4 CGampus News October 10th 2012 - Over the Edge RESEARCH AT UNBC DOCUMENTS END T0 GLACIER EXPANSION PHOTO SOURCE UNBC.CA HANNA PETERSEN NEWS EDITOR The growth of BC's glaciers abruptly ended in the early 20th century after slowly expanding for nearly 10,000 years, according to a University of Northern British Columbia Geography — student who began her research while studying for her undergraduate degree. Lyssa Maurer’s findings were published last month in Quaternary Science Reviews, a leading international peer- reviewed journal. Maurer and co-authors from UNBC, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Calgary, Simon Fraser University, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the Alberta Geological Survey reconstructed the extent of glaciers back through time. Their data indicates that as early as 2,700 years ago, glaciers were nearly as large as they were during the “Little Ice Age,” a period of cool, wet conditions 150-300 years ago, which caused glaciers to advance. “Radiocarbon dating of vegetation overrun by glaciers can tell us when glaciers advanced, but not how far,” says Maurer. “But Castle Creek Glacier near McBride, one of the glaciers we studied, straddles a hydrologic divide. When the glacier is large, it flows over this divide and deposits beds of silt into a lake that otherwise collects organic sediments. One of the most interesting aspects of this work is that Castle Creek Glacier remained close to the limits of the Little Ice Age from about 1,600 years ago until the early 20th century.” Maurer adds that her undergradu- ate research experience at UNBC is a big reason she decided to con- tinue as a graduate student. “UNBC had an amazing effect on my life. | was interested in doing science and my supervisor and collabor- ators picked me up, pointed me in the right direction, and changed my life.” “This study is a great example of the value of collaborative research,” says Brian Menounos, Maurer’s undergraduate and graduate supervisor. “It also highlights the mutually beneficial relationship that can exist between undergraduate students and science. Engaging in hands- on research is often the catalyst for undergraduate students to consider careers in science. Many university professors involve students in all aspects of research from initial planning to publishing results of a study. And science simply would grind to a halt without the active involvement of undergraduate and graduate students alike.” Maurer’s research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. B.C. TUITION DEPENDENCY RISING FASTEST IN TH HANNA PETERSEN NEWS EDITOR BC has recently been found to be the third most tuition-dependent province in the country, following Ontario and Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada has shown that in the past decade, tuition has accounted for 40.3 percent of funding for BC universities, up from 25 percent in 1999. This marks the largest increase in tuition dependency during that timespan. BC has a low tuition rate when compared to other provinces, though, as BC has the fourth lowest in Canada. However, as the numbers show, the responsibility for institutional funding is being increasingly shouldered to the students rather than the government. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a group that lobbies for lower tuition, says BC needs to take measures to ensure the trend does not continue. They hope BC can reduce its dependence on tuition fees as other provinces have, some by nearly 50 percent in the past 10 years. “What we're seeing is an offloading of a public service onto a student == demographic,’said CFS BC chairperson Katie Marocchi. “Other provinces, such as Newfoundland, have been taking measures to make sure post- secondary education is affordable and we advocate for the province of BC to do so as well.” While tuition may be a hot topic for post-secondary students, John Yap, the newly appointed Minister of Advanced Education, circumvents the concern. “In an ideal world, we'd find ways to increase affordability,’ said Yap. “Maybe the timing is not right in terms of the funding available.” Last December, UNBC’s Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS) joined the province-wide funding advocacy group Where's the Funding? (WTF). WTF includes UVIC, UBC, Langara, Capilano, UFV, and SFU representing over 121,000 students. WTF has three demands of the provincial government which are: the elimination of interest rates on student loans; the re-establishment of a provincial needs-based grant programs; and an increase to core- TELL US WE RE WRONG. TAKE THE RED ie CHALLENGE. . E COUNTRY : PHOTO. ONLINE SOURCE funding for colleges and universities. “We're confident that with the caps on tuition fee increases and the supports that are provided by student aid programs, whether it’s bursaries or grants or student loans or scholarships - we're making our system of colleges and universities accessible for British Columbians,’ said Minister Yap in an interview with the Canadian University Press. “Millions of dollars have been put into supporting our colleges and universities to prepare our students. It’s a great college and university system and I’m looking forward to working with the many people who make it work so well.” A ministry survey in 2010 suggested that half of BC university graduates were in debt and the median amount owing was $20,000. Of diploma and certificate students, 48 percent borrowed money to pay for their education and the median debt was $10,000. WRONNNGG!!!