Bob of Montreal
Monday, February 16, 2004
Coalition for Action on Food Services
In the student newspaper this week, an article details the formation of the Coalition for Action on Food Services.
Seems McGill University has its 16 food service location contracts up this year, and they're only soliciting bids from companies willing to control all 16 (in the past, they've used several different services).
The students decry the monopoly, and completed a petition of 1660 signatures. The CAFS wants the monopoly bidding process withdrawn.
Way to stick your fist in the face of the man. This is what comes of accepting too many high school Student Body Vice Presidents.
Students to Man the Barricades against Tuition Hike
According to this Montreal Gazette story, Quebec is discussing a tuition hike for its schools, after 10 years of a tuition freeze (at McGill, the Tuition has been frozen at $US1000). The arguments are that, relative to univeristies elsewhere in Canada, Quebec institutions have been underfunded for a total of $C2.9B over the last decade; the Liberal government is going to slash personal income tax over the next 5 years, so there's not going to be any additional money. And, the debate has begun over who benefits from one's education -- and the fact that an individual over their lifetime benefits much greater than the $US4000 they invest from Canada.
Elsewhere in Canada, tuition hits $C5000. An increase of that amount (not likely, but just an example) would bring $70M -- about 15% of the yearly budget.
Saturday, February 07, 2004
The Teaching
I've been teaching for a month now, and I can confidently state that students in class seen from the teaching side are exactly like they are seen from the student side. Hoo boy.
I have students who are really, really bright. I have really bright students who are hardly trying. I have students who are bright and keep quiet. I have snotty students who present themselves like this whole thing is beneath them; students who are gunning for the A because they are pre-med. Students who are curious and so come up and ask questions after every single class. Students who simply want face-time on the professor and so come up and ask questions after every single class. Students who are unbelieveably ill-adept. It's all good.
After two home work assignments, we are having the first exam on Monday. I've very disappointed that I'm going to be out of town to give a talk, so I've handed off proctoring the exam to my extremely capable TAs Cindy Tam and Thomas Lindner. They're both really great. I have one student who approached me to ask: "You said you would attach a sheet of formulae at the back of the exam. Could you post that on the web before the exam so we know what we don't have to study?". Um, no. You know, asking the professor how you can study as little as possible for the exam is not impressive. The sheet of formulae is a lifeline to those students who have difficulty with them --- it's not permission to not swim.
