Massive pickets at my uni!

[Asher]

I'm kinda frustrated about this issue, because the same logic you lot are using was used to justify UofC President Harvey Weingarten's massive pay raise, at a time when he's saying everyone needs to cut budgets.

He's the second highest paid University president in Canada, behind UofT. Which he certainly does not deserve.

But the admin tell us -- unless you pay them really well you don't get the good talent!

It only takes you so far. When a university president hated by 95% of the students makes $165,000 a year, something's wrong.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Asher
Anecdotal evidence:

would say that UBC's TAs are doing just fine right now, relative to other institutions...

By the way Asher, the average wage hike for TAs is 5% per annum once the cost of tuition has been taken into account...

[KrazyHorse]

Asher, TAs are pulling in 15 000. Not 150 000. 45% is a bit much. But they wouldn't be going on strike if 10% wasn't too low.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Frogger
By the way Asher, the average wage hike for TAs is 5% per annum once the cost of tuition has been taken into account...

So a bit higher than inflation...
Sorry, is there a point?

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'd definetly cross the picket line. I payed to go to class, I ain't gonna waste that money because of some TA's.

Oh, and I think 10% increase is more than reasonable. The 40% increase in tuition usually goes to things such as better profs and better buildings, ie things that benefit TA's as well.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Frogger
Asher, TAs are pulling in 15 000. Not 150 000. 45% is a bit much. But they wouldn't be going on strike if 10% wasn't too low.

150,000 is what he's making this year, I edited it. He gave himself a 15,000 raise this year (edit: which takes effect next year).

I know they don't make 150,000. But how many TAs does a university have?

If a uni had, say, 500 TAs: $15K -> $21.8K in wages each is $3.38M more in expenses...nothing to scoff at.

[KrazyHorse]

Yes, that a 10% hike in gross wages when there's been a 45% hike in tuition (which accounts for something like 25% of the TAs income) means that the school is going to be falling behind. The takehome wage of the TAs will actually be decreasing (or close to it) depending on the actual accuracy of that 25%. So they'll have less money than last year with a 4% higher cost of living...

[Asher]

Originally posted by Frogger
Yes, that a 10% hike in gross wages when there's been a 45% hike in tuition (which accounts for something like 25% of the TAs income) means that the school is going to be falling behind.

Nonsense -- you're assuming that UBC's tuition was on par with everyone else's to begin with. IIRC, it was substantially lower than everyone else's, due to the tuition freeze. Now the tuition hike normalizes it with everyone else, the TAs aren't used to having just as much disposable income as the rest of the TA's in the country. Boooo hooo.

Since 1990, the UofC's tuition has gone up 145%. Our TAs never got any huge 45% raises, or 145% raises, just the standard ones. Most unis are like that.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher
Big deal, **** happens.

I'm dealing with the same crap with differential tuition, compsci costs are going up at the maximum 8% per year every year for many years.

Such is life. I entered the program when it was $4000/year, it's $5000/year now, $5400 next year, ~$5900 the next year..

Really? Three weeks ago Asher wrote:

Originally posted by Asher
My university is implementing differential tuition, as a computer science student my tuition will f*cking double in 2 years. Wonderful.

Which one is true, which is a lie, or are they both lies.????

[Asher]

Double was an exaggeration.
It's only 17% over 2 years.
The effective tuition is to double, but it has to take place at a maximum of 8% p.a. because Alberta, being a sane province, has legislation regarding tuition increases. It's also law that students cannot pay for any more than 30% of their education at university, and right now UofC is 23%...

If the Uni could they'd throttle the tuition up right now like UBC did.

[notyoueither]

Well, third highest paid is nothing to sneer at.

Who are 1 and 2? What are the relative tuition levels?

Cost of living has to factor in there somewhere, too. Vancouver is not cheap.

[Asher]

I seem to recall the UBC recruiter at my highschool two years ago saying that UBC had the lowest (if not one of the lowest) major university tuitions in the country, which is why we should go there...

So it seems to me that TAs that were above-average in pay for an extended period of time with tuition that was well-below average, and now that the tuition has normalized with other major Canadian universities, and they're still 3rd highest paid in the country, they strike and whine and demand more money...

What's wrong with this picture...

[KrazyHorse]

I seem to recall the UBC recruiter at my highschool two years ago saying that UBC had the lowest (if not one of the lowest) major university tuitions in the country, which is why we should go there...

Untrue, AFAIK.

Quebec has by far the lowest tuitions. Ontario, Alberta and NS have the highest.

That doesn't include differential tuition, though...

[notyoueither]

He said major universities, Frogger. That means located in Ontario, Alberta, or BC.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Frogger

I seem to recall the UBC recruiter at my highschool two years ago saying that UBC had the lowest (if not one of the lowest) major university tuitions in the country, which is why we should go there...

Untrue, AFAIK.

Quebec has by far the lowest tuitions. Ontario, Alberta and NS have the highest.

That doesn't include differential tuition, though...

The result of tuition freezes
Regional Differences in Starting Salary for College Graduates (in 2001 Dollars)


Regional Differences in Starting Salary for University Graduates (in 2001 Dollars)