Same Degree Same Fee

Overview

Since fall of 2020, the CSSU has worked closely with the Bioinformatics and Computation Biology Students Union, University of Toronto Students Union, and Arts and Science Student Union on the Same Degree, Same Fee Campaign. We’re calling for all science students in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts and Science to pay the same fees – after all, all science students do earn the same degree, and can take very similar course loads.

Our Report

We recently prepared this report which outlines our rationale for our Same Degree, Same Fee proposal.

The report includes detailed analysis of the results of a survey and consultation process we held. If you would like to download the survey and consultation results alone, without the attached Same Degree, Same Fee report, click here.

You can help – sign the petition

Are you interested in supporting our Same Degree, Same Fee campaign? If so, click here to sign our petition

Updates

April 6, 2021 – The CSSU & UTSU speak to Governing Council about the SDSF campaign and the University’s budget process. Commitments are made from administrators to engage in further consultations with students about this issue. Nevertheless, the tuition schedules are passed without change. The campaign will continue into the next budget process. The report from this meeting can be read here.

April 1, 2021 – The CSSU & other student unions involved in the SDSF campaign holds an information session with many Governors of the University, discussing the SDSF campaign and answering questions. The SDSF report had been submitted already to Governing Council and was already included as agenda item 3bii) of the April 6, 2021 Governing Council meeting.

March 25, 2021 – The Same Degree, Same Fee campaign is discussed at the Executive Committee of Governing Council. The report from this meeting can be read here.

March 17, 2021 – The CSSU speaks on behalf of Computer Science Students at the Business Board of the UofT Governing Council, on the subject of the 2021-2022 Tuition Schedules. The report from this meeting can be read here.

January 25, 2021 – The UTSU files a Freedom of Information request to request access to budgets of the Faculty of Arts and Science and enrollment data relating to formerly de-regulated programs. We had to resort to a formal request for access based on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in order to access these records. The request is successful and records are disclosed a month later, on February 24, 2021. These records will aid in the research included in the SDSF report.

December 2020 – The CSSU and the other members of the Same Degree, Same Fee campaign committee meet with senior administrators at the University of Toronto to discuss the campaign.

October 2020 – The Same Degree, Same Fee is founded and our campaign committee is struck, consisting of representatives from the BCBSU, UTSU, and ASSU, and chaired by the CSSU.

In The News

The Varsity: Undergraduate international tuition fees to increase by an average of 2.1 per cent next year May 15, 2021 - The Varsity covers the SDSF campaign’s advocacy in the UofT Governance process.

The Varsity: Op-ed: Students are missing from U of T’s budget process February 14, 2021

The Varsity: Tuition town halls highlight high fees for students in formerly deregulated programs January 31, 2021

The Varsity: Students find university’s financial aid insufficient to help with increasing tuition January 24, 2021 - The Varsity discusses why a tuition reduction is necessary to alleviate the impact of increasing tuition for students in programs with higher fees, like Computer Science, Bioinformatics, and Data Science.

The Varsity: Same degree, same fee: CSSU campaigns to lower Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Data Science tuition January 10, 2021

Other Resources

UTSU: https://www.utsu.ca/same-degree-same-fee-supporting-tuition-equity/ See also: Campaigns & Initiatives

Have Questions?

Contact us at cssu(at)utoronto(dot)ca