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saskatchewan University rejects 1/2 million dollars

University rejects scholarship offer for non-aboriginal students only

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 | 4:03 PM CT Comments298Recommend125

The University of Saskatchewan has turned down a $500,000 offer to endow a scholarship because the donor wants the money to be spent only on non-aboriginal students.

According to the university, a 57-year-old graduate of the Saskatoon-based university offered the money, with the stipulation linked to race.

Heather Magotiaux, vice-president of advancement for the university, told CBC News that setting up such a scholarship would violate human rights legislation.

"We do make exceptions where those exceptions have been identified by the human rights legislation," Magotiaux said about other scholarships that target minorities such as aboriginal students and students with disabilities. Outside of those categories, she said, "our core position is that scholarships should be made available to students regardless of race."

Magotiaux said the university would take the money if the race-related clause was dropped.

She said, however, that the potential donor was adamant.

"It became evident that that was a criterion that the donor insisted on, and therefore, we had to decline the gift," Magotiaux said.

 

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Birthstone's picture

Birthstone

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***choke*** tell the a** to

***choke***

tell the a** to go spend his money for a nice party before karma catches up with him.  WOW.

graeme's picture

graeme

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I'm certainly happy they

I'm certainly happy they turned it down. I think, though, that any university in Canada would have turned that one down.

graeme

crazyheart's picture

crazyheart

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I wonder what classes this

I wonder what classes this guy took in University - obviously the wrong ones.

crazyheart's picture

crazyheart

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Things are heating up in

Things are heating up in sask.

 

On the morning talk show most who phoned in said that the University should have taken the money.

 

One woman ( of a farming family of 10) was the first to go to University in her family.She was asked if she had ever been discriminated against because of her roots like the First Nations are. She said " No, but she has been discriminated against because she is blonde ( dumb= blonde connotation). She thought that the University should have taken the money with the strings attached.

 

I have heard friends, parishioners etc over the last two days say things like " The University should take the money but I wouldn't say this because people  MIGHT say that I am Racist."

 

The person who left the money, imo, is a shit disturber.

Birthstone's picture

Birthstone

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crazyheart wrote: I wonder

crazyheart wrote:

I wonder what classes this guy took in University - obviously the wrong ones.

Maybe they should revoke his diploma?

Or thank him publically, across the headlines & on tv for his thoughtfulness, but just make sure people know why the U said no thanks.  :)

lastpointe's picture

lastpointe

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I think the mistake is how it

I think the mistake is how it is phrased.

 

When my kids applied for scholarships there were tons of conditions.

 

there were scholarships for children of ministers, children of CAW members, children of Coke emplyees, children who live in Ontario but are from Ukrainian descent, there is one at my son's university for a child of a Coke employee who is chinese in descent.

 

there are scholarships for kids from certain small towns, from certain high schools, for kids whose parents are nurses, for kids who can write essays.......

 

There are tons of restrictions.

 

If this couple want to give a bursary to help out a child form similar back ground as themselves just word it that way.

 

For instance:

 

A bursary for a boy or girl, attending medical school or nursing, based on financial need who attended XYZ high school. 

 

The way it was reported here was that they particularily eliminated aboriginal kids because they get full funding already through government grants and the band grants.

 

But that isn't really the issue.  If you are targetting a person from a p[articular area just be specific.

 

For instance in Toronto you could see someone offering a scholarship to a studen who lived in Regent Park, a poor area.  Pick an area, pick a high school, specify a course.  there are tons of bursaries and scholarships that are exactly that specific.

 

then there are all the general ones, based on marks, or community service or whatever.

preecy's picture

preecy

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I would imagine that there

I would imagine that there would be a way to say open for those who have to pay X% out of their own pocket or a cap on how much scholarship money they can recieve?  This way it isn't racist so much as targetting those who do not recieve funding.  I am pretty sure the person was seeking out a controversy though when they did this so as to target the scholarships for aboriginal peoples.

Peace

Joel

Birthstone's picture

Birthstone

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The article did point out

The article did point out that the University tried to negotiate with the man and he refused to change the arrangement of the criteria.

seeler's picture

seeler

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Of course the university

Of course the university turned it down.   I would be surprised if they even considered it.  I can't imagine trying to restrict a scholarship from a particular group - no negros, no jews, no blonds, no male football players. 

 

On the other hand, as somebody has pointed out, it is possible to set up a scholarship for a particular group - and therefore exclude everybody else.  When I worked in the Trust industry we had an elderly client who wanted to set up a scholarship for children of veterans of World War II who lived in a particular area.  It was for a considerable sum.  We pointed out that there would be very few applicants because almost all veterans would be far to old to still have children in high school or college.  He agreed to change the wording to set up his scholarship for 'descendants of war veterans' who lived in that area.  A few years later I was talking to a family - their son was going to spend a year with his uncle in the next town and attend school there so that he could graduate from that school 'within the area'.    I'd prefer to see it set up for deserving students who apply - without restrictions.

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