Daily Bulletin

Presenting the deficit budget

Also at senate The senate meeting begins at 7:30 tonight in Needles Hall room 3001. On the agenda, besides the budget: discussion of the proposed new Ethical Behaviour policy; a presentation on student financial aid; announcement of the first winners of new awards for Distinguished Teaching by a Registered Student.

"We will be about $2 million short," says a memo introducing the budget, submitted to the senate by UW provost Jim Kalbfleisch. "This represents about 1% of total operating income. There are still a number of uncertainties, the largest being next year's enrolments. If the overall financial picture has not improved by the Fall, a small budget cut or levy will be needed."

Kalbfleisch notes that the deficit would be worse, something like $8 million, if it weren't for a reduction in the amount paid into the pension fund by UW (and also by individual staff and faculty). That reduction, which is possible because of a continuing surplus in the pension fund, has been going on for three years now; at present both employer and employees are paying just 25 per cent of normal pension premiums.

Some excerpts from the provost's budget memo:

"Provincial operating grants are expected to increase by 1% in 1999-2000. In addition, we should receive a grant of $3.052 million under ATOP for expansion of enrolments in Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering. Provincial operating grants are our largest source of operating income at 54% of the total. For comparison, in April 1993 the provincial operating grant was $135 million and constituted 70% of total income. [This year it will be $107 million.]

"Tuition fees are the second largest source of operating income at nearly 35% of total income. . . .

"Other revenues make up about 11% of total income. Co-op fee income will increase by more than 10% owing to additional enrolment in co-op programs and a 2.2% increase in the co-op fee. . . .

"The total expense for salaries and wages [$133 million] has been adjusted for estimated salary increases, turnover savings, and replacement hiring. The figures will be updated in the Fall when salary increases have been processed and most hiring for 1999-2000 has been completed.

"The significant increase in benefit costs [from less than $23 million to more than $24 million] is due to expected premium increases for dental and extended health coverage, increased Canada Pension Plan contributions, and costs due to salary increases. . . .

"The government requires that 30% of the revenues from tuition fee rate increases be allocated to student aid. Total operating budget support for student bursaries and scholarships will increase to over $8 million in 1999-2000. . . .

"To pay off the accumulated debt in 1999-2000, as originally planned, we need to allocate $2.6 million for debt reduction and balance the 1999-2000 budget.

"Owing to inflation and the weakness of the Canadian dollar, the library acquisitions budget requires a substantial increase. The proposed 7.8% increase is not sufficient to fully offset the 10% loss in purchasing power over the past year."

Spring fees due next Monday

An announcement adds: "Any students that pre-register for the spring term starting Monday, April 19, must pick up a fee statement in the registrar's office."

April 26, a week from today, is the deadline for fee payment; late fees will be charged for payments that are received by the cashiers' office after that day. The spring term begins the following Monday, May 3. The announcement suggests that cash will no longer be accepted for fee payments.

Says the registrar's office: "Please mail your cheque or money order or drop it off in one of our Express Payment boxes located outside the cashier's office, registrar's office, and graduate studies office." Cheques can be postdated to May 3.

A tuition fee increase, approved by the board of governors earlier this month, goes into effect with the spring term; the 1999-2000 schedule of fees is now available on the web.

Who's the mother of invention?

Such grey areas are the subject of an intellectual property lunch-time forum, "Who owns Intellectual Property at UW?", on Wednesday, April 21, from noon to 12:30 p.m. in Davis Centre room 1331. A five- to 10-minute presentation will be followed by a question and answer period. The session is part of a series of forums Gray is offering on intellectual property to assist UW researchers and students in understanding the issues.

Intellectual property is hot news just now, with a bulletin last week from the Canadian Association of University Teachers, warning that an Expert Panel on the Commercialization of University Research is recommending changes in ownership rules:

A federal panel is recommending that faculty be denied rights to all intellectual property created in research fully funded by the federal government. . . . The draft report also says that commercialization should rank with teaching, research and community service as one of the four primary missions of universities.

"This is a shocking report," said CAUT Executive member, Ken Field. "It is based on questionable data, suggests that university researchers are an impediment to Canada's prosperity, and proposes a wide-ranging set of policies that benefit private industry at the expense of academics and most Canadians." . . .

A solution to Canada's economic ills, claims the report, is to assure that intellectual property created in university research be made available effectively to the private sector. According to the Report's authors, this means universities acquiring ownership of intellectual property and then dedicating themselves to commercialization through the private sector.

Other news and announcements

"Save 10% on all general books all the time!" says the latest publicity from the UW bookstore. The uniform discount, similar to the discount arrangement that applies on textbooks, is something new, and means an end to the store's long-time system of discount cards (buy ten, get one free). Existing cards can be redeemed until April 30, the store says. I know I have one somewhere -- I'd better dig it out and see what I can get free before it turns into a pumpkin.

Here's another bargain, offered by JM Novelties of Shreveport, Louisiana:

Our novelty degree certificates . . . are very impressive, 11 x 17, with the full color seal of Wellington University. Each certificate is individualized as to name, level and type of degree and field. Each is signed by hand. The degrees are available as follows: Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science, $40.00 . . . Doctor of Dental Medicine, $100.00. These degrees are non-academic and unaccredited and sold as novelties only. . . . They are not designed, and should not be used, for the commission of any fraud.

Students, faculty and alumni from the fine arts department have teamed up with the K-W Art Gallery, the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, and other local arts organizations to help create an endowment for the visual arts. They're selling paint brushes for $5 -- door to door and at some spots on campus -- with a goal of selling 10,000 brushes and thus collecting $50,000 for "Brush with Art". (Also available: a $100 gift package containing everything that's needed to paint an entire house.)

And, the test of an Internet telephone line continues -- actually, now two lines, says Bruce Uttley of the information systems and technology department. "A second telephone has been installed at the turnkey desk in the Student Life Centre," he writes, "to allow more people to try it and to provide more feedback for the trial." The first phone, offering free calls to the Toronto, Guelph, and Halifax local calling areas, is in the Computer Help and Information Place on the first floor of the Math and Computer building.

CAR

Editor of the Daily Bulletin: Chris Redmond
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
credmond@uwaterloo.ca | (519) 888-4567 ext. 3004
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