Shared Service Budget Submission

8/11/2019 Shared Service Budget Submission

1/11Sharing the Burden


2/11Alma Mater Society

INTRODUCTION

SUPPORTING A DIVERSE STUDENT BODYRecommendation 1: The QUIC should receive increased funding to expand its current services with theobjective of providing support to an emergent international student population.Recommendation 2: The University should work with the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre tosecure stable funding to support its core operations.Recommendation 3: In the event that the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre secures stableongoing funding for its core operations, funding received from the provincial grant should be reallocatedto expand the hours of operation for the Elder-in-Residence program.Recommendation 4: Student feedback should play a central role in the upcoming review of Health,Counselling, and Disability Services.Recommendation 5: The University should provide funding for the expansion of the embedded counsellorprogram, to be matched by donors or revenue-generating units.Recommendation 6: The University should provide funding to hire one additional full-time DisabilityServices O cer.Recommendation 7: The University should continue to pursue alternative locations of Health, Counselling,and Disability Services.

EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF FUNDINGRecommendation 8: The University should commit funding towards conservation and demandmanagement projects identi ed in the course of the ESCO project.Recommendation 9: The University should reallocate spending for merit-based scholarships towardsneeds-based nancial assistance. Any future increases in funding for this assistance should be indexed toin ation.Recommendation 10: The Student Experience O ce should work in conjunction with student leadershipto identify components of the O ces portfolio that could be e ectively administered by students.

SUPPORTING ACTIVE LEARNINGRecommendation 11: Career Services should receive funding to support the expansion of internshipprograms.Recommendation 12: Following the changes to the student meal plan resulting from the Canada RevenueAgency in 2014, Hospitality and Ancillary Services should investigate the possibility of includingstudent-run services on the Queens meal plan.Recommendation 13: The University should continue to investigate potential avenues for repurposing thePhysical Education Centre.

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The Academic Plan recognizes the criticalimportance of student support services in auniversity environment, acknowledging thatQueens, must continue to provide the manyforms of support, formal or otherwise, thatstudents need outside the classroom. (AcademicPlan, p.63) In order to be successful inful lling the fundamental tenants of itseducational mission, Queens must rst ensure apriority is placed on the wellbeing of its student body.

It is the position of the AMS that, in a climate ofscal uncertainty and a growing student

population, the university must reinforce itscommitment to student support. Particularly inrecognition of the rising nancial contributionstudents are making towards the cost of theireducation, the AMS believes that Queens has anobligation to provide easy access to qualitysupport services.

Queens is part of an Ontario-wide trend thatsees students becoming larger nancers of theireducation than ever before. In just over 2decades, the percentage of total operating incomestemming from provincial grants has declinedfrom 80% to around 50%, and studentcontributions since 1988 have risen from 19% tonearly 50%.

This trend is accompanied by a decliningpercentage of university operating budgets

owing directly back to students in the form of

improved quality of education. In recent years,the Operating Budget has been increasinglyinstrumental in nancing capital projects,compensation increases for existing faculty, andthe indirect costs of research activity, divertingfunding away from the student experience.

It is the position of the AMS that a signi cantpercentage of the Operating Budget should bedirected towards the improvement of student lifeand learning. Particularly as enrolmentincreases, students must be provided with thequality in- and out-of classroom experience thatis at the heart of the universitys reputation. To

ensure this, there is a requirement for a continuedand substantial commitment from the OperatingBudget to provide funding for expanded supportservices. As we welcome in a growing number ofstudents, this necessity can only intensify.

INTRODUCTION


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The Elder-in-Residence program providesoutreach, visibility, and in-depth one-on-onecounselling to the Four Directions community.

This position increases the capacity of the Centreto perform advisory work, and also raisesawareness around the resources and servicesFour Directions o ers. Particularly given thatadvisory work represents an area ofparticular need for students accessing the Centre,the expansion of the Elder-in-Residence programwould constitute an important step inexpanding support for current and incomingaboriginal learners at Queens.

A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF QUEENSSTUDENTS REQUIRE AN ACADEMICACCOMMODATION, AND THE COMPLEXITYOF THESE ACCOMMODATIONS CONTINUESTO INCREASE

There has been a substantial increase over thelast decade of both the percentage of universitystudents accessing services through HCDS, andthe average amount of support each student

requires. This trend has had an ongoing impacton the capacity of disability and counsellingservices in recent years. Given the crucialimportance of HCDS in supporting studentwell-being and success, the service must beappropriately equipped to meet a swell indemand.

HEALTH, COUNSELLING, AND DISABILITYSERVICES (HCDS) IS CURRENTLY OPERATINGAT, OR OVER, CAPACITY

There is a consistent demand for Health,Counselling, and Disability Services on campus.Counselling services are currently in a period oftransition as long-term service provision shiftstowards community health providers and agrowing embedded counsellor program. Beyondthis, more students are presently seekingaccommodations as a percentage of the

population, resulting in high caseloads in theDisability Services O ce. The same is true ofthe demand for counselling appointments, with

non-emergency wait times remaining high.While wait times have decreased in HealthServices, the space constraints imposed by theservices current location have made it di cultfor it to grow in order to meet increased demand.The essential support provided through HCDS isfundamental to student health and wellness, andany increase in enrolment must be mirrored bya comprehensive increase in the capacity of thisservice.

Recommendation 4: Student feedback should play a central role in the upcoming review of Health, Counselling, and Disability Services.

Students are supportive of the decision toundertake a review of the operations of HCDS.The AMS believes that students shouldconstitute a key component of the consultativeprocess, and that future funding for the serviceshould be a ributed on the basis of the goals and

objectives outlined in the nalized document.Recommendation 5: The University should provide funding for the expansion of theembedded counsellor program, to be matched bydonors or revenue-generating units.

An expansion of the embedded counsellorprogram would ful ll the dual objectives ofdecreasing the central burden on counsellingservices and provide more speci c and tailoredsupport to students across the university.Recognizing the bene ts associated with theexpansion of this program, the AMS recommendsthat the university investigate the possibility ofinstituting a matching program to encourageprivate donations or funding from revenue-generating units to expand the program.



Recommendation 6: The University should provide funding to hire one additional full-timeDisability Services O cer.

While the Disability Services O ce hashistorically been funded directly throughprovincial grants, students believe provincialfunding alone has become an insu cient meansof supporting the changing context of the O ce.Particularly in light of the increase in enrolmentexpected in the 2015-16 academic year, thegrowing prevalence of students requiringaccommodation will exacerbate the long waittimes and heavy caseloads that burden the

service currently. Students believe the additionof one full-time Disability Services O cer willconstitute an important step towards addressingthe needs of an evolving student body.

Recommendation 7: The University should con-tinue to pursue alternative locations of Health,Counselling, and Disability Services.

Students believe there is an urgent need tosecure a new location for Health, Counselling,and Disability services. Pursuant to this goal, theuniversity should a ribute funding towards theinvestigation and evaluation of potential spacesfor HCDS with the ultimate objective of nding aviable long-term home for the service.

NOTE: This may include further examinationof the Physical Education Centre, as outlined inrecommendation 11.



In recognition of the limitations imposed by thenancial climate of the university, students

believe that the allocation of shared service

funding should seek to support the e cientdelivery of programs and initiatives.

THE RISING PRICE OF ENERGYCONSTITUTES A SUBSTANTIAL COSTDRIVER FOR THE UNIVERSITY

The rising costs of energy and water areexercising an upward pressure on facilities budgets across the university, with prices forwater increasing nearly 10% over last years

gures.

At present time, Queens is engaged inseveral energy conservation initiatives to reduceto impact of these price increases. This includes acampus-wide audit undertaken to identifye ciency and conservation projects with theaim of reducing energy use intensity, water useintensity, and overall energy use. The objectiveof these initiatives is to transition towards a moreenvironmentally-friendly campus while realizinglong-term cost savings.

Recommendation 7: The University shouldcommit funding towards conservation anddemand management projects identi ed in thecourse of the audit

In recognition of the positive environmentalimpact and downstream cost savings associatedwith these projects, student support the

funding of programs such as lighting retro ts,infrastructure renewal, re-commissioning ofHVAC systems, and the expansion of real-timeutility meeting. The dual bene t of sustainableinitiatives and cost containment constitute ane ective and e cient use of shared servicefunding.

QUEENS HAS PLACED AN INCREASEDFOCUS ON THE CREATION OF MERIT-BASEDSCHOLARSHIPS, REPRESENTING A RISING

EXPENDITURE THAT DOES LITTLE TOINCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY OF AQUEENS EDUCATION

Students support investment and expenditure onnancial assistance with the objective of

reducing access barriers to post-secondaryeducation. However, merit-based nancial assis -tance does li le to address the access barriers in -hibiting underrepresented groups from a aininga degree. On the contrary, this funding tends to

disproportionately bene t high-income students,and operates primarily as a recruitment tool foruniversities.

As the traditional university-aged demographicin Ontario begins to shrink, universities acrossthe system have placed a renewed focus onmerit-based nancial assistance. Merit-basedscholarships constitute a signi cant driver ofcost in ation, comprising nearly 10 per cent ofnew spending at universities across Ontario in ane ort to a ract new students.

Last year, 66% of rst year students in theprovince received merit based entrancescholarships, with the average value of suchawards being $1,822. Conversely, only 15% ofstudents received needs based scholarships,with an average value of $1,250. Given that some33,000 students (over 12% of all OSAPrecipients) report having some form of unmet

need, it is clear that merit-based student assis-tance is an ine ective means of improving accessacross the system. Moreover, these scholarshipswere inhibited in their function as a recruitmentas a result of their pervasiveness in Ontario.

Recommendation 8: The University shouldreallocate spending for merit-based scholarshipstowards needs-based nancial assistance. Any

EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE ALLOCATIONOF FUNDING



future increases in funding for this assistanceshould be indexed to in ation.

Considering the tremendous impact this

investment has had on university operating budgets, students are concerned that it is notallocated in a way that e ectively increases accessto post-secondary education forunderrepresented groups. Given the ine ectiveuse of this funding, students recommend it berolled into needs-based assistance, with futureincreases in funding indexed to in ation.

THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE OFFICE OFFERSSOME PROGRAMMING THAT COULD BEPROVIDED MORE EFFICIENTLY ANDEFFECTIVELY THROUGH STUDENTCHANNELS

The AMS believes that students are uniquelycapable of providing service and support to theirpeers, informed by an intrinsic understanding ofthe diversity of issues and pressures that persistacross the student body. While studentsrecognize the necessity of administering a range

of professional services through traditionaluniversity channels, there are a number ofservices that are be er equipped to ful l theirmandate in a peer-to-peer environment.

Recommendation 9: The Student ExperienceO ce should work in conjunction with studentleadership to identify components of the O ces portfolio that could be e ectively administeredby students.

The AMS believes that, in cases whereprofessional expertise is not a key component ofservice provision, students are ideally positionedto assume responsibility for services designed tosupport their peers. Activities such as residence

orientation and Queens Reads could beundertaken e ciently and e ectively withstudent oversight. This would ensure the designof the program is tailored by students for

students, and would also allow service provisionto continue without necessitating an increase inthe capacity of the Student Experience O ce.



SUPPORT ACTIVE LEARNING

In recognition of the critical impact many sharedservices have on the educational environment,students believe a portion of shared servicefunding should facilitate the advancement of

active learning. Whether it be through thea ribution of infrastructure, resources, orsupport, the shared services can play a role incementing active learning as a core element ofQueens educational experience.

Recommendation 10: Career Services should re-ceive funding to support the expansion of intern-ship programs

Students support Queens commitment toexpand the availability of internshipopportunities on campus. Recognizing thepositive contribution of work-integratedlearning on the overall learning experience,students recommend that funding be provided toCareer Services to assist in the expansion of theinfrastructure required to e ectively administer agrowing program. Further, recognizing thespeci c knowledge that students possessregarding the needs of their peers in connecting

to future employers, the AMS recommends thatCareer Services undertake this expansion incollaboration with existing student groupsful lling a similar mandate.

Recommendation 11: Following the changes tothe student meal plan resulting from the CanadaRevenue Agency in 2014, Hospitality and Ancil-lary Services should investigate the possibilityof including student-run services on the Queensmeal plan.

With the inclusion of taxed products on thestudent meal plan this year, Queens has beenprovided with the opportunity to greatly expandthe range of services payable through FlexDollars. Given the important role student-runservices play as avenues for active learning,students recommend that the Universityconsider extending Flex Dollars to includestudent-run services across campus. This would

constitute a strong show of support for themandate of student-run services, and wouldgreatly enhance their ability to provide serviceand opportunity to the Queens community.

QUEENS CURRENT COMPLEMENT OFSTUDENT LIFE SPACE IS LACKING INQUANTITY AND QUALITY

The Broader Learning Environment requiressu cient dedicated space in order to thrive.Student life space operates as the platform forthe many activities and groups that comprise the broader learning environment. Services, studentgovernments, clubs, and other student-runinitiatives all require physical infrastructure tosupport them in carrying out their mandates,utilizing everything from o ce and meetingrooms to storage space and service stations. Alltold, student life space is the physicalmanifestation of the broader learningenvironment.

The Queens Centre Project was originallyenvisioned in the context of the impending in ux

of new students precipitated by the doublecohort entering the post-secondary system in2003. Over the course of the ensuing decade,Queens expanded enrolment by almost 2000students in excess of this initial increase, and twophases of the Queens Centre were notcompleted.

Combined, these factors have resulted in aconsiderable pressure on the quantity of studentlife space available today. Particularly given theimpending increase in admissions, students areconcerned that the current complement of spaceplaces restrictions of the prosperity of the broader learning environment.



Recommendation 12: The University shouldcontinue to investigate potential avenues forrepurposing the Physical Education Centre.

The AMS believes the Physical EducationCentre should be prioritized as a focus fordeferred maintenance, renovations, and usagestudies. While the re-opening of the PECconstituted an important rst step inaddressing the de cit of student life space oncampus, a great deal of planning must beundertaken to transform the currentinfrastructure into a utile and multi-functionalstudent space. The AMS supports the university

in investigating potential programming for thespace, including the creation of another hub forstudent life, or the implementation of a healthand wellness centre.


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Documents

Shared Service Budget Submission