UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Budget Committee

Budget update and salary discussions

trevor.kenney — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:28:16 +0000

The following is a campus-wide letter from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Bill Cade

Budget Update and Salary Discussions
January 12, 2010

Welcome to the New Year and a new semester! I hope the Christmas break provided you with an opportunity to relax and recharge yourself and to connect with family and friends.

I know that these are nervous times within our institution and so this letter is intended to provide you with a clear picture of what I know with respect to our budgetary situation.

While there is still no new communication from the Government of Alberta regarding the level of base operating grant our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is likely to receive, there have been discussions with employee group executive committees that we would like to communicate to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community.

In my letter to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ on December 9, 2009, I mentioned that there were ongoing conversations with employee groups to discuss options that would produce some flexibility within our financial picture. At that time I had mentioned the leadership shown by the members of senior administration (President, Vice-Presidents, Associate Vice-Presidents, Executive Directors, Deans, and Associate Deans) who had agreed to accept a 0 % salary increase (0 % cost of living adjustment (COLA) and 0 % merit & career progress increments) for the 2010-2011 year.

To date we have also been in discussions with the APO Executive, Exempt Support Staff and the AUPE Executive Committees to discuss the possibility of a salary freeze to assist with the budget shortfalls. Exempt Support Staff have, in principle with conditions, accepted a salary freeze for July 1, 2010-2011 compensation year (0% to COLA and 0% Merit) and discussions are ongoing with the APO and AUPE employee groups. I greatly appreciate the willingness of those employee groups to explore the possibility of a salary freeze as I know how difficult this will be in the current economic environment.

As we move forward I want to highlight the guiding principles the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has been following while working with the various employee groups:

1. Every attempt must be made to try and avoid involuntary lay-offs which obviously have a dramatic impact on the individuals laid off, and their families, but also to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as a whole.

2. In exchange for an agreement to freeze salaries the parties agree on a set of conditions in which there is an assurance, or guarantee, of no involuntary layoffs.

3. The agreements have been proposed on the assumption of a 0% change to the provincial operating grant.

4. Finally, every effort would be made to minimize the impact on the current compensation structure for the upcoming budget year and beyond.

I would also like to thank the members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Budget Committee for their continued discussions and deliberations in formulating the operating budget. The Budget Committee has reviewed and listened to all the budget unit presentations and is now taking this information and putting together the budget for recommendation to the Board of Governors. It is hoped that we will soon hear from the Provincial Government on what our operating grant will be for 2010-11 so that we can make informed budget decisions.

Our 2009-2013 Strategic Plan is leading us forward and as it states, we value the efforts of our staff and encourage dialogue and discussions in order to achieve our strategic priorities.

Our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is a strong community and we will use this strength and commitment to move us through these more than challenging times. I will continue to keep you informed as new information becomes available.

Sincerely,

William H. Cade, Ph.D.
President & Vice-Chancellor
Professor of Biological Sciences

Maintaining the QIP important for students

trevor.kenney — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:55:07 +0000

Enriching ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student experiences at an already vibrant and dynamic campus was the basis for the creation of the Quality Initiatives Program (QIP). Maintaining the QIP in the face of pending budget cuts is a looming challenge.

Study lounges, Fresh Fest, academic speakers, the ULSU Food Bank and undergraduate research initiatives are just a few examples of how the QIP program continues to meet the needs of students and how important this program has become to the U of L.

"Funding for student assistance and student initiatives is precisely for what the Quality Initiatives Program is designed," says Jeremy Girard, ULSU president. "This year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ULSU are providing $600,000 towards these budget lines, which will provide many students with an amazing source of funding."

The QIP, however, could be facing some tough times ahead, according to Girard. With the prospect of government funding cuts to post-secondary education, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will be forced to make difficult budgetary decisions, putting the QIP at risk of being eradicated.

"The ULSU is striving and urgently pushing that QIP be maintained, by being an active voice in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Budget Committee, by having regular discussion with senior administration and by lobbying the Province of Alberta to increase base operating funding," says Girard. "QIP is an essential part of student funding at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and its inception shows long-term and high-level thinking by the Board of Governors."

In 2005, QIP was developed as a result of negotiations between the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students' Union Executive Council and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ administration. After witnessing the successes of a similar program at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary, both parties agreed on establishing a QIP to begin in the 2006-2007 fiscal year.

Under the QIP program, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ administration allocates 12 per cent of annual tuition fee increases to support the proposal-based funding system.

According to Girard, QIP has $210,000 available in scholarships, grants and bursaries, which are allocated by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. There is also $80,000 dedicated to undergraduate research opportunities that have opened up more opportunities for students wishing to extend research into non-science areas, where in the past less funding has been available.

QIP also offers students an emergency assistance program for students who find themselves in the position of not being able to meet their basic living requirements.

"For students who find themselves in a severely tight spot, with no other funding options, non-repayable emergency assistance grants are available," says Girard, adding that the program also funds two food bank programs and a one-time distribution of monies towards disabilities funding.
"Overall, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ULSU have $35,000 available per year for needs-based funding."

Students who are interested in attending conferences or volunteering can also benefit from QIP, which has the resources to allocate $20,000 per year to this type of learning.

"These learning experiences are encouraged by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ULSU, as learning outside of class is a keystone to a liberal education," says Girard.

Just this year, QIP funds have been granted to Fresh Fest, the four-day event that welcomes new and returning students to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and the ULSU. Rookie Camp is supported by the ULSU, and coordinated by Recruitment and Student Life, to promote student retention and serves as another example of the benefits of QIP funding.

President Cade addresses economic climate

trevor.kenney — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:14:29 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Bill Cade discusses the uncertain economic climate in relation to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community

Dr. Bill Cade

We are all aware that we are living in very uncertain economic times. There are daily stories about businesses scaling back budgets, laying off workers and even closing their doors. I want to assure you that our Board, Senior Administration and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Budget Committee are planning very cautiously for next year with the assumption that our provincial operating grant funding will increase by 6 per cent and our enrolments will remain stable.

The Department of Advanced Education and Technology has informed us that we should plan with this budget increase in mind until, and if, we are informed otherwise. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Budget Committee has also considered other funding scenarios and we are, of course, monitoring closely the Alberta provincial government budget and the anticipated funding announcements to post-secondary institutions. The 6 per cent increase depends on the provincial economy and how that translates into the overall Government of Alberta budget. We will learn more about this in the coming weeks and keep everyone informed.

The overall economy is something that we have little control over, but our ability to meet and maintain our enrolment is very much in our hands. We can ensure we have the right number of students in the right programs come September. I understand that applications are fewer in number from graduating high school students for post-secondary education at many institutions, including the U of L.

This is where we can actively influence the future of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. It is important we focus on our recruitment practices and continue to enlighten high school graduates about all the opportunities the U of L provides. We must also concentrate on retaining the students we have and continue to provide them with the highest-quality education possible. This means that everybody, our entire staff and faculty, has the opportunity and responsibility to enhance the student experience even more so.

There are many factors that play into the enrolment scenario; among them is the growth of other degree opportunities within Alberta. As we all know, our students are our ambassadors, both within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and beyond. They will decide individually whether to follow their degree path to its conclusion here, and they influence their peers about the U of L experience.

I believe we do a very good job of engaging our students already and I am confident in the quality of our faculty members and our program offerings, but there is always room for improvement. All of us have worked to better the U of L continually over our 42-year history. In my opinion this has resulted in the creation of one of the best comprehensive and student-oriented university environments. Recently released data from CUSC affirms that our students believe this too.

We have carved a unique identity here at the U of L and it is one that connects with its students as well as the southern Alberta community. The recently held Donor Recognition Gala showcased the new Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building. This event once again highlighted the valuable relationship that exists between the U of L and the community and allowed us to thank our donors for their commitment to supporting our students and faculty and furthering research.

We have so much to be proud of here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and by always searching for innovative ways to engage our students and connect with the community, we will ensure the continued growth of the institution.

Please remember, "quality will prevail," especially during times of economic uncertainties.

We have a very high quality ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, but we must never rest on our laurels.

Again, please stay tuned and we will keep you informed of funding and enrolment issues as we receive the information.

This column originally appeared in the February 2009 issue of the Legend

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ steadfast in uncertain economic times

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:12:04 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Bill Cade chats about what's happening in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community

We are all aware that we are living in very uncertain economic times. There are daily stories about businesses scaling back budgets, laying off workers and even closing their doors. I want to assure you that our Board, Senior Administration and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Budget Committee are planning very cautiously for next year with the assumption that our provincial operating grant funding will increase by 6 per cent and our enrolments will remain stable.

Please remember, "quality will prevail," especially during times of economic uncertainties.

We have a very high quality ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, but we must never rest on our laurels.
Again, please stay tuned and we will keep you informed of funding and enrolment issues as we receive the information.

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