Daily Bulletin

Why some students said no to UW

This year's potential students are focused on a day exactly 16 weeks away: "The majority of our offers of admission will be mailed May 29," says UW's admissions web site.

A total of 1,854 responses were received from a survey sent to 5,700 students who had applied to enter UW in September 1999, and were accepted into the program they chose, but eventually decided not to register here. A summary of the survey's findings was presented to the board of governors last week.

The single biggest reason, cited by 550 (more than one-third) of those who answered the survey: UW didn't offer them a scholarship. That answer was even more important to students with top marks from high school, as it was mentioned by 46 per cent of those with high school marks over 95, and 41 per cent of those with marks between 90 and 94.

In second place: "Applicant didn't receive a room in residence from UW." That answer was ticked by 417, or 27 per cent, of those who answered the survey (and it was the number one answer given by students with high school marks at lower levels, between 75 and 84).

The third-place answer was "Other", and the fourth-place answer, chosen by 364 (24 per cent) of those responding, was that they had ended up in an academic program offered by some other university but not by UW. That answer was particularly given by students who had named UW as a second, third or fourth choice when they applied to university -- and who presumably were accepted by their first-choice university as well.

Other answers included "Applicants wanted to attend a post-secondary institution in their home city" (22 per cent), earlier offers from other universities than from UW (18 per cent), "UW is known only for its technology-oriented programs" (18 per cent), financial reasons (17 per cent), "UW's reputation is not as strong" (17 per cent), not hearing from UW often enough during the application process (14 per cent), "UW is too far from home" (14 per cent), "UW is too big" (13 per cent), "Does not like the City of Waterloo" (12 per cent), and "Possibility of acceptance into a health professional program will be greater at the institution they're attending" (10 per cent).

Student tax receipts The documents that students need in order to claim vital income tax deductions will be available in a few days, says Wayne Gadsby of UW's finance office: "1999 Student Tax Receipts (T2202A Tuition and Education Amounts Certificate) will be mailed out for all University of Waterloo, St. Jerome's University and Renison College students, commencing February 11, to home addresses on record. Students who have specific academic departments as their mailing addresses will have their receipts forwarded to the appropriate departments. "If you do not receive your receipt by the end of February or if you require a replacement, University of Waterloo students should contact the Cashier's Office, Finance in Needles Hall. St. Jerome's and Renison students should contact their respective Business Office. There is a $5 charge for duplicate receipts."

The politics of Millennium Scholarships

"Overall, the Millennium Scholarship program is positive. The intent is to reduce student debt and make university more accessible," she says. "It's really too bad political squabbling has resulted in this situation."

In Ontario, 35,416 scholarships totalling $106,248,000 are going to the province's "neediest students," according to announcements from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation in December. An endowment fund of $2.5 billion will provide scholarships under the program until the year 2010. The scholarships are divided among the provinces based on population, with each province signing separate deals with the fund detailing how the money would be administered.

Although Chau estimates some 75 per cent of Ontario students receiving the scholarships will have a net gain, others who have an OSAP loan of more than $7,000 may actually be penalized by the additional Millennium funds. Currently the province forgives all OSAP loans over $7,000 per year, explains Chau. If a students had a $10,000 OSAP loan, the province would forgive $3,000 of it. While a $3,000 Millennium Scholarship would also reduce the debt by the same amount, the student would be required to pay federal tax on the scholarship, potentially ending up in a worse position financially than without the scholarship.

"The federal government taxes any scholarship money over $500 per year," says Chau, "and the Millennium Scholarship is treated as taxable income."

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), to which the Feds belong, is lobbying the federal government to change the tax laws, increasing the tax limit for scholarships from $500 to $5,000 per year. "That would benefit all students receiving scholarships, not just recipients of Millennium Scholarships," she stressed.

As for the Ontario government, savings in debt reduction payments resulting from Millennium Scholarship funds are expected to reach some $75 million, says Chau. The provincial student organization representing Feds -- the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance -- is monitoring the provincial government to ensure it keeps its promise to reinvest the money saved back into student financial aid.

While the Canadian Federation of Students has advised Ontario students to return their Millennium Scholarship money, the Feds (and CASA) are suggesting that students look at their individual financial situation before deciding whether to send the money back.

Staff candidate has union platform

From a letter sent to association members by McKone last week:

The Staff Association has been a never-ending source of diversion, entertainment, and enjoyment these past two years. The work has been challenging and the people have been interesting; on the rare occasion that those two adjectives have been switched, it's been a learning experience. I'm more than half way through my presidency, reluctantly looking forward to passing the baton at the Annual General Meeting.

I'm full of confidence that the new executive to whom this baton will pass will be as committed, capable, and congenial as that with which I've had the pleasure to work. Calls for nominations will soon be made as we search for those who would replace us: to add to what we've done, or to take us in new directions. When the call comes, seriously consider giving of your time to the Staff Association. It's good people working with good people, working for good people.

There's already an announced candidate, something that doesn't often happen well before election season. "I will be running for President of the University of Waterloo Staff Association," says a memo from Joe Szalai of the user services department in the UW library. (Actually, he'd be running for president-elect; Walter McCutchan of the information systems and technology department was chosen last year to be president-elect in 1999-2000 and president in 2000-01.)

Says Szalai on his web page: "When I am elected I will work with you to have the Association certified. . . . I have my own ideas about certification, and whether or not we should affiliate with a national union, but a certification drive is not about me. It's about all of us. If I am elected we will have to decide the type of certification we want. . . . It's not anti-UW to be pro-union."

Optometry night, and other notes

Ellsworth LeDrew of UW's department of geography is the speaker today as the Kitchener Public Library continues its noon-hour series at the main library downtown. His topic: "El Niño and Tropical Coral Reefs -- The Canadian Connection".

The executive committee of the UW senate will meet today (3:30 p.m., Needles Hall room 3004) to set the agenda for the February 21 meeting of the full senate. Among items on the agenda: a proposed change to UW's Policy 3 by which young faculty members taking a six-month sabbatical leave "for the specific purpose of helping the individual prepare for tenure consideration" would receive full salary, not 80 per cent as at present. Also getting to the senate level are the long-awaited changes to the architecture curriculum, converting the three-year BES program to a four-year "honours pre-professional" architecture degree and the two-year Bachelor of Architecture program to a one-year master's degree.

St. Jerome's University has a visit today from Vancouver-based poet Patrick Friesen (right), who will read from his work at 4 p.m. in the SJU common room.

Optometry Admission Night takes place this evening, from 7 to 9 p.m., in Optometry room 347. "There will be presentations," says Marie Amodeo of the school of optometry, "by a local optometrist, an optometry student and the admissions officers. There will also be a tour of the School of Optometry. Light refreshments will follow." Although optometry is an "undergraduate" program, it leads to a doctoral degree (OD), and many entering students do have degrees; at the minimum, the optometry school expects credits in biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, psychology, English, genetics, ethics and a few more.

Looking ahead to tomorrow: Ric Asselstine, described as "entrepreneur, author, and WLU business professor", will speak at UW, sponsored by the Engineering Society. His topic: "Career and Life Planning for Entrepreneurs of the Future". His talk will start at 4:30 tomorrow in Carl Pollock Hall room 3386.

Now this from the Math Society: "Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and we're making it extra special with our own Hug and Kiss O'Grams. They're going to be sold February 10 and 11, and are a great way to express to that special someone how much you really love 'em. We'll be running this in conjunction with the MathSoc Balloon Charity, so you can buy either for $3 each, or both for $5. We're going to be needing volunteers for this event." Mmm.

And speaking of volunteers . . . the local Volunteer Action Centre is looking for people to help sell handicrafts at the Ten Thousand Villages shop in Waterloo: "Mature volunteers with the ability to serve customers in a friendly, professional manner would be the perfect match." For more information, the VAC can be reached at 742-8610.

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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