Last Thursday, McGill Senate convened for the first time this academic year. The meeting included discussion of the Parti Québécois’ (PQ) education platform and its impact on McGill, improvements to the academic advising system, and the annual report on McGill’s policy on harassment, sexual harassment, and discrimination.
Principal Heather Munroe-Blum opened the meeting with remarks on the education platform of the minority PQ government elected during the Sept. 4 provincial election. On Sept. 20, the PQ officially cancelled the previous liberal government’s planned five-year tuition increase, even though universities had already implemented the increase for the fall semester.
Before the official cancellation, Provost Anthony Masi stated that a decree for universities to refund the students would have severe consequences for McGill, as the projected increases were included in the university’s budget plans. According to Masi, the expected total losses for McGill are $90 million, once all five years of the original tuition increase are taken into consideration.
“While we are studying several unpleasant scenarios, until we actually see the alternatives that the new [Quebec government] will put on the table for providing additional revenues to Quebec’s already cash-strapped university system, I am not in a position to indicate the magnitude of cuts that … McGill will have to endure,” Masi said.
At Senate, Munroe-Blum expressed concern for the effects of the losses on the university and its students if the current government does nothing to make up for the gap in the budget.
“A decrease in overall tuition revenue will impact [student support],” she said. “Our current budget is unsustainable.”
Although she did not give exact numbers for the effect on students, Munroe-Blum noted that the loss of tuition revenue will have the greatest impact on out-of province and international students.
“Students who are not from Quebec are not eligible for Quebec student aid, even though a certain percentage of their tuition [goes to Quebec student aid],” Munroe-Blum said. “$55 million net of McGill students goes to the Quebec system.”
Munroe-Blum also emphasized the importance of lobbying the government to ease McGill’s financial situation. According to Munroe-Blum, goals this year include applying for a Special Mission Grant, as well as a Special Infrastructure Grant because of McGill’s unique and historical position in Canada.
Later in Senate, Associate Provost (Policies, Procedures, and Equity) Lydia White presented the annual report of the policy on harassment, sexual harassment, and discrimination. White emphasized the advantages of the university’s internal system, which helps deal with complaints.
“The assumption is that if someone has a complaint [and] is not happy with the outcome, there are other recourses available to them,” White said. “It’s always better to try internal recourse before you go outside. In serious cases they would be referred outside.”
Munroe-Blum added that a strong internal system is advantageous at McGill because of the university’s high international population, since those who are unfamiliar with Quebec law are often more comfortable with pursuing a resolution at the internal level.
Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson also presented a report to Senate on advancing academic advising at McGill. According to Mendelson, the university has made many improvements in advising in the last two years.
Mendelson said improvements include the creation of an Advising and Mentoring Board and an expansion of the advising website. The administration has also created a student-staff mentoring program, an Aboriginal students advisor, and in-residence advising programs to make advising more accessible to students at times of year when it is in high-demand.
“We have established a platform to go forward,” Mendelson said. “[We need to] seize that moment [and] make strides to go forward in advising, mentoring, and graduate supervision.”
