Snap. Flash. Smile.

After paying thousands of dollars each year for tuition, post-secondary students expect to get the best out their education.

According to a recently published book called Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, however, students aren’t really getting a good value for their money.

The results of the study, conducted by New York University’s Richard Arum and University of Virginia’s Jospia Roksa, revealed that many students do not gain much knowledge, and that those that do retain less than average, according to USA Today.

The study explains that out of a sample of 3,000 full-time students, 51 percent spent most of their time on campus socializing, and only 16 percent attending classes and studying.

Authors evaluated American students and the core thinking skills they gained over the first two years of university. Scores were then compared two years later when the students graduated.

Arum and Raksa claim that many of the results in the report point to students who choose “easy” courses, yet disregard studying and end up doing poorly.

“I have taken bird courses, but I didn’t know that they were. They just sounded like courses I liked, so I took them. I’ve never intentionally taken a course because it was easy,” said Jacob Wylde, a third- year kinesiology student at York.

“It’s hard to actually learn stuff and still remember it later on in university. You take so many courses, and once you finish learning the material in one course, you move on to the next and forget about what you learned previously.”

The research also showed that modern day students are spending 50 percent less time studying in comparison to students a couple of decades ago.

Arum and Roksa also pointed to colleges where researching is valued over teaching. The study noted that the students most likely to learn and succeed studied harder, read and wrote more and majored in “traditional” art and science fields.

The study also revealed 45 percent of students showed no significant improvement in critical thinking skills and complex reasoning by the end of their second year.

University gets an ‘A’ in student services

After failing to get an ‘A’ in the Globe and Mails’ 2011 University Report, York University once again scored some low ratings in Maclean’s 2010 University RAnkings.

Based on surveys from high school principles and guidance counselors, recruiters and CEOs from corporations, as well as university officials and heads of organizations, Maclean’s chart for overall best national reputation ranking places York at number 30.

York is, however, ranked first in student services, which prepares new and current students for the academic year. Among the 41 universities ranked, York has one of the largest class sizes and is among several universities with comparatively high tuition rates. The average entrance grade to enter York University remains a steady 81 percent.

York is listed as the second largest post-secondary institution in Canada, after the University of Toronto, and has not budged from last year’s ninth place ranking in comprehensive [undergraduate and graduate-focused universities] category. It is once again tied this year with the University of Regina for that spot.

For highest quality, most innovation and leaders of tomorrow categories, York ranked 32nd, 34th and 25th, respectively.

Two smaller institutions in British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria, grabbed the top spots in the comprehensive category once again.

Osgoode prof says Bill C-49 is unconstitutional

Several Osgoode Hall Law School professors are concerned with what they say is the unconstitutional nature of Bill C-49 which would prevent human smuggling and enact stricter enforcement of immigration laws in Canada.

Proposed by federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, the bill aims to deter refugees from arriving illegally.

In an effort to deter human smuggling, the Preventing Human Smugglers from Abusing Canada’s Immigration System Act would impose new penalties against people and potential refugees that employ human smuggling efforts.

Kenney was not available for comment, but according to the Vancouver Sun he stated he believed the new law, if passed, would not infringe on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms or international law, and he expected the immigration industry and special-interest groups to oppose Bill C-49.

“Quite frankly, that indicates to me that we’re on the right track,” said Kenney at a press conference Oct. 21.

Sean Rehaag, one of the Osgoode Hall Law School lawyers speaking out against the bill, said it has a potential ability to deny refugees essential services and fundamental rights, and can designate groups of people as “irregular arrivals.”

Rehaag, together with several other Canadian law professors, feels that Bill C-49 violates Canada’s responsibility under the International Refugee Convention, a treaty that involves over 180 countries.

“The idea of targeting asylum seekers with penalties because of the way they come to the country is extremely problematic,” said Rehaag. “[The bill] changes the penalties with respect to human smuggling and imposes sentences and restrictions on human smugglers and asylum seekers.”

According to Krisna Saravanamuttu, spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), news of the bill appeared in response to the arrival of the MV Sun Sea on the shores of Vancouver in August. Cramped into tight quarters aboard a vessel, nearly 500 Tamil asylum seekers fled from Sri Lanka, a country criticized internationally for allegedly having an appalling human rights record.

Saravanamuttu echoed Rehaag’s concerns.

“If passed, Bill C-49 will give the federal government the ability to arbitrarily jail refugee claimants, deny permanent refugee status, bar refugees from reuniting with their families in Canada and revoke refugee status after it has already been granted, amongst many more draconian measures,” he said.

Firefighters rushed to the north end of York University’s Keele campus Oct. 29 after the roof of the Toronto Track and Field Centre was lit up by a massive fire.

The fire started around 5:30 a.m. and originated on the building’s roof. according to Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation spokesperson Wynna Brown.

Cleanup began in the afternoon immediately after the fire department turned it over to the City of Toronto.

An investigation by the City of Toronto is still pending. No injuries have been reported.

Alex Bilyk, York’s media relations director, said the fire will hinder York’s athletic training.

“[The Track and Field Centre] is a City of Toronto facility,” said Bilyk. “We make use of it, of course; York athletes train in there for track and field.”

Brown hopes to have parts of the facility open for the public in the near future.

“We hope to at least be able to allow staff, and perhaps the [Allen Eagleson] Sports Injury Clinic that operates out of there, back into the building,” she said.

Brown mentioned the building will remain closed until it is deemed safe for public use.

YFS Pres: where did York get all this money?

The Ontario New Democratic Party counted York University among several Ontario universities allegedly spending public funds – almost $500,000 worth of York’s part – on lobbyists, hired private-sector advocates paid to sway provincial government policy.

According to York, however, that money was not spent on lobbying the government, but on consulting firms to help secure assets and information for future York projects.

In an Oct. 5 press release from the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the Freedom of Information request filed by the NDP showed York spends more funds on private lobbying groups than any other university in the province.

A statement released by York Oct. 6, the university had contracts with three companies registered as lobby groups – the Counsel Public Affairs (CPA), the Devon Group and EcoNexus – but hired them as consultants, not lobbyists.

Alex Bilyk, York’s director of media relations, said York hired these firms as consultants because York didn’t have the resources or staff to head these projects.

Krisna Saravanamuttu, president of the York Federation of Students (YFS), said of the money spent on consultants that, since the CUPE 3903 strike, which shut down the university during the 2008-2009 academic year for almost three months, “York has been crying poor.”

“Where in the world did York find almost $500,000 to fund these lobby groups, when really lobbying is the job of the senior administrators and a properly composed Board of Govenors?” he said.

Bilyk said that the university has a budget to hire consultants and that York did not go over that budget.

“Perhaps Saravanamuttu has not read [York’s Oct. 6] statement and maybe he does not understand how the university works,” said Bilyk.

According to York, from January to June 2010 The Devon Group provided strategic counsel and guidance for additional venues for the upcoming Pan Am Games 2015, which resulted in the letter of intent York offered event organizers regarding the university’s willingness to host some of the activities.

The statement further explains that from February 2008 to January 2009, the university worked with the CPA in looking at potentially establishing a medical school at York. Bilyk said CPA helped York put together a business plan for the York medial school.

The York statement also said that CPA assisted with labour relations during that time.

York hired EcoNexus from 2008 to 2010 to focus on creating a research project on climate change and environmental research. The York statement also said that project lead Karan Kraft Sloan is a registered federal lobbyist; however, in this instance, she was not lobbying the government.

Lawyers consider appealing court’s decision.

A lawsuit against York University that was seeking $250 million in damages associated with losses endured by students during the CUPE 3903 strike almost two years ago was turned down Sept. 9.

Juroviesky LLP, the law firm representing the York students who petitioned for the lawsuit, is currently deciding whether to appeal the decision.

Kevin Caspersz, a representative for Juroviesky LLP, said that the Honourable Ontario Superior Court Justice Maurice Cullity denied the certification of the case.

“[Juroviesky LLP] felt we had a good chance this time and that it is still a good case,” said Caspersz.

He said that the judge’s decision was final and that there would be no further reimbursements towards the students.

Alex Bilyk, York director of media relations, said that York stands behind the court’s decision.

Following a teaching assistant union strike that closed the university for three months in the 2008-2009 academic year, the longest ever for an English-speaking university, then fourth-year student Jonathon Turner filed a class-action lawsuit against York administration. More than 5,000 students joined the suit by signing up online at yorktookmymoney.com.

According to Caspersz, the lawsuit claimed damages of a compressed academic year (from 26 weeks of study to 23 weeks), loss of the February reading week, intrusion into summer jobs and loss of rent, parking fees and tuition.

Krisna Saravanamuttu, president of the York Federation of Students (YFS), said that while it is unfortunate students could not receive some money back, the student union did launch a tuition refund campaign in which York participated willingly, agreeing to compensate students with credits for classes they have missed.

The YFS also demanded a 12 percent refund from the York administration for all tuition fees paid by full and part-time students, which was denied.

Peter Shurman, Thornhill MPP, back students during the strike and urged CUPE 3903 to return to work.

“I don’t blame the students for taking action,” he said. “They deserve compensation.”

Shurman stated that if his team wins the upcoming election, the issue of union petitions at the university level will be brought to the table.

“With 50,000 students held at bay, with no voice – especially when only a particular union has a grievance – it has to be addressed in a method that doesn’t put the students education on hold, [and still] satisfies the demands of the union.”

Saravanamuttu agreed.

“The employer and workers need to speak to each other in good faith to avoid labour disruptions,” he said.