6. RESOURCES FOR ENGINEERING EDUCATION

6.2. Funding by and for Students

• Provincial governments have promoted a policy of wide accessibility to university education. This policy has usually been accompanied by severe restrictions on the tuition fees which universities have been allowed to charge to students, based on an assumption that higher fees would restrict accessibility.

• Undergraduate engineering students have demonstrated, in several universities, that they are willing to pay increased fees in order to ensure the quality of their education. Even in a time of economic recession, many engineering students have voted to continue voluntary contributions.

• In general, there has been no shortage of qualified applicants for undergraduate engineering programs in Canada. Accordingly, a significant improvement in funding for engineering could be achieved if provincial governments would permit universities to have freedom in setting fee structures for individual undergraduate programs on the understanding that these funds would be routed to the appropriate faculties.

• For those for whom higher fees might be a serious impediment to entering engineering, loan programs with repayment after graduation through the income tax system are appropriate.

• At present, full-time graduate students in engineering receive financial support from scholarships, research assistantships and teaching assistantships. The proposals in this report for the establishment of professional masters programs raise some issues regarding the financial support of these graduate students.

• Students enroled in full-time, professional masters programs will have a very heavy academic load and will have only limited time available to undertake teaching assistantships. For these students, the funding implications for the professional masters year are similar to those of the previous undergraduate years unless appropriate provisions are made.

• NSERC should continue to support graduate students who are registered in the professional masters programs in engineering. Engineering management should be regarded as an integral part of the engineering disciplines.

• For those who are taking a professional masters program on a part-time basis while employed in industry, it is appropriate for the industry to provide both released time and financial assistance. Some industries may be able to provide financial support for selected employees while on full-time programs.

RECOMMENDATION 61: NSERC should accept a broad view of engineering research to include design, development and engineering management. It should continue to support students registered in any of the professional masters programs.