This notice is from the archives of The Notice Board. Information contained in this notice was accurate at the time of publication but may no longer be so.
Trevor Kenney
trevor.kenney@uleth.ca
Univ Adv - Communications
March 7, 2014
Message from President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon on the March 6, 2014 Provincial Budget
On March 6, 2014, the Alberta government released the 2014-2015 budget for the Province of Alberta. The budget included no changes to the base Campus Alberta operating grant received by the University of Lethbridge in 2013-2014. This was anticipated by the University and planned for in our 2014-2015 operating budget preparation.
Highlights of the budget note that Alberta's publicly funded post-secondary institutions will receive over $2.1 billion in base operating grants. This includes rolling into base-funding the $50 million received by post-secondary institutions in November 2013 to ease budget pressures, and $16 million received in lieu of tuition increases last year.
An additional $32.5 million to create 2,000 new, full-time spaces and encourage collaboration throughout Campus Alberta to support population growth will also be provided. The University of Lethbridge will receive a portion of these targeted enrolment funds but the allocation specifics are not yet known.
Other highlights include the creation of a new Social Innovation Endowment to create, research and disseminate transferable knowledge, and transformative approaches to social and cultural innovation. The government will contribute $1 billion to the fund over the next two years.
After being suspended in 2010-2011, the Access to the Future fund will resume in 2014-2015 providing $50 million this year to match philanthropic donations received by post-secondary institutions. The government has indicated they will work with post-secondary institutions to revise processes and guidelines for this fund.
The University's senior leadership team will review the budget in detail and will work with the Ministry of Innovation and Advanced Education in the coming weeks to better understand the specific impacts this budget has on the University.
As a result of this budget, I am pleased that we do not have to engage in any further reduction activity beyond that which is already accounted for in the 2014-2015 operating budget. The work we have done through a significant restructuring of the operating budget at the University and a substantial reduction exercise to balance the 2013-2014 operating budget of the University has served us well. I am further encouraged that this budget reflects a re-introduction of targeted investment in the post-secondary system by the Government of Alberta.
I would like to once again thank members of our University community for the amazing collective efforts put into the budget deliberations and preparations of the last 12 months. This budget will enable our University to remain focused on the vision and strategy outlined in Destination 20/20 and on our transformational Destination Project.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mike Mahon, President and Vice-Chancellor
Contact:
Trevor Kenney | trevor.kenney@uleth.ca