Board approves amended international student levy

Laurie Zack

At its Sept. 29 meeting, the Board of Governors resumed a discussion from last spring concerning a proposed levy on international students in the Faculty of Arts and Science. Speaking in a room packed with international students and student supporters, the governors listened to impassioned pleas from student representatives and sobering explanations from administrators.

Interim Arts and Science dean June Chaikelson explained that the revised levy called for a $1,000 levy to incoming international students beginning in September 2005 and for the year after. International students currently studying in the Faculty will not be affected.

Asked about the total amount to be collected she estimated $300,000 for the first year and possibly $600,000 the second year, depending on the number of international students who register.

She assured the students that the funds would be used exclusively for scholarships for international students and the levy funds collected would be open to scrutiny by student representatives. Any clawback by the government or change in funding policy for international students would nullify the levy.

Provost Martin Singer recognized the difficult financial situation of many international students, but emphasized that this was in no way a "money grab" by the university.

Singer said the real culprit is the government funding policy, which claws back the difference between fees paid by international students and local students. Vice-President Finance Larry English estimated that only $1,500 of the $9,500 international fee collected by the university for a student doing 30 credits goes back to the university.

CSU representative Tyler Wordsworth ended the discussion with a plea to the Board to work together with students to try to influence policy in Quebec City and to be sensitive to the burden that any fee change imposes on students, including international students.

In a wide-ranging report to the Board, President Lowy outlined the development over the past year and the challenges facing Concordia. He underlined the fact that despite hiring 400 professors in the last eight years and bringing enrolment close to our capacity of 25,000 FTEs (full-time equivalent students), the university only spends about $9,000 per student. This contrasts starkly with the $10,000 to $11,000 per student when he began his term 10 years ago and the Ontario average of $18,000 per student.

Search for Dean of Arts & Science

Dr. Lowy announced that an Advisory Search Committee for a Dean of Arts and Science will be formed under the chairmanship of Martin Singer. Lowy explained that the ad hoc committee to examine the future of the Faculty had concluded that it was not advisable to divide the Faculty at this time and to search for a new dean while June Chaikelson assumed the interim deanship.

The Search Committee will consist of a chair (Martin Singer), a member of the Board either from the community at large or alumni and a faculty member from a Faculty outside Arts and Science, four full-time and one part-time faculty member from Arts &Science, a Dean from another Faculty, two students (undergrad and grad) and an administrative and support staff representative from the Faculty.

Provost Martin Singer reported that undergraduate admissions were stable for the university as a whole but down in Engineering and Computer Science and in the JMSB. Singer explained that engineering admissions were down across the country. He hoped that graduate admissions would compensate for the slight undergraduate shortfall.

Money for JMSB

Lowy said that the Quebec government has committed to funding the new home for the JMSB building. The amount of the contribution will be known soon. He also suggested that the latest budget figures suggest that Concordia may be able to present a balanced operating budget this year.

The Board approved the reappointment of Vice-President Services Michael Di Grappa for a term extending from June 1, 2005, to May 31, 2010. They also approved the title of Vice-President Finance for Larry English.