Among the items discussed at the April 25th meeting of the college’s Board of Governors, held at the Chatham campus, were:
• In her monthly report, President Patti France informed the Board that her administration had launched talks with “the Detroit Medical Centre’s (DMC) leadership team, to discuss a partnership agreement for our Nursing students (Practical and degree students). As part of their visit, the college provided the DMC team with a tour of our Centre For Applied Health Sciences. After viewing our state-of-the-art facilities, the DMC team also discussed agreements for other health programs, such as Respiratory Therapy. Further talks are planned to discuss the eligibility of our students to get U.S. visas in order to work at DMC Sinai Grace Hospital” (in the clinical placement portion of their programs).”
• In her report, France, also praised the fundraising efforts of a group of Event Management students, for resurrecting the “Hoopin’ Around The Clock” basketball weekend in late-November – an annual event that had been disrupted for a couple years during the pandemic.
Recently, those students and faculty members presented the college with a cheque for $10,000 for the school’s athletic scholarship fund.
Other funds raised by the basketball marathon will support The Bridge – Leamington Youth Resource Centre, The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, Little Hands Kids for a Cause, the Neighbourhood Charitable Alliance, the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation Patient Assistance Fund, and Windsor Pinoy Athletics.
• Student fees for 2023-24 have now been set, according to a report tabled before the Board by Vice-President Academic and Registrar Mike Silvaggi.
The fees are usually set in conjunction with the college’s annual budget – approved by the Board during its previous meeting in March – but they took somewhat longer to pin down this year because of the extended negotiations with student organizations (the Student Representative Council/SRC, Thames Students Incorporated/TSI and the Saints Student Athletic Association/SSAA) which have some input to the setting of these tuition add-ons.
Specifically, Silvaggi said, all fees were re-examined in light of the sizeable annual budget surpluses which the college has been enjoying for the past half-dozen years. All of the involved parties – the administration and student organizations – were asking themselves if some adjustments could be made to some fees in light of the “profitability” of the college during the past several years.
As it turned out, some adjustments – some fees increased, some fees decreased – were made.
They include these:
– Fees devoted to the operation and maintenance of student-developed-and-operated buildings in both Windsor and Chatham will be increased by $10 annually, to $190 in Windsor and $130 in Chatham. The hikes reflect the cost-of-inflation associated with the SRC’s management of the Student Centres, Student Life Centre, Nexus esports arena, and facilities at Toronto’s Ace Acumen Academy’s campuses; and TSI’s management of the Student Centre in Chatham;
– The fee for health insurance for international students has been reduced by $50 to $700;
– The fee to deliver all athletic and recreational programs (varsity and intramural sports, and fitness), and maintain related facilities, at all campuses will be increased $10 to $190;
– The cumulative fee for the provision of a host of “Academic Support Services” – some delivered by SRC and TSI, others by the college – has been significantly reduced to $125 from last year’s $155.
The full description in the fee-setting document explains: “A total Academic Support Fee of $125 will be assessed to all students at all campuses to provide academic support that encourages and strengthens student success. Services include amenities such as peer tutoring, group tutoring, faculty support and walk-in services for math and English, open/general computer labs, workshops, support programming, THRIVES (Toolbox for Help and Resources to Increase Value and Empower Students) and other on-line resources, Orientation, etc.. This fee is split between St. Clair College (35 percent) and Thames Student Incorporated/Student Representative Council (65 percent) based on the service lead.
“Included in this fee assessment are the following printing capabilities: All students will receive 250 black-and-white free impressions (single-sided page) each semester for academic purposes. The 250 impressions do not carry over from semester to semester. Once the 250 limit is reached each semester, the following charges will apply: single-sided 15¢; two-sided 20¢; colour single-sided 30¢, colour two-sided 50¢”;
– The fee for health services and counselling has been reduced from $35 to $25. According to the fees document, it goes to “support on-campus access to health professionals/social workers for basic medical care, mental health care and online resources to support a culture of wellness on campus. Examples include wellness programming such as exam preparation support, mental health awareness and support activities, nutrition workshops and events. Online resources such as "Real Campus" and "Student Health 101" are also included”;
– In Windsor, the fee for a year-long Transit Windsor bus pass has increased to $290.43 from $274, due to the cost-of-inflation. (Students can opt-out of that fee if they live in county communities that are not fully serviced by Transit Windsor, or by providing the SRC with proof-of-purchase of a campus parking pass.)
All together, therefore, the “average domestic student” in Windsor (who isn’t paying the hiked tuition of a high-demand program) will be paying a total of $4,323.55 in tuition and fees in the coming year, down from the $4,326.62 paid this year. A Chatham domestic student will be paying $3,938.12, down from $3,992.62.
The total tuition-and-fees cost for an international student is still in excess of $15,000, but the expense has been reduced by a few dollars.
Oh, and parking fees will be increasing, from $132 per semester (non-gated) to $135.
The college’s website will soon be updated to display all of the comprehensive and program-specific fees, at https://www.stclaircollege.ca/registrars-office
