It's fee season, and no cheques accepted

Thousands of students are getting ready to come to Waterloo this fall term, or to return after a term away. And that means — guess what — paying their tuition and incidental fees, and in some cases also fees for residence.

“Fees for the Fall 2010 term have been posted to your student account,” says a memo sent the other day to the students who are preregistered for the term that begins September 13. The place to see the size of the fee hit is Quest, the online student system. (Click Finances, then “My Account”, then “Account Inquiry” and then “Fall 2010”, says the memo, sent out by the university’s finance office.)

With minor exceptions, fees are the same this fall as they were in the spring term, as annual increases took effect May 1. The per-term tuition fee could be as low as $2,577 for a Canadian student in fourth-year arts, or more than $16,000 for international students in some professional fields.

“The University of Waterloo assesses fees one term at a time,” says the memo. “You must become ‘Fees Arranged’ each and every academic term. The easiest way to become ‘Fees Arranged’ is by paying your fees in full. Please see Payment Options on our website.

“Your account balance may change as a result of housing or meal plan adjustments, or changes to your program, citizenship status or course load. Fees are recalculated nightly. Check your student financial account on Quest frequently for updates. The entire balance posted to your student account must be covered by payment in full or by a Promissory Note with proof of approved financial assistance and payment of any remaining balance, by the due date to avoid late fees.

“Note that effective with the Fall 2010 term, payment of any remaining balance calculated on the Promissory Note is due with the Promissory Note. You will be prompted to attach proof of a completed payment when submitting the online Promissory Note. If you choose to print the form and submit it via expressmail or in our drop-box, you must attach a certified cheque, money order, bank draft, proof of completed bank payment or proof of international wire transfer for the remaining balance. Submitting a Promissory Note with acceptable proof of any of the forms of financial aid indicated on the form allows you to defer payment of that portion of your fees covered by the financial aid available to you for the term.”

The finance office doesn’t accept cash payment of tuition fees at the cashiers’ counter in Needles Hall, and also doesn’t accept personal cheques. Over-the-counter and mail payments should be by certified cheque, money order or bank draft, and are due by August 30. The deadline is nine days later, September 8, for bank payments (such as online transfers) and international wire transfers.

“Fill in the form correctly,” the memo advises. “Submit your documents together! We will not match them up for you. If you do not submit proof of funding with your Promissory Note, your Promissory Note will be discarded. If you do not submit a Promissory Note with your proof document, your document will be discarded.

“Promissory notes and certified cheques/ money orders/ bank drafts are date stamped upon receipt in our office and are processed in the order received. Processing may take up to five business days from the received date, particularly if you submit during the week prior to and including the due date. Please continue to check your Quest account to see your registered status change from ‘Enrol Request’ to ‘Fees Arranged’.”

Because the university deals with each student on an adult-to-adult basis, but the reality is that some students do have backing from their parents, the memo adds this vital request: “If you are not paying your own fees, be sure to forward this email along with a copy of your Quest account for Fall 2010 to the person who will be making the payment.”

There’s also a special note for UW employees and children of employees: “The Tuition Benefit form must be submitted with a Promissory Note. Tuition Benefit forms submitted without a Promissory Note will be discarded. Promissory Notes claiming the Tuition Benefit but not accompanied by a completed Tuition Benefit form will also be discarded. If you and your student are not in the same location, one of you must assume responsibility for assembling the documents and submitting them to Student Accounts together.”

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Prof explores the life-or-death gene

“In his breakthrough research on senescence (biological aging), John Thompson has determined how life or death is chosen at the flick of a molecular switch,” says one of the feature stories currently appearing on the university’s web home page.

Thompson — professor emeritus in biology, associate vice-president (university research), and a former dean of the science faculty — “has discovered,” it says, “that a gene called eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) encodes a protein that appears to function like a biological switch, regulating cell death or survival.”

After finding eIF5A in plants, says the story, which appears under the “innovative” tagline, Thompson (in his laboratory, left) began to wonder if there was a similar process in other species. “Further research showed that the sequence of the eIF5A gene in animals and humans is virtually identical to that in plants, meaning that its function has been highly conserved across the plant and animal kingdoms,” he’s quoted as saying.

Thompson’s findings led him to develop eIF5A technology that can be used to influence whether cells die or survive. “It has shown great promise as a therapy for various healthcare applications,” he says. “Studies with animal models have indicated that eIF5A technology can be used to treat a broad range of cancers, as well as inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and sepsis.”

The technology also has profound implications for potential applications in the agricultural sector. It can be used to enhance the yield of agronomic crops, to confer tolerance to environmental stress and plant diseases, and to increase the shelf-life of perishable produce, such as bananas.

Upon realizing the broad application of the technology, Thompson co-founded Senesco Technologies, a start-up company which aims to improve commercial agriculture and treat major medical conditions in humans. Senesco has experienced considerable success, forming partnerships with well-known companies such as Bayer CropScience and Monsanto, and with medical centres such as the Mayo Clinic.

With his contributions recognized internationally, a humble Thompson likes to share credit for his accomplishments. “I have to pay tribute to the wonderful students, post-doctoral fellows, and research associates I’ve worked with along the way,” he says. “The research we’ve done has enabled us to collaborate with some of the best senior scientists and biotech companies in the world.”

CAR

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