THE INFORMER PAGE 9 APRIL 28, 1992 National Literacy Award Goes to SARAW Program The SARAW (Speech Assisted Reading and Writing) program, designed for adults with severe disabilities, has just earned the College and the Neil Squire Foundation the highest honor for literacy development among Canada’s community colleges. “Through the development of SARAW,, there is now a whole group of students who can look to a brighter future instead of facing isolated frustration...a future that includes the opportunity to develop full literacy, to have independence, and to participate as students and as active members of society,” said Tom Perry, Minister of Advanced Education, Training and Technology. On April 23 Perry presented the National Literacy Award to Capilano College on behalf of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges to honor the college’s achievement with SARAW. SARAW student Michael Wayne De Voss, Adult Basic Education instructor Dileep Athaide and Don Bentley, who developed the SARAW software for the Neil Squire Foundation, received the award. The presentation took place at Independence ’92, at the World Trade and Convention Centre. The award marks a jumping off point for SARAW. When it was first developed in 1990, adults with physical disabilities tested the program in Vancouver, Regina, Ottawa and Frederic- ton. Later that year Capilano College created a SARAW lab on its North Vancouver Campus where students with disabilities were able to dramatically upgrade their literacy and communica- tion skills. The lab was made possible by a $225,000 donation of specialized computer equipment from Digital Equipment Canada Limited. “The success of SARAW is owed to the commitment of the partnership involved in making the program a reality: Digital Equipment Canada, the Neil Squire Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, the University Masons Lodge, the provincial and federal governments and Capilano College,” said Dr. Douglas Jardine, President of Capilano College. Phase II will be implemented this year with the help of Digital Equipment. The company is donating an additional $440,000 in hardware that will allow the College and the Neil Squire Foundation to install the SARAW program and train faculty in its use at all B.C. colleges. Budget Forum: College Seeking Money-Saving Ideas Think about it, discuss it with your colleagues, come up with ideas. That’s the message from College President Doug Jardine. What he suggests you think about are ways to save the College money. The College is entering a money crunch, Doug explained at a Forum on the Budget April 16. The Ministry of Advanced Education, Training and Tech- nology is increasing its grant to the College by only two per cent this year. “We don’t live in a two per cent world,” said Doug to some 40 people who attended the forum. Items such as office supplies have increased about five per cent in cost during the last year, while other expenses, such as the amount the College has to pay out in Unemployment Insur- ance premiums, have increased up to 40 per cent. Other budget items are new to the College but will be difficult to do without. For example, the HP system needs replacement and the new library will have operating expenses. Despite its need, the College must somehow determine how to save money, Doug said. A letter from the ministry to the College stressed: * collective agreements must be affordable * quality of service to students must be maintained * we must strike a balanced budget * we must maintain the 90/91 utilization rate and produce 100 per cent of the funded growth in FTE * this must be done within the two per cent increase These goals, said Doug are mutually exclusive. We might be able to reach three out of the five goals, he said, but to reach them all calls for drastic changes. He suggested money-saving measures such as having each department manage their own postage meter to reduce mailing costs, improving E-mail to decrease internal paper use, instigat- ing pay parking, charging for transcripts, selling debit cards for the copiers in the Library, and reducing groundskeeping and janitorial services. If money can’t be saved elsewhere, some courses my have to be cut, he said. Participants at the forum suggested many other measures, and as the session closed there was general agreement for everyone to keep looking for ways to save.