Science and Research committee  We're building the first graduate student residence on campus. It's just off campus. It's in downtown Hamilton. It's a 644-bed facility. It is built under a P3 partnership. There is no provincial or federal support for that construction, as it stands. It is a mechanism by which we, as an institution, will satisfy our obligation to our students by providing them with high-quality housing.

Science and Research committee  It depends on the context. If you're a domestic student from out of province and you don't have a local safety net, yes, you are eligible for some NSERC or other tri-council grants. It takes pressure off them. In order to have a residence space.... They're sure that it's high-quality housing, that it's available to them and that it's not going to increase for the duration of their lease.

Science and Research committee  Thank you very much. To be clear, from an Ontario context we have not increased tuitions. We have frozen tuitions for a period of time. I think it's important to start from the reason for doing graduate studies. Yes, these individuals are graduate students. I think Chantel was very, very balanced in her comments.

Science and Research committee  Yes, there are institutional minimums. We have a minimum for Ph.D. support. We have equalized tuition, so international students pay the same tuition as domestic students at the Ph.D. level, recognizing that McMaster is a research-intensive institution. However, funds need to come from somewhere.

Science and Research committee  I think it's an important one to address. It links to Chantel Millar's appearance earlier. Those students who have a significant safety net will benefit, and we want to ensure that graduate studies remain universal, merit based and dependent on the quality of the applicant. I also want to pivot a bit.

Science and Research committee  Certainly, the complexion of funding varies across the university. As I mentioned, we have created a series of stopgaps in order to ensure students can be funded. In the humanities, those funding sources are not nearly as heavily based on research funding. In fact, they're almost not based on research funding at all.

Science and Research committee  Hamilton is not immune to the housing price increase. I can tell you that McMaster has been proactive. We've been lucky to have started construction of a graduate student residence near our campus. It's a 644-bed residence. That's not to say that it is inexpensive. It is below market rates, but market rates have increased as well.

Science and Research committee  Thank you. I want to set the stage. My context is Ontario universities. Ontario universities are facing unique pressures. There is one institution in Ontario that has gone bankrupt, and others are facing structural deficits. I'm happy to say that McMaster is not one of those universities.

Science and Research committee  Thank you, Chair. I appreciate being given the opportunity, on behalf of McMaster University, to present today and to offer the broader institutional perspective of the university. I'm very pleased to be joined by some of my faculty colleagues here today and especially by a grad student, whom you heard in the last panel, Chantel Millar.