Totally Free Student Classifieds! See Page 4 details! Features Just For You 3&6 Love Ads -A Valentine's Special 4 Sports - B-Ball, V-Ball, Golf 8 The Other Press Always Needs New Staff Members! CALL 525-3542 douglas voted | (tol ae autonomous student newspaper - since 1976 Rae Volume 15 Number 8 More fun than buckets of 1-finger poi in a pear tree February 11,1992 FREE Nurses Nailed Through Budget Cuts by Stephen So The Psychiatric Nursing m and the General Nursing Program willbe takinga$250,000cut each due to a shortage of college funds. The College Board took the action to accommodate a projected budget shortfall of $731,000. “A contin plan was putinto placeand hasreceived Board approval”, said college bursar Peter Greenwood. The total College operating budget projected for 1992/93 is Shirley a says the eaten cuts were a dictum from ent Bill Day and the Education Council, set up: decisions”, said ‘Brid t Tir i hoe not ne tough it will go forward,” he said. : sthey oo ha money. They make those decisi ‘They are sup idea poteralintic decion by passing the governance pr _ vepmneat thiss But Connell member jim Davie money_Thy ma ese eco et posed to secure the judgmen to gi danc Cee Nu : approximately 2.5% shortof revenue. “We're hoping the budget news is better than we're projecting. We have not heard from the government about next year. We're making. our best guess,” said Greenwood. “We're restructuring curriculum to end up with the same number of students being served. We want to maintain overall student performance.” Butsomeprogramsmay be cut. “We're examining programs that have low enrolment, to see if we want to continue those,” said Greenwood. The Psychiatric Nursing Program is being cut back by 20 of their current 108 seats, and may have toreduceitscurrentintake from twice per year, to once per year. y now enrol 54students in January and 54 students in September. The Department may have to reduce its intake toone classs of 88 students. According to psychiatric nursing instructor Bridget Ting, this will jeopardize the quality of the student experience in class and in clinical placements. “Wehave problemsenough placing 56 students at any one time, never mind 88” said Ting. “There was no consideration for the educational process in Psychiatric Nursing.” The faculty of the Psychiatric Nursing Departmentwill be holding a strategy meeting to consider the feasibility of the proposed changes. In addition, the Access Program in the General Nursing Department is being cut back by 24 seats. This is a program which allows Psychiatric Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses. “We won't be graduating as many students,” said Joy Holmwood, Director of Health Sciences. “On the other hand , we will work together with the College to be fiscally responsible.” The reductions will start with the summer semester, and over thenextyear the 24 seats willbetaken out of the program through attrition and intake reductions. The college is also proposing cuts to non-instructional departments and services. “There will be reductions to Learning Resourses, the Public Information Office, and athletics,” said Greenwood. He said the College was “looking to improve efficiencies” throughnon-tuitionrevenuesources, me example, by reduci nae printing lies by $50,000, cleaning ices on a rotational basis. But some things will cost students more money. “We're looking to increase fees from $2 to $4 for the calendar,” said Greenwood. BCGEU Contract Talks On Track by Tim Crumley Contract talks between the BC Government Employees’ Union and Douglas College started in late January, and both sides seem to be attempting tosettlethecontractbefore labour problems arise. However, there are signs of poor preparation from college administration. In a February 4 letter addressed to BCGEU members, the bargaining committee told their members thatsix meetings had taken place between college and union Officials since Jan 16. BCGEU officials had a position ready in contract language and was ready to sit down at the table. According tothe letter, “the college did not have their package in contract language, but had a list of articles and issues they wanted to discuss.” The union then agreed to push back talks until January 21, in order to allow the college to put its position in contract language. Barbara Offen, chair of BCGEU’s bargaining unit, thinks things are progressing normally. “Tals are progressing,” she said. When asked if a strike was a possibility, Offen said “that’s not our goal.” One of the major issues surrou: talks is the issue of pay equity which, was brought up by the administration. Previous to bargaining, the administration appeared to agree with BCGEU officials, wanting to discuss pay equity at a later date. But according to the letter, “theemployer’s position has changed - they want to discuss pay equity at the ining table.” Bill Bell, spokesperson for Douglas College, was unavailablefor comment. BCGEU officials haven't been put off by president Bill Day's memo of January 29, either. Inthememo, Day projected VANCOUVER (CUP) — The University of British Columbia is contemplating punishment for three engineering students who stole the Rose Bowl trophy from the University of Washington. A small group of engineering studentsstageda “smash and grab” in the UW athletic department early Feb. 4, making off with the three-foot high, 30 pound, $3,000silver trophy. The UW football teamcaptured the trophy by winning the 1992 Rose Bowl e Jan. 1. The cross- hordes looters brought the trophy back to UBC to celebrate. Anengineer phoned Seattle police later that day, who in turn tipped off the RCMP, who retrieved it that night. UBC administration spokesperson Steve Crombiesaid the administration is mulling over disciplinary action. “Although thecrime wasn’t committed on campus, perhaps something can be done,” he said. “We are suggesting to the engineers that they at the very least pay for the damage that they did and formally apologize. We are deciding an approximately $750,000 budget shortfall and recommended cuts to programs and services. “The timing of thismemois meant to soften your resolve, particularly in view of the dispute at BCIT,” the letter stated. BCIT support staff settled for a 10.2% increase over 22 months last week. ineers Steal Rose Bowl whether more is necessary.” The UW athletic department is not pressing charges against the aoe A US. felony conviction could have resulted in a fine of up to$10,000 and a jail term of several months. UW football head coach Don James said he wants the thieves to pay forthe damageand apologize. “My initial reaction to the theft was that it was done as a immature prank orbysomeonereally sick in the head,” he said. “The football trophy theft was really an insult to the players who worked hard all year to bring the team success. The trophy was really for them and our fans and supporters to enjoy, and I’d hate to think thatitcould havebeen damaged or gone missing.” UBC engineering student council president Adam La Rusic said the trophy theft was “fucking excellent.” “It was a joke,” he said. “University of Washington students have got tobelieve that.” He does not care if UW students are upset, he added.