RS er News November 6, 2002 the other pres Degree-granting Power for Colleges May Create Two-tier Education System Chris Boutet The Gateway EDMONTON (CUP)— cerns of booming undergraduate enrol- Faced with con- ment and limited space at the University of Alberta, the province is looking into granting “degree completion status to two of Alberta’s largest colleges. But students are worried this is the first step towards a two-tiered education system. Learning Minister Lyle Oberg and the provincial government will be facilitating talks over the next few months between the University of Alberta, Grant MacEwan College and Mount Royal College in Calgary. If an agreement is reached, the two colleges will be given the ability to offer full Bachelor degrees for undergraduate programs, which, coupled with raising tuition rates and minimum entry averages expected at the University, should disperse the prospective undergrad population more evenly among the three schools. University Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Doug Owram feels the collab- oration will ease the pressure increasing enrolment puts on its faculty and facili- ties. “We've had an enrolment surge over the last two years, and capacity is becoming an real issue,” said Owram. “So the natu- Underage Drinking More than a Minor Problem for Bar Owners Jennifer Henderson fitlantic Bureau ral question is, where do you go next?” “Basically, the University is faced with three options: keep building into a larger institution, shut people out, or create new institutions to handle the extra capacity.” The University hopes that with more undergraduates going elsewhere for their Bachelo’s degree, more resources at the school could be allocated to the post-grad- uate studies and research, which in turn will work towards establishing the University of Alberta as an “elite institu- tion,” as Owram calls it. Although all three schools are optimistic that they stand to benefit from the arrangement, student unions from the three institutions are expressing concerns that the move is just the first step towards the creation of a two-tiered education sys- tem in Alberta. Mike Hudema, University of Alberta Students’ Union President, described the University’s use of the word “elite” as fit ting. “It's the most apt word for the University’s policies that I can think of,” said Hudema. “ sought to be not only academically elite, but also financially elite as well.” This university has long Hudema worries that increasing fees and entry averages will deter all but those stu- dents interested in the professional facul- ties from coming to the University, and fears Mount Royal and Grant MacEwan will become viewed as little more than lib- eral arts colleges under this new structure. “With a two-tiered education system, its dangerous to create a system in which one degree is better than the other just because it’s more expensive,” he said. “If the U of A is considered more pres- tigious because a degree here costs more than Grant MacEwan, youre basically buying quality,” he said. “If you can pay for it, you can get a more prestigious degree.” Hudema’ concern with establishing an elite status at schools is echoed by other student associations. Jennifer Wietzel, an executive member of the Mount Royal Students’ Association, wrote an article in the Mount Royal monthly newsletter that expressed many “The U of A wants to grant elite degrees, thereby making a of the same concerns. Mount Royal degree second-class,” she wrote. “That plan includes raising admissions standards at the University to create a US- style Ivy League school. The Students’ Association would not like to see a system where opportunities for students are com- promised by an elite system,” she contin- ued. But Owram doesn't see it that way; he sees the system as offering students more opportunity in education. “As Alberta gets bigger, we need to pro vide people with more ” he said. “ educatio options, It’s not a question o i big classes some like small—we're just offering dif ferent models for different people.” Currently, Grant MacEwan Collegs offers up to two years of a Bachelor degres in their university transfer progra Mount Royal College already offer Bachelor degrees in Arts and Nursing wi Athabasca University. Note: BC has already passed legislatio giving degree-granting privileges to col leges. HALIFAX (CUP)—Sporting a fake i.d. to buy alcohol or to sneak into clubs is seen as a right of passage by many teens, but this youthful rebellion can cause serious headaches for those who operate bars and pubs. The recent one-day closure of Halifax’s Liquor Dome for an underage infraction has served as a reminder to bar owners in Nova Scotia’s largest city that underage drink- ing is a nagging problem for downtown watering holes. Ryan Dodge, a supervisor at the Grawood, Dalhousie University’s on-campus pub, said that since the bar has tightened its admission procedures, fewer underage stu- dents have to be turned away at the door. “We ask for two pieces of ID and we have a sign in book so we can check their signature against the one on their ID. We turn a few people away, but it’s not a huge problem,” said Dodge. “On our biggest night, we proba- bly turn ten people away, and our capacity is 375. Its def initely gone down since last year. Last year we didn’t have the two ID thing.” It’s this type of vigilance that prevents bar owners from ending up in the bad books of visiting liquor inspectors. According to Don Lawlor, manager of licensing for the Nova Scotia Alcohol and Gaming Authority, it’s the job © page 4 of the province’s 29 liquor inspectors to keep licensees on their toes. “We certainly don’t let the bars know we’re coming,” he said. Although Lawlor admits liquor inspectors are aware of the problem of underage drinking he was unprepared to comment on how widespread it is. However, the penal- ties he outlines for licensed establishments who do serve minors is enough leave many bar owners both shaken and stirred. “In most cases it would result in a disciplinary hearing which could result in the suspension of the liquor license for a time. The circumstances surrounding the offense determine the severity of the penalty,” he said. For a bar of the Grawood’s size, Dodge says that a tem- porary closure could be devastating. “That’s huge for us because we're such a little bar. We've never been shut down.” While the bars may bear the brunt of the responsibili- ty for serving underage drinkers, the minors themselves are not in the clear. “The premise could lay a charge or if the police are involved they could lay a charge,” said Lawlor. Despite ae possibility of a hefty fine, many siadehe students still try their luck at the city’s nightspots. It’s situation that is familiar to Halifax bartender Everet Powers. “Everybody's got a story about minors getting into barg There's always a chance they can get into the bar. It’s no impossible,” he said. Powers, who works at Merrill’s Café and Lounge, sai that even if underage patrons make it past the bounce that isn’t a guarantee they'll be served. He said spottin: those who are below the legal age doesn’t take muc} guesswork. “You can tell when there are kids in here. I’ve turne people away at the bar. If I ask them for ID and they’ offended and they're kicking up a big stink, that woul be enough for me,” he said. While Powers is aware of the consequences his emplo er could face if caught serving minors, in the end he ha personal reasons for double-checking identification a well. “If I served a minor, I'd lose my job,” he said.