The Campus Council convened last Thursday and voted to raise the Student Services Fee, which was debated on during the last Campus Affairs Committee’s meeting on February 9.
As previously reported by The Medium, the QSS had rejected to endorse a motion proposed by the administration at the February meeting to raise the student services fee from $157.45 to $167.66, including the Child and Family Care Centre.
UTM’s dean of student affairs and chair of QSS, Mark Overton, recited that the center costs $200,000 dollars to run while it only has an average of 7.6 children enrolled.
The student services fee is a bundled payment consisting of three separate services in one motion: the UTM Health & Counselling Centre; the UTM Department of Physical Education, Athletics & Recreation; and the UTM Student Services under the Student Services Fee.
Professor Judith Poe opposed that there’s one single motion that passes all three components. Poe advocated for three separate motions instead and requested an amendment to the voting system, which was denied by the chairman of the committee , professor Hugh Gunz. The motion was passed to raise the student services fee from $157.45 to the maximum price allotted of $167.66.
Although the QSS had opposed such a raise, its power remains as an advisory group, since the council can override their recommendations.
The council also reflected on the large increase of American applications to the campus.
UTM’s interim-principal Ulrich Krull said that while the campus is increasing both with domestic applications and international, it wanted to make sure they were still accepting high-performing students.
He added that the university will be expanding their entry-level scholarships to high-performing students to cover their four-year programs. Students who maintain averages in the high 90s will be eligible for a $3,000 scholarship, but it has to be a continuous average across the four years at UTM, as well.
Another discussion was about the updates for initiatives on the campus, including a “Davis Phase Two” project, which would involve having extended bus lanes to reduce traffic outside of Davis, a renovated entry way into the building, and the design of a “Student Services Plaza.” This plaza would be located in the Temporary Food Court in Davis and would feature a “one-stop shop” for all student services, such as a Career Centre and an Accessibility Centre.
The council did not discuss what would happen to the food venues currently occupying the TFC, nor were dates set for this project as it is still under development and being discussed by the administration.
The next Campus Council meeting is scheduled on April 14.
