Thursday, December 9, 1993 FUNDING PROSPECTS: The news in this morning's Toronto Star and elsewhere, that the Ontario government intends to cut another $34 million from college and university funding next year, isn't exactly news. University heads were told the same thing last month. The cut is $24 million from universities (meaning UW's share is a little under $2 million) and $10 million from the colleges. And the government's letter said the grants would be cut by "at least" that much, meaning that more shoes could still drop. There's also, still, uncertainty about tuition fee levels for next year. Students are mostly hoping the increase will be small; university budget planners would like to see it large, since fees are about the only source of significant new revenue to help the universities pay their bills. UW provost Jim Kalbfleisch says there's no way he can prepare even a tentative budget to show to next week's meeting of the senate finance committee. He said this morning, however, that he'll come to the Wednesday meeting with the best available information on UW's expenses for 1994-95, and what little is known about next year's revenue. Kalbfleisch also said he understands there are wild and scary rumours going around campus about pay cuts and layoffs next year. None of the rumours can possibly be true, he said, since there isn't enough information yet for any budget plans to be made. He's cautiously hopeful: if the $24 million is the last cut the government imposes, and if tuition fees go up by the kind of number that's been hinted (perhaps 7 to 10 per cent), the cutting UW has to do for next year will not be horribly painful. EXAMS BEGIN: Today is the first day of fall term exams, which run through December 22. We won't say anything so fatuous as "Good luck," since success on exams has very little to do with luck. But perhaps it would be fair to make one suggestion especially for first-year students: Be of good courage! Your abilities got you this far and they won't fail you now. STUDENT KILLED: The man killed in a crash on the Conestoga Parkway in Kitchener on Monday has been identified as King-Hoi Stephen Leung, a second-year math student at UW. The funeral is to be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Smith Funeral Home, 485 Benn Street, Burlington. LIBRARY MICROFILMS: The microform collection in the Dana Porter Library will be inaccessible from December 17 to about January 10 because of work to remove asbestos from the ceiling of the first floor. Those who know now that they will want to work with the microform collection during this period should talk to staff at the Reserves/Micro desk, on the first floor of the Dana Porter Library, so that the necessary arrangements can be made. SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS: A contribution from Manulife Financial, to assist UW's "community and world service" program, will be announced at a reception this afternoon (Davis Centre, 4 p.m.). The program provides unpaid work term options for co-op arts students at non-profit agencies ranging from local churches to a refugee centre in Cairo. Chris Redmond Information and Public Affairs credmond@watserv1 ext. 3004