Deregulation of tuition fees has always been a contentious issue at Queen’s University, in Kingston Ontario. In 1998, the provincial government allowed for the deregulation of the school’s graduate programs. Ever since, deregulation has been debated, subjected to town hall meetings, back-room deals and student referendums.

The practice allows universities and colleges to raise tuition fees as high as they like. According to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), this makes post-secondary education inaccessible to most students, creating a two-tier system.

In 2001, students heard that deregulation could spread at Queen’s University. They mobilized a campus-wide referendum, which resulted — with the highest turnout ever — in 92 per cent voting against fee deregulation.

“We thought the issue was dead after that,” explains Robyn Hartley, a member of Queen’s Coalition Against Deregulation. “But they’re (the administration) obviously not listening to us, because they keep pushing the issue.”

As it stands now, tuition fees are capped at 2 per cent by the provincial government for the next five years. Last month, the university’s administration came forward and asked Dianne Cunningham, the Ontario Minister of Training and Colleges, to exempt the school from the ruling.

This was because principal William Leggett wants to implement the Pathfinder plan at Queen’s, meaning that all undergraduate tuition fees would increase by 60 per cent over four years.

And so the occupation began.

On Monday, January 14, 2002, five students from the Queen’s Coalition Against Deregulation walked into the university’s administration offices with a list of demands, five days worth of supplies and flowers for the secretaries.

“We brought flowers and a note for the secretaries working there to help them not feel so intimidated by us,” said Hartly, who is one of the occupiers.

The administration quickly sent up security guards and a list of rules for the occupiers. They were not allowed to disturb any files or damage any physical property; they could stay as long as they liked; and if they wished to leave to use the washroom down the hall, they would be escorted by a security officer and not allowed to return.

Hartly said, “The list of rules, especially the one allowing us to stay as long as we liked, makes it look like the administration is trying to be polite. But they’re not quite as friendly as they are portraying, it’s more of a passive hostility.”

The administration had yet to meet with the occupiers by day four. About the stand-off, Leggett said, “We were mildly inconvenienced, but not put out of business.”

The occupiers’ demands:

  • a tuition freeze in all faculties for the academic year 2002/2003;
  • principal Leggett to publicly rescind his current proposal that Queen’s be made the test case for deregulation in Ontario;
  • any future proposals to be accepted by a majority of voting students in a binding referendum, using a question that is approved by student representatives.

Adam Sneyd, a supporter of the occupation who is working from the outside, summed up the mood around campus: “Unlike the usual apathy Queen’s University is known for, I would say 75 per cent of the students here support the occupation and our cause one way or another. They’ve had to shut down the principal’s fax lines because they’ve been just inundated with solidarity faxes from across the country and internationally.”

The situation has deteriorated for those on the inside. First, the administration shut off power, preventing the protesters from using office computers and fax machines, making communication more difficult. Then, on day four, maintenance workers nailed the door between the space being occupied and Leggett’s office shut. (Leggett has an alternative route out.).

Joel Duff, the Ontario Representative of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) believes the actions taken against the occupiers are meant to isolate them. “First they cut off their power so they can’t type up their communiqués or recharge their cell phones, next, they’re nailing doors shut and having security practice dismantling others. These are obviously all intimidation techniques to scare and isolate the protesters and suppress the right to dissent.”

In a statement given earlier last week, though, Leggett said that he supports the students’ right to protest. “I’ve made it clear to them that they have the right to express their views, as long as no damage is done to the property.”

But student activists don’t feel like they’re being listened to. The occupiers have stated that deregulation has led to the occupation because “we knew we had to do something now to get heard before it was too late. Queen’s has a history of deregulation and corporate interference. For too long, it has not been a public issue. It’s time to put these issues out in the open.”

Duff backed the occupiers’ sentiments. “In this way, the occupation has been an incredible success in raising public awareness and support,” he said. “Students have exhausted every form of legitimate lobbying. They’re frustrated and desperate. They’re sick of seeing their tuition go up year after year, having to take on another part-time job, seeing their friends have to drop out because they can no longer afford to attend school.”

Lindsey Tabah, vice president of education at the University of Toronto’s student council, had this to say about the lack of impact that lobbying seems to have: “Student activists are getting more and more frustrated with the governments and school’s administration stance of: It’s going to take more than just a bunch of students sitting in my office to change things.”

“I think it’s all fantastic. We need a cross-country campaign with that much energy and enthusiasm — an occupation on every campus,” said student activist Dave Wightman.

As it happens, the CFS has declared February 6 a national day of action against tuition fees and deregulation, mirroring the demands of the Queen’s occupiers.

From the occupier’s communiqué number three, they state: “our struggle is to expose and defeat tuition deregulation at Queen’s, which is inextricably bound up in the larger struggle.”

Joel Duff explained how one university’s situation relates to what’s happening at other schools: “Students across Canada are scared. They’re waiting to see what happens at Queen’s with baited breath. Queen’s could be the start of a domino effect that’ll kick the door wide open for a two-tiered education system, where a select few institutions are well funded, and attended by the elite, and the rest of us will be forced to attend cash-strapped, second-hand schools.”

Krystalline Kraus

krystalline kraus is an intrepid explorer and reporter from Toronto, Canada. A veteran activist and journalist for rabble.ca, she needs no aviator goggles, gas mask or red cape but proceeds fearlessly...