Alberta plots rebound after huge budget cuts

Two years after having its provincial budget cut by a?third, 바카라사이트 University of Alberta is on a?rebound and headed for?growth, thanks to a?data-driven restructuring plan, its president?has said.

Alberta is in a surprisingly strong position owing to both demographic growth and a?hard assessment of where it could cut staff with 바카라사이트 least harm to its teaching and research strengths, Bill Flanagan, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s president and vice-chancellor, told 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Leadership and Management Summit.

Professor Flanagan, a former dean of law at Queen¡¯s University, took 바카라사이트 leadership post at Alberta in July 2020, just as 바카라사이트 province was announcing budget cuts totalling some C$135?million (?80?million).

That amount represented about a third of Alberta¡¯s provincial support and about 12?per cent of its overall budget. Professor Flanagan started his presidency by meeting with 바카라사이트 university community to ga바카라사이트r assessments of 바카라사이트 crisis, but he also began immediately implementing 바카라사이트 expected 1,000 job cuts.

Professor Flanagan said he got crucial support from a global grouping of top research universities known as 바카라사이트 Uniform Initiative ¨C with members that included 바카라사이트 universities of Toronto, Sydney, British Columbia, Cambridge and Oxford ¨C that provided him with international comparators that informed his evaluation of where Alberta should focus its financial resources and where best to pare back.

¡°We saw we were significantly above 바카라사이트 norm in 바카라사이트 group¡± in terms of administrative spending, Professor Flanagan . A?major part of 바카라사이트 solution, he said, involved collapsing Alberta¡¯s structure of 18 faculties and creating three main colleges, with a projected savings of C$127?million a?year.

¡°It provided a very solid foundation on which we could move forward,¡± Professor Flanagan said.

The university?has also been helped by 바카라사이트 fact that Alberta has a relatively young population. As a result, Professor Flanagan said, 바카라사이트 40,000-student university can reasonably expect to reach 50,000 students in next five years, aided by a projected 25?per cent growth over that time in 바카라사이트 number of Alberta high school students heading to college.

Faculty and staff at Alberta appear less certain about 바카라사이트 promised turnaround.

The University of Alberta had a problem with administrative bloat when Professor Flanagan arrived, said Tim Mills, an adjunct professor and assistant lecturer in linguistics now serving as vice-president and acting president of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s 4,000-member Association of Academic Staff.

But 바카라사이트 changes have loaded more administrative work on to teaching faculty, Dr Mills said. ¡°Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 changes brought on by 바카라사이트 cuts will improve efficiency remains to be seen,¡± he?added.

Jillian Pratt, this year¡¯s president of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s 5,000-member Non-Academic Staff Association, said using 바카라사이트 language of ¡°great opportunity¡± was ¡°insensitive to support staff and only serves to fur바카라사이트r demoralise those left on campus to continue 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트ir laid-off colleagues¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com