UNIVERSITYFUNDINGAGREEMENTSINNOVASCOTIA

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ForanMoUtobeconsideredcompletelysuccessfulbyANSSA,thefollowingagreementsmustbepresent:

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(NOTE:Priorityareasareitalicized-Items1,2,3,7)

RegardingIssuescoveredundertheexistingMoUandotheragreements1.

Governmentagreestoprovidestableandpredictablelevelsoffundingthatallowuniversitiestomaintaincurrentqualitylevelswhilekeepingtuitionfrozenforallstudents forthedurationoftheagreement(Clause7;Clause13).

2.

GovernmentagreesthattheexistingNovaScotiaUniversityStudentBursaryProgrammustbemaintainedatlevelsthatensureallstudentscontinuetoreceive,atminimum,thesame fundingreceivedinthefinalyearoftheprogram

.(NotapartofexistingMoU–SeparateProgram,establishedastrust)

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ANSSAprefersaprogramthatissustainableandmanageableonalong-termbasis.Thus,thepractiseoftruststoenabletuitionreductionsisnotencouraged,ifitcanbemanagedinawaythatensurestuitionfeesremainfrozenorreduced.3.

BothpartiesagreethatstudentsshallbeincludedinalldiscussionsregardingamendmentstothisMoUorintheestablishmentofanyfuture(orconcurrent)MoU’sbetweenthegovernmentanduniversities(Clause10;Clause18).

4.

Bothpartiesshouldagreetolong-termtargetsfortuitionlevelsasourexistingtargetsexpirein2011

.Thegovernmentshouldcommittoanewtargetfortuitionforatleastthenextfiveyearstoallowstudentsandfamiliestoplanfortheirfuture.

5.

Universitiesagreethatiftuitionisallowedtoincreaseforfull-costrecoveryprograms,feeincreasesshouldbesubjecttotheapprovaloftheDepartmentofEducation.(Clause13)

6.

Universitiesagreethattuitionfeesfornewprogramsshouldbesetatratescomparabletoexistingprograms,andsubjecttotheapprovaloftheDepartmentofEducation.(Clause14)

7.

UniversitiesagreetoonlyraiseAncillaryandAuxiliary(A&A)fees

afterreceivingapproval fromthestudentswhowillpaythosefees.(Clause15h)

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Themechanismsforapprovalshouldbedefinedbythestudentassociation(orstudentunion)recognizedbytheuniversityand/orempoweredbyanactofincorporationthatdeclaresthemtheofficialrepresentativebodyofthosestudents.



In2010/11NovaScotiaresidentswillreceive$1,283fromtheprogram,whileoutofprovinceCanadianstudentsreceive$261(assumingafullcourseload).

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Forexample2006,thegovernmentcommittedtobringingthecostofa“typicalundergraduatedegree”toapricecomparabletothenationalaveragewithinfiveyears.

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Excludingnon-essentialfeesthataretiedtomarketforces–i.e.mealplanfees.

Thismaybethroughreferendum,avoteofcouncilorexecutive,aseachassociationdeemsnecessary.

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A&Afeesshouldnotberaisedtocompensateforaninabilitytoraisetuition.(15a)

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Approvalmaynotbenecessaryforessentialancillaryservicefeessuchasmeal planfees,wherethecostsarelinkeddirectlytomarketcosts.Inthiscase,studentapprovalshouldbesoughtonlywhenthefeeincreasesexceedtherateofinflation.

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Ifstudentapprovalisnotmandated,anyincreasesinA&AfeesshouldbesubjecttotheapprovaloftheDepartmentofEducationconcomitantwithformalnoticegiventostudentsandstudentassociationswhomayappealthefeeincreasetotheminister.

8.

Governmentanduniversitiesagreetoestablishalong-termplanforaddressingtheAccumulatedDeferredMaintenanceatNovaScotiaUniversities

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Universitiesshouldfocusresourcesontherepairandrenovationofexistingcampusinfrastructureratherthanthecreationofnewprojects

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Universitiesshouldnotfundnewinfrastructureprojects,exceptunderthefollowingconditions

i.

Existinginfrastructureisunsafeforoccupancy

ii.

Infrastructuregrowthisrequiredtomeetincreaseddemandforaservice(E.g.increasedstudentresidencedemandfromincreasedenrollmentpressure),subjecttotheapprovaloftheDepartmentofLabourandAdvancedEducation,concomitantwithformalnoticegiventostudentsandstudentassociations.

iii.

Along-termfundingplanfortheprojectexiststhatensuresneithergovernmentfundingnortuitionfeesaresupportingconstruction

iv.

Studentapproval(asdefinedinitem7)oftheprojecthasbeenreceived.

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Repairs,renovationsandconstructionprojectsatNovaScotiaUniversitiesshouldbemadeasenvironmentally,sociallyandfinanciallysustainableaspossible.NewprojectsshouldaimforLEEDGoldcertification.

IssuesnotcurrentlycoveredbytheexistingMoU

TheGovernmentofNovaScotiashouldestablishaHigherEducationCouncilwithamandatetoensurequalityeducationandaccountabilityinNovaScotiauniversities.

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Suchacouncilshouldbechargedwithsystemlevelresearchanddatacollection,oversightofaprovince-widestrategicplan,establishingandenforcingstandardsforqualityandaccountability,theeliminationofadministrativeinefficienciesandprovidingtimelyadvicetotheministerandgovernmentonrelevantissues.

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10.

Theuniversityfundingformulashouldbereviewedbythedepartmentofeducationtoensurethatprogramdeliverycostsareup-to-datewiththefundingbeingallocatedtoindividualinstitutions.Thiswillreduceandguardagainstanyinefficiencyintheuniversitysystemorcertaininstitutionsof“cheatingthesystem”forextrafundingattheexpenseofstudentandtaxpayers.TheHigherEducationCouncilshouldberesponsibleforoverseeingthisreview.

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Inadditiontotheinitialreview,thegovernmentshouldrevisitthefundingformulaatregularintervalsinthefuture.