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Cindy Povey Chronicle Staff Bovey commission recommendations to raise student tuition fees and lower enrolment, have created mixed feelings among Waterloo university students. The report, which was released Jan. 15, indicated Ontario‘s 15 universities need more money to revitalize. It also said if the provincial government didn‘t come up with the money, the students would have to dig into their own pockets. â€" â€"_‘I don‘t think it‘s fair. I have a younger brother who wants to go to university, but I don‘t think he‘ll be able to afford it. It costs Pat Arbuckle Chroncile Staff Local university presidents are adopting a waitâ€"andâ€"see attitude to the Bovey commission report on the Ontario univerâ€" sity system. _ Although generally impressed with the 51 recommendations contained in the report, Dr. John Weir, president of Wilfrid Laurier University said, ‘"the real question is if the minister .(Bette Stephenson) implements (the report), how much will she implement?" "*There is certainly no pending disaster as far as we are concerned. We will have to see what the minister does with it," he added. Weir said he was particularly pleased that members of the commission did not recommend that Ontario universities be categorized, an action that would limit the scope of activities and courses that each institution could offer. Two student leadersâ€"two views _ Concern had been expressed during last fall‘s hearings that the commission might call for the dropping of some courses and Chronicle Staff The Bovey Commission report on Ontario universities has brought varied reaction from local student leaders. Pat Arbuckile Tom Allison, UW Federation of â€" Students president promised that students would step up their lobby efforts to protect their interests, following release of the reâ€" port. "There is a lot in the report. I‘m sure the government will not implement all of the recommendations,‘‘ he said. ‘"We will have to lobby intensively to ensure that each recommendation adopted by the government is one of the best and not the worst," he said. Allison added that he was disappointed to find students "saddled‘" with almost 100 per cent of the burden of providing extra funds to universities. Coupled with a recommendation to limit enrolment, this "will have a big negative benefit on accessibility," he said. _ _ While he acknowledged that some increase in tuitipn might be necessary, Allison believes that fee hikes Few strong feelings from students Local university presidents focus on implementation: Karin Campbell too much as it is," said Karin Campbell, a fourth year Psychology _s_t_t_xdgnt at _WLU. WLU student Kris Ellicott, who was opposed to the recommendations, said the commission has the wrong idea about eduâ€" cation. _ *‘They shouldn‘t limit education. I don‘t think middle class students should just be able to afford it. I think the idea of education is to make it available for everybody. A lot of students can‘t afford it as it is," said Ellicott, a thirdâ€"year Honors Geography student. _ The rl"t-!p;)l‘t said the universities needed money for research, to improve facilities and to maintain the quality of education amalgamation of programs to avoid dupliâ€" cation and cut costs. In Weir‘s opinion, most of the important issues seriously affecting universities were addressed in the report, everything from provisions for hiring additional staff and faculty to financing of research, libraries and the purchase of equipment. For University of Waterloo president Dr. Douglas Wright, the Bovey report will prove to be "very important for Waterloo in trying to restore quality,"" he feels. _ ‘‘The flavor of it, the directions, generalâ€" ly indicated, are all very good. It did the kind of things we asked for," he said. . _ Wright said that he agreed with the report‘s areas of focus and its approach to improving overall quality of education, the funding of research and in finding a solution to the problem of faculty turnâ€" over. Although he describes the main ideas in the report as excellent and its dimensions sensible, Wright admitted that, because of the document‘s complexity, he is conâ€" cerned however, about "the fine mechaâ€" nisms of implementation."‘ Jamie Lahey should be accompanied by corresponding increases in operating grants to universities by the federal and provincial governments and be offset by an improved student loan system. He is also wary of recommendations in the report that suggest a tuition scale be set up with students in professional or medical programs required to pay two or three times the base level. ‘"This could create a class system with tuition," he exâ€" plained. _ _ ___ _ _ _ __ The nacfim Wilfrid Laurier University was in contrast to A ‘s as student union president Kevin g::rl felt the report contained few surprises for stuâ€" ts. . "The report did say there is a problem with quality of education in Ontario universities n;lfht now. Whether by raising tuition un to 25 per cent (of the. total cost of an ;:.‘.::“"&fio;'u;‘is 25 per cent (of the. total cost of an indi al‘s education) provinceâ€"wide or cutting back the number of students, the quality of education may very .‘ said Byers, who acknowledged that and some students didn‘t think a higher tuition fee was unreasonable if these areas were covered. s "If it raises the standard of education and if it brings about a positive change in the area of education, then I don‘t see that they‘re bad recommendations. Society benefits from individuals going to school and getting a high standard of education. Society would be coming out ahead," said Jamie Lahey, a second year Economics student at WLU. _ Dave Blrd,a second year General Arts student at UW, said the recommendations were a good idea. _ _ "The recommendations aren‘t unreaâ€" sonable because students only pay for 16 per cent of their education now. To improve education, student tuition fees should be increased." Among its 51 recommendations, the commission headed by Dr. Edmund Bovey suggested that: 4 OS C es nrramen e o DaL LE L CLNALLIELE nnintuilhirta aer:" Adivoratle â€"Sbibtarnchant iess ie teteralrandinetniine. Aivedion . . uletaene o 1 e tuitions should rise to the point that students contribute 25 per cent of the total cost of their education, up from a current 16 per cent § e a fee hike should be coupled with an overall decrease in enrolment by an average six per cent to help preserve quality of education j _ ea $108 million renewal and adjustment fund be established to allow universities to hire younger faculty members and additional support staff over the next five years f i & e federal and provincial governments provide an addiâ€" tional $125 million annually to improve the system for funding research _ > ea new student loan system, based on an individuals ability to pay, be introduced ; : « provinceâ€"wide university admission "examinations foâ€" cussing on language skill and mathematics ability be imâ€" e groups such as women, native people, Francoâ€"Onâ€" ufim Northern Ontario residents be eiven greater accessibility to Ontario universities . In a nutshell ... Kris Ellicott According to Byers, Wilfrid Laurier students were one of the few student groups to discuss the importance of maintaining quality within the system, in a submission to the commission last fall. ‘The WLU student president pointed out that the portion students pay towards their education has remained steady at 16 per cent since 1966. Gradual eight per cent annual increases in tuition will not pose a problem for students, he believes. . accessibility to these actions. w‘-‘-\\'!;; ;;u.;; ic;(;'king at any social type of program, there l‘l’as to be some onus resting upon students as well,"‘ he said. In order to ensure a high level of quality in programs, Byers suggested that universities may also have to consider raising entrance ru“llnemems. "I honestly think it will pose a problem with accessibility, but what is really important, is for universities to be concerned with quality of education," As part of the recommendations, the commission said any increase in tuition fees would be compensated with a new student loan system based on the student‘s ability to pay the loan back. Nancy Alexander, a fourth year Ecoâ€" nomics student at WLU, said she wasn‘t concerned with the recommendations beâ€" cause of student loans. "All they‘d do is put up OSAP. It doesn‘t matter. It won‘t Third year UW Math student, Dave Ghantous, doesn‘t think anything will come of the Bovey commission recomâ€" mendations. affect anybody." ‘"Universities have looked at it and didn‘t think much of it. I don‘t think much is going to come of it. I certainly hope not. It won‘t affect me and hopefully it won‘t affect anybody." universities could be jeopardized by