A Rant

Well, I've just received some disturbing news.

I presently use the notetaking service here at Leeds to supplement my own class notes due to difficulty hearing the lecturer speaking with a British accent. I've only requested aid in my modern literature class considering the scope and depth of information presented at any given lecture. While the notetaking service at McMaster is provided on a voluntary basis in that notetakers receive no financial compensation for their efforts, notetaking is supplied on a paid basis here at Leeds. So far, as the situation has presented itself, McMaster claims that it lacks the funds to pay for my notetaking overseas (since it's not done on a paid basis to begin with), whereas here at Leeds, funding is provided through private donations on behalf of UK students. Thus, the situation has left me in a compromising, untethered, and suspensive position in which both sides are proving to be ineffectual. Leeds has been generous enough to provide me with a temporary fund in order to provide me with 2 hours of notetaking a week, but the remaining funds are not substantial. Thus, McMaster financial aid has instructed me to submit an OSAP application in which I have marked these notetaking services as a liability, only to receive an email today notifying me that I still do not qualify for a bursary for disabled students (which you can apply for only if you qualify for OSAP). Thus this money is hidden from my access behind a veil technicality that refuses to substantiate the fact that I cannot fund these services myself. Although I can certainly do without these services as I have done in the past (they are rather helpful in this accent issue), I am absolutely ashamed of McMaster's refusal to take responsibility in this situation. I do not believe the responsibility should fall on Leeds University to divert their own funds when my tuition is being paid directly to McMaster University as an exchange student. Although from a practical standpoint, this issue does not affect me too much (like I said, I can still get along fine), I am absolutely infuriated by McMaster's following statement: "You must be prepared that we may not be able to cover all of your notetaking costs through bursary. You may be responsible to pay all or a portion of these costs yourself. Students must demonstrate financial need in order to receive McMaster bursary funding."

In the UK, a hearing impaired flatmate of a friend of mine was given a laptop computer, several hours of notetaking a week, and other such benefits. Perhaps McMaster should come to its senses and realize that the responsibility involved is not purely a legal one, but rather, a moral one.

I smell B.S.