mre ‘November 3Oth, 1984 THE OTHER PRESS page 3 Post-secondary education rocky More students than ever are crowd- ing into Canada’s post-secondary insti- tutions as they flee a student unem- ployment rate of nearly 15 per cent. OTTAWA [CUP] Early estimates indicate full-time university enrolment will reach 465,000 this year, an increase of about 2.4 per cent over last year. Research- ers say another 300,000 full-time students will attend community col- leges and 300,000 will study at universities part-time. A preliminary phone survey of © iniversity enrolment conducted by the Association ‘of Universities and Col- eges of Canada has revealed that zreater numbers of students who already have some _ post-secondary education are returning to school. The numbers of first year university students, mostly responsible for. the dramatic enrolment increases noted in the past two years, have dropped substantially in every province except Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. Both Canadian Federation of Stu- dents and Statistics Canada research- ers say the upsurge in returning student enrolment is likely due to the impact of a long, drawn-out recession and this summer’s especially bleak job market for young people. ‘‘People are perceiving that there are benefits to post-secondary educa- tion and they will be increasingly marginalized if they don’t have any,’’ says CFS researcher Jean Wright. “They know they'll probably: be with- out a job and wouldn’t be: foregoing any wages by going to school.”’ Wright ways educated people in today’s economic climate are more likely to find work. According to Statistics Canada, the September un- employment rate for those between the ages of 20 and 24 with a university degree was 12.6 per cent, compared with 13.8 per cent for those with only some post-secondary education. Whil high school students and graduates suffered a 17.7 per cent rate, the worst prospects faced those with only up to eight years of schooling--a 25.3 per cent unemployment rate. Returning students weathered an average summer unemployment rate of about 15 per cent. The numbers of unemployed returning students peak- ed in July, with 180,000 without a job. Wright says she is surprised so many managed to scrape up enough money to go to school, at a time when they also face spiralling tuition fees, rising textbook costs and increasing rents. Doug Lynd, chief of Statistics Canada’s post-secondary education section, says many educational insti- tutions in the early 70s expected enrolment to decline in this decade. Failing to foresee the high unemploy- ment rate among young people, they did accurately predict a drop in first year enrolment, he says. Both Lynd and Wright say the tail-end of the baby boom is passing through the university system and there is now a smaller pool of people likely to attend post-secondary insti- tutions. About 86 per cent of all undergraduate students are between the ages of 18 and 24. “I can only speculate, but I’d say that the enrolment increase is due to those already in the system,’’ Lynd says. ‘‘If you look at demographic trends, the number of people in the age group that makes up most of the university and college enrolment is dropping.”’ According to Max von Zur-Muehlen, president of the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, the number of people in the. 18 to 24 ‘age group is expected to decrease from 3.3 million in the early 80s to 2.6 million in the mid-90s. The AUCC survey says the most startling decrease in first year univer- sity enrolment appeared in B.C., where all three universities increased tuition fees substantially and the bursary portion of student loans has been eliminated. The University of B.C. noted a 18 g per cent drop in first year, the University of Victoria recorded a 19 per cent decrease and Simon Fraser University about six per cent. All three universities are conducting a survey to determine why so many students failed to show up. First year enrolment also tumbled by 7.5 per cent in Manitoba, by 7 per cent in Saskatchewan, nearly four per cent in Alberta, by 3 per cent in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and by 2.4 per cent in Ontario. Overall full-time undergraduate en- rolment, however, increased the most dramatically at Quebec universities, which have the lowest tuition fees in the country, They recorded a four per cent increase. Full-time undergraduate enrolment, however, increased the most dramatic- ally at Quebec universities, which have the lowest tuition fees in the country. They recorded a four per cent in- crease. Full-time enrolment also jumped by three per cent in Alberta, by one per cent in Saskatchewan and half a per cent in Manitoba. Ontario only noted a 1.6 per cent increase and the Mari- times an average of a little more than two per cent. At Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland, however, full- time enrolment rose by nearly 16 per cent. A record increase in first-year students, about 135 per cent,. has flooded the university because they Representatives of the faculty at Douglas College today called upon the provincial government to review its funding policies in education. Douglas and Kwantlen Faculty Association President John Waters said that those policies are causing serious and lasting damage to education in the College region. Waters said that the Ministry of Education’s program of significantly reducing Gtiege budgets over the five years beginning with 1984-85 is im- pairing’ Douglas College’s ability to serve the community. Specifically, he said, these budget reductions are producing untenable large class sizes, long waiting lists; cuts in programs and in faculty and staff, and a ® dangerously low level of morale among nel. College person DKFA speaks out against college budget . school districts are equally severe. are now only entering the system after grade 12 was instituted last year. : B.C. universities also noted a four per cent drop in overall undergraduate enrolment. ; Waters noted that Douglas College has recently announced a $1.5 million budget shortfall for 1985-86. Thi shortfall, he said, threatens furthe increases in class sizes and faculty’ workloads, tuition fee hikes, and cuts in programs and services. “The budget cuts, the tuition fee increases, and the government’s elimination of financial aid to stud- dents,’’ said Waters, ‘are denying access to college education to more and more residents. Some of the students who have gained access have not been able to register in the courses that they need. And the quality of education for all those who are able to attend is dropping.’ He also noted that the effects of cutbacks in the TREASURER KENNEDY FORCED TO RESIGN Shane Kennedy, Treasurer of the Douglas College Student Society was forced to resign last month. by SUSIE GRAHAM On various occasions Kennedy showed incompetence and an unpro- fessional attitude toward his job. Comments Jesse Sedhu: ‘‘Both the summer and fall budgets should-have been done by Shane, but Merrilyn Houlihan and myself had to do them.” At Bill Day’s budget speech, Kennedy was supposed to have writ- ten and submitted a report to the D.C.S.S. but no report was ever received. The D.C.S.S. learned of information on the speech by word of mouth from Len Millis, Ralph Stanton and Donna Forbes. “Kennedy was always trying to make a deal to get what he wanted.’’ Business Rep. Chris Capadouca, was seeking support from Kennedy for a request for funding the Data Process- . Ing Management Association, Douglas College Student Chapter. After listen- ing to Capadouca’s request Kennedy replied, ‘‘I’ll tell you what, I’ll make you a deal.’ ’’ Kennedy then proceeded to suggest that if Capadouca agreed to. support the motion that he was going to put forth, regarding the intramural fund- ing, Kennedy would support the D.P.M.A.’s request for aid. The final straw came when Kennedy wrote an unauthorised letter to Betty Lou Hayes, Athletic Co-ordinator, turning down her request for financial support for Tani Toor, Intramural Rep., to attend the 5th Annual. Western Canadian Student Intramural Conference. The motion was tabled to the next meeting, but Kennedy took it upon himself to inform Toor and Hayes of his decision No-one in the D.C.S.S. knew of this letter until reports of its contents were published in the Other Press. At senate meetings, Kennedy ‘‘al- ways made a shambles and fool of himself regarding stupid things,’’ says Jesse Sedhu. ‘’He didn’t have a clue about the financial status of the D.C.S.S. and as far as the Senate was concerned, Kennedy was not fulfilling the responsibilities to the students.’ The Senate decided to ask Kennedy to resign or they would begin. im- peachment procedures. Jesse Sedhu stated: ‘Since taking office, Shane was never around to do his job. Most of the time Ron Huml - (Secretary) and myself had to do his job for him. His performance never improved and he was totally incom- petent. He had no choice but to resign.”