[su_heading size=”21″]York graduate students will once again receive a $300 annual printing allowance from the university, in part due to a petition started by the York University Graduate Students’ Association. [/su_heading]
Graduate students were initially outraged, when in September 2013 the provost’s office made dramatic cuts to printing services. Master’s students were to receive $75 per academic term for printing, and PhD students were to get nonrenewable, one-time-only stipends of $300.
Nausheen Quayyum, vp campaigns at YUGSA, says the online petition collected over 1,000 signatures, and paper copies were distributed at their fall orientation and other events.
“The response was overwhelming,” says Quayyum. “Graduate students wanted this service back.”
Quayyum says many graduate students live below the poverty line and cannot afford any additional costs for education, including printing.
Barbara Crow, interim dean of the faculty of graduate studies, says the petition addressed the value of graduate printing based on concerns from graduate students.
She notes numerous meetings between the faculty, graduate students, and York University Libraries took place to discuss the petition.
An email sent out by YUGSA on March 18 revealed the petition was a success and the printing allocation would be re-implemented immediately, effective until the 2017-2018 academic year.
“Getting the $300 back is a major relief for many of us, particularly those who need that $300 per year for rent, groceries, and other bills,” says Quayyum.
Quayyum says despite this victory, York has signaled that graduate printing allocation will be threatened again in 2017.
“It will mean that graduate students will once again face the issues we highlighted in our initial petition,” says Quayyum.
Crow says effective 2017, there will be no more printing allocation provided to graduate students.
“This reflects the ability of students to submit and obtain documents in various electronic formats anywhere and anytime, as well as the implementation of electronic thesis and dissertations submissions,” says Crow.
“The university will continue to make other important and necessary investments to improve the library and information technology services that will benefit all students.”
Ashley Glovasky
Deputy Copy Editor
