils, the MUN Faculty Association (MUNFA), a member appointed by the vice-president academic, and a non-studentmem- ber of Senate. • Please see "MUNFA"page 4 sides operate at "uniformly high levels of efficiency," Memorial University lagged significantly behind the national average. McMillan says while the most efficient schools got scores of 100 percent,Memorialscored between 55 and 77 per cent. But Wade Locke, an economics professor at Memorial, says the Post article could give people an inaccurate impression of the university. "People reading that story could get the impression that MUN is somehow wasting resources and that would not necessarily be a legitimate inference to draw from that particular story," he said. • Please see "May"page 5 Policy unfair, say students By MICHAEL ROSSITER A provincial policy that claws back the living expenses portion of a student loan from students who are also on social assistance is unfair, say student leaders. Under the policy, established in April 1997, students receiving social assistance cannot receive full loans from student aid. In ex- changeforsocialassistancemoney, students applying have to pay back the portion of their loan normally calculated to cover living expenses. Gloria Williams, social work representative with the CSU, has been circulating a petition to fight the policy. She says students on social assistance should be able to take out a full loan like any other student. "All of a sudden, they decided that they are going to take 'X' amount of money out of our loans because we receive assistance," she said, adding that the policy is "blatant poor bashing." But Wayne Penny, director of incomesupportforthe Department of Human Resources and Employment, says the policy exists to help social assistance recipients get an education. "We continue their social assistance unaffected, and the arrangement is the living expenses portion of the student loan is returned to the department," he said. "And we' ve made an arrangement with student loans to have that automatically done." By clawing back part of the student loan, the policy also helps reduce the total amount of debt social assistance recipients accumulate. Penney says the department is interested in helping those who are on social assistance improve their "lot in life" by improving their education. "Obviously social assistance is much greater than the living expenses [portion of a student loan], so it is to their advantage to continue with social assistance and to repay the small portion ofthe student loan that is designated for the * living expenses," he said. "[Living expenses] is what social assistance was designed to govern." Jeff Braun-Jackson, a political scienceprofessorat Memorial, says the policy only serves to further marginalize those who rely on social assistance. "This policy is not very logical, in the sense that you have people on social assistance who are obviously for the most part demonized or marginalized by society," said Braun-Jackson. "Certainly marginalized economically, they • Please see "Students"page 4 www.atwarpspeed.com /ymPATic®" @w«p |
Date created | 2018-03-26 |