Notice Board

Trevor Kenney
trevor.kenney@uleth.ca
Univ Adv - Communications
November 6, 2013

The following is a message from University of Lethbridge President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon

Earlier today, through a letter to our Board Chair and a rapidly arranged conference call, the Deputy Premier informed the presidents of Alberta's post-secondary institutions that the Government of Alberta has made an immediate re-investment in the post-secondary education system in the province.

For the University of Lethbridge, this means an immediate Campus Alberta operating grant increase of 2.62% for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This translates into $2,412,731 million in additional funds for the University of Lethbridge in the current fiscal year.

This is, of course, good news and I am incredibly grateful to the many members of senior administration, our faculty, staff, students, Board of Governors, Senate and the public who advocated so passionately on the importance of post-secondary education to the future of our province. I am grateful for the countless opportunities members of our team took to meet with government officials to outline the impact of the earlier Campus Alberta 2013-14 fiscal year operating grant reduction of 7.3%. I am also grateful to government for this re-investment. I believe this re-investment reflects the importance of education to the future wellbeing and competitiveness of our province.

There are many questions that this surprise news raises for us at the University - especially given the budget reduction activities undertaken and those currently in process. Without a doubt, this news will help our institution. It does not however make our budget whole again nor does it negate the work that was done earlier in the year, as well as many of the current initiatives underway to balance our operating budget. Without the work that was done and the continuing efforts to make our University financially sustainable into the future, we would still be facing a substantial budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year and would continue to face considerable challenges in the future.

The announcement requires us to once again pause and re-evaluate our budget planning scenarios and to re-assess the status of the University's current budget situation. The values previously re-affirmed by our community - people, quality and access, must continue to guide us as we proceed with the revised budget scenario. The budget decisions made over the past months have been balanced, equitable, fair and, most importantly, have served us well through our required reduction process. The budget reduction path we have been on has been absolutely necessary. The decisions we have made have enabled us to be in the position we are today - a position that permits us to take a temporary and collective pause in the budget reduction processes currently unfolding, evaluate how we address this and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

In the coming days, members of senior administration will evaluate the impact of these returned funds. The Budget Advisory Committee and the community must engage in this discussion.

I have commented frequently in earlier messages that our prudent financial planning processes and our collective engagement in addressing our budget issues would see us through our most challenging debates. While we are not yet through our process, the news today does provide some welcome relief.

Dr. Mike Mahon
President and Vice-Chancellor