Graduate students choose health services option
In a recent referendum held by the Graduate Students Association, graduate students voted against increasing their fees to be in line with what undergraduates pay for services delivered by the Student Wellness Centre.
Undergraduate students pay about three times more per year than graduate students for the same services. The proposal was to increase the amount of the student services fee dedicated to the Student Wellness Centre to $33.95 per term, from the current $10.09 per term.
The motion to make the fees more equitable and fairer failed by six votes, with graduate students opting for the service levels the lower fee provides.
“McMaster prioritizes the health and wellbeing of all students and works in partnership with student groups to provide a range of health services,” says Sean Van Koughnett, Dean of Students. “The University invests millions of dollars into health services and will continue to do so, but the kind of funding inequity between undergraduate and graduate students needed to be addressed.”
The University subsidizes student health services by investing in the Student Wellness Centre and by paying for costs such as training of front line staff. More than 100 staff across campus have received mental health training in the past year.
Since 2007, the University has quadrupled funding to improve support for students with mental health disabilities. McMaster is also investing $5.65 million to open a new 20,000 square foot Student Wellness Centre in the Living Learning Building soon to begin construction.
Despite the outcome of the vote, any student coming to the Student Wellness Centre in distress and requiring the care of a doctor will continue to be seen and receive care. Graduate students will continue to receive medical services at the Centre including immunizations and other treatments.
Counselling services will continue until August 31, 2016 for graduate students currently being seen at the Student Wellness Centre. The counselling goal will be to complete the therapeutic work already begun or to facilitate a referral to other services on campus or in the community. The University will facilitate care for new graduate students by connecting them to off campus community partners.
More information on the vote and investments in health services can be found at macgradsvote.mcmaster.ca
