HALIFAX – Students at NSCAD University are occupying the office of President Dianne Taylor-Gearing to protest a planned 37% tuition fee hike. This fee increase would see NSCAD students’ tuition fees increased to $8700 per year by 2018, leaving NSCAD with the highest undergraduate tuition fees in Nova Scotia and the most expensive bachelor of fine arts program in Canada.
Dozens of students are delivering drop out forms to President Taylor-Gearing today, which indicate that they will not continue their studies at NSCAD if this tuition fee hike passes. Enrolment at NSCAD has already dropped by 15.5 percent this fall, the fastest decreasing rate in the province.
“We are calling on the President Taylor-Gearing and the Board of Governors to reject this massive tuition fee hike,” said Jade Peek, Vice President External of the Students’ Union for NSCAD University. “Enough is enough, our students cannot afford this hike.”
Students and the general public are barred from the NSCAD Board of Governors’ tuition fee vote being held by secret teleconference today. “The Board is too ashamed to hold this vote in one of our on campus board rooms, where they would once again have to face the students who would be impacted by this fee hike,” said Peek.
NSCAD students are once again calling on the Board of Governors to take an alternative approach and work together with students and faculty in in lobbying the Nova Scotia government for increased public funding for post-secondary education.
WHAT: Occupation of NSCAD President office
DATE AND TIME: Thursday, December 3, at 9:15 - finish
LOCATION: NSCAD University, Granville Campus, 4th floor, Office of the President
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