UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Administration

Mahon speaks to proposed budget reductions

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:50:59 +0000

April 23, 2013

In addressing the budget reductions imposed on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge through the 7.3 per cent reduction in the Campus Alberta Operating Grant, a framework of values was developed to guide the Budget Advisory Committee in developing the 2013/14 ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge consolidated operating budget. The 2013/14 reductions require us to find $11.8 million. Assuming no increases in the Campus Alberta Grant for the following two years as has been suggested by Enterprise and Advanced Education, this number grows to $20 million by 2015/16.

The approach committed to by our community was to, "maintain the forward vision of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge" and to not compromise our future through shortsighted reaction. "Our strategic priorities remain priorities independent of the financial challenges our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ encounters. To take us to our desired future the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will pursue its established strategic directions and identified priorities." The values, which were reaffirmed by both the General Faculties Council and the Board of Governors, are that:

Our people define our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and are our greatest strength

People are the essential resource of our institution and as such the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will strive to preserve employment. All ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ employee groups will be treated with fairness and with respect in all that lies ahead in our work to maintain our student centred focus and to ensure the continuing financial sustainability of our institution.

High quality is central to all that we do

Our commitment to maintaining high quality undergraduate and graduate academic programmes is key to our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ mission to build a better society. High quality instruction and teaching are essential to this commitment. Research and creative activity are also key to our mission and their vitality and vibrancy serve as a differentiating feature of our institution and a central part of our culture as a comprehensive academic and research institution. High quality facilities and services support our mission and best serve our students, staff, and academic staff.

Access to our university is a foundational value

As a Comprehensive Academic and Research ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, dedicated to liberal education, that was born out of the needs and aspirations of our local communities, we are committed to providing student access to our high quality academic programs throughout the province without creating unnecessary financial barriers. Community engagement with our university and community use of our facilities play a role in defining us as a public institution.

I am committed to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ quickly achieving as much of the targeted reductions as possible without compromising the long-term prospects of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and without making decisions that lack adequate data or debate to support those decisions. While there is much more work yet to complete, the recommendations put forward to date look to achieve a balanced budget by the 2015/16 fiscal year if not sooner. The following outline the initial recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee to bring forward a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge 2013/14 consolidated operating budget.

Academic Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan

The Academic Staff Voluntary Retirement Plan was introduced to help address budget issues at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ at a time when we were anticipating a 2% increase in base grant funding. The plan was voluntary and faculty members were provided a three-year window to transition to retirement. A total of 34 faculty members have decided to participate. For the most part, these faculty members will not be replaced. In the situation where the continuance of a program is predicated on the replacement of a faculty member or where the quality of a program will be severely compromised, the Dean of the Faculty and Provost of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will develop a plan for replacing the member.

This program will enable the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to save approximately $4.2 million by 2015/16.

Ancillary Services

Additional revenue will be provided from Ancillary Services operations to the operating budget of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Currently, Ancillary Services contributes $150,000 per year, in addition to covering all of the expenses associated with their operations. This will rise to $500,000. To support this, Ancillary Services will reduce the contributions it makes to their respective capital reserves and maintenance funds and will explore additional, new revenue opportunities.

Lifecycle Equipment Annual Allocation

Annual funding for the replacement of equipment will be reduced by $1 million on a continuing basis.

Research Enhancement Fund

The Research Enhancement Fund of $300,000 per year will be discontinued. This fund is used differently by each Faculty to enable research initiatives.

Student Administrative Fee

An increased Student Administrative Fee will be assessed. This fee will be used to preserve services offered to students that would otherwise have to be reduced and maintain student-centered projects already in progress as identified in our Comprehensive Institutional Plan (CIP). With the increase in this fee, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Student Administrative Fee will remain the lowest in the Comprehensive Academic Research Institution (CARI) sector. As well, the combined tuition and fees for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will still remain the lowest in the province of Alberta among the CARI sector.

International Student Differential Fee

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge currently has the lowest differential fee assessed on International Students in the CARI sector. This fee will be increased. With this increase, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will still have the lowest International Student Differential Fee among the CARI sector.

Executive Compensation

Salaries for the President and the four Vice-Presidents of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will be frozen at the 2012/13 levels.

Employment Costs

Salary and economic benefits negotiations are on going with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA). The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) is in the final year of their contract. A commitment has been made that all employment groups will be treated respectfully and fairly through the reduction process. Employment costs and entitlements are subject to negotiation with the relevant bargaining unit and as such, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Administration will not publicly discuss anything related to the negotiations or suggest anything publicly that would compromise those negotiations.

Infrastructure Maintenance and Renewal

Projects funded from the Infrastructure Maintenance Program (IMP) grant provided to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ by Enterprise and Advanced Education will continue as planned. All additional infrastructure maintenance and renewal projects that are funded from operating funds have been suspended or cancelled.

Additional Reduction Strategies

The Budget Advisory Committee has struck a number of committees to explore opportunities for reductions, structural change or revenue that will require more time than the current budget process allows for. The committees will present their recommendations to President's Executive by July 31, 2013. The committees will be reviewing communications and marketing, information technology, recruitment, finance, faculty work assignments and Faculty program costs, collaboration with other institutions, and opportunities for new revenue generation.

I am grateful to the members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community who have submitted ideas or suggestions through the online budget feedback forum. Many of those suggestions have been incorporated into the proposed reductions. Others will be addressed by the work of the noted committees.

We are also exploring other opportunities for greater efficiency that could result in reductions that would impact the budget of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. These include reducing the number of computer labs on campus, a review of the library acquisition budget, an employee voluntary reduced workload program and increasing fund-raising and sponsorship activities to help offset operating budget support for initiatives that would be attractive to external funders such as scholarships and bursaries.

These recommendations represent the initial work of the Budget Advisory Committee. It is worth noting that there were many ideas vigorously debated that were rejected as it was decided they were not compatible with our values or long-term plans, or they would too severely compromise the student experience or programs of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. While these recommendations get us a significant way toward achieving our budget reduction targets, there is still a projected deficit for the 2013/14 year. This deficit will be addressed through the continued work of the Budget Advisory Committee and the committees noted earlier.

The budget reduction recommendations will be reviewed by the Budget Priorities Advisory Committee and ultimately incorporated into the 2013/14 consolidated operating budget of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. General Faculties Council (GFC) will review the budget at the May meeting and the budget will then go to the Board of Governors for approval at its May meeting. The budget will be submitted to Enterprise and Advanced Education as part of the CIP that is due by May 31, 2013.

Once again, I want to thank the members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community for their engagement in this process and their continuing commitment to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mike Mahon
President and Vice-Chancellor

Protest puts SU president Wutzke into custody

trevor.kenney — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:14:31 +0000

A combination of youthful enthusiasm, righteous indignation and an activist student culture led to one of the most significant nights in the early history of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and the young life of Richard Wutzke (BASc '72).

It was May 1968 and determining the future site of the fledgling university was the topic of the day. While ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ administration, faculty, students and the City of Lethbridge all agreed that a westside location matched the vision of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's founders, the provincial government did not originally accept this recommendation, and instead proposed a local referendum to determine the site.

Days after SU President Richard Wutzke spent an evening in a Lethbridge jail, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's first graduation class, along with faculty, marched in city streets to protest the proposed referendum that would decide the future site of the U of L campus.

With philosophical lines drawn, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students took to the streets, and on one fateful night, to the avenue in front of Lethbridge MLA John Landeryou's house. It wasn't long before Wutzke, the Students' Union president, was being hauled away by police, to be joined later by his right-hand man, Arthur Joevenazzo.

"Looking at it from the age of 63 and looking at it from the age of 18 are two different perspectives entirely," says Wutzke, now an artist living in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal.

"Now when you look at it and you see a campus with 8,500 students and a third of the city's population is on the westside, it all seems so obvious that this was the right direction to go. But if you were picking up the tab for some kind of a pipe dream like this, I think you might say, "Wait a minute now"."

Student politics of the day had grown more and more confrontational and Wutzke admits he was elected SU president as an activist candidate. He says that as the debate ramped up, a culmination of factors led students out into the streets that evening.

"We were really keen on this type of activity," he says, noting that he and Joevenazzo were the debate champions of Alberta at the time. "There's a lot of testosterone pumping away in your veins and you're just looking for a scrap somewhere."

Fueled by what he calls "hearsay" and inspired by "the struggles of Mahatma Ghandi and the readings of Henry David Thoreau", an evening meeting with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ faculty was the impetus for a placard-waving group to descend upon Landeryou's home.

"Today I'd be embarrassed to go forging out on an expedition like this with the kind of information we had," chuckles Wutzke. "We felt that somehow Mr. Landeryou was in cahoots with landowners surrounding the junior college who all stood to make very handsome profits by the expropriation of their property. Now, like I say, that is what we believed at the time and that's the information we acted on and we did so with righteous indignation."

When police arrived, they quickly identified Wutzke as a ringleader and put him in a police cruiser.

"I was taken into the police car and then the car was surrounded by students," says Wutzke. "Everybody sat down on the asphalt to prevent the police car from moving. Finally they basically threatened to run people over and they left with me. As soon as I was taken off the scene, my most able henchman, Arthur Joevenazzo, took up the charge and started the chanting again. They came back and picked him up too."

Wutzke and Joevenazzo were actually never arrested, as lore would have it. They were never charged, fingerprinted or put into a cell. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ President Sam Smith got out of bed, drove down to the police station and vouched for the duo's character and Wutzke's father eventually came to drive him home.

Two days later, following the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's first convocation, a street march was held, culminating with a rally at Galt Gardens. Days later, with provincial eyes now on Lethbridge and its rebellious students, the government backed off and the westside plan was ratified.

"If I hadn't been there, somebody else would have been there," says Wutzke modestly. "What's important is that in that time in history, the students, even though they would not be the recipients of this glorious new campus, acted and didn't sit on their hands and change occurred. When I look back at that, there is a sense of pride. Not only that I had some personal role in it but that I was part of a student body that really had the guts to get up and be heard."

It's a spirit he continues to see today, and one he applauds.

"Sometimes students really get on your nerves because they are always agitating about something, but it shows you it's a very essential part of the democratic process."

This story first appeared in the February 2012 edition of The Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ responds to Wildrose allegations

trevor.kenney — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:16:06 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is in no way involved in any activities that would contravene the Province of Alberta's Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

Responding to allegations made by the Wildrose Party of Alberta, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has issued the following statement.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge responds to today's allegations by the Wildrose Party as follows:

1. In the fall 2005, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was notified of changes to the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

2. As soon as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was notified of changes to the Act, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Administration, the Board of Governors and the Board Finance and Audit Committee took immediate steps to ensure the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was in compliance with the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act.

3. There is a Board of Governors Policy in place, which reflects the Act's guidelines and prohibits the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from purchasing tickets to political party fundraising functions where the cost per ticket exceeds $25.

4. This policy was implemented upon notification of changes to the Act and was discussed at the first opportunity with the Board of Governors.

5. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has strictly adhered to this Policy. Individuals who attend functions hosted by any political party are not reimbursed by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

6. The October 2007 expense referenced in the Wildrose release complies with the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act in that it was not a contribution to a political party. It was an event organized by a student group.

7. There have been no expenses that violate the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board Policy or the Province of Alberta Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act since the policy and Act were implemented six years ago.

Art Gallery ready to spread its wings

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:44:46 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Art Gallery is on the move – but don't break out the packing crates just yet. The move is not physical but rather administrative as the gallery, once administered by the Faculty of Fine Arts, now reports to Andy Hakin and the Office of the Vice-President (Academic).

"The reason for it and the big difference is that it is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's art gallery," says Art Gallery Director/Curator Josephine Mills. "Being located administratively in a faculty, it was too regional and made it too difficult to do the things we do well, which are interdisciplinary projects and bringing faculties together."

The gallery is already a viable part of campus life, something Mills has played a big part in establishing. She also gives credit to a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ administration that has shown support at every turn.

"We have a really great situation at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge because people do know about our gallery better than most university art galleries, but there's still room for improvement and this change will allow us to do a lot of things to make that happen," she says.

"I've always felt our administration sees the gallery as a very valued unit. Some institutions just don't have that support."

Galleries often struggle with perception issues, that they are simply a housing area for collections. The U of L Art Gallery has taken great strides to break out of that mold with a much more interactive approach.

"We've really changed how we're operating and become a fully operational art gallery as opposed to a collection with an art gallery attached to it," says Mills.
"I'd like to see that continue with an increased awareness for faculty, students and staff across the whole ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ that we're a place to not just come to, but to come work with us as we set up more interdisciplinary projects in the future."

From Hakin's perspective, the move just makes sense.

"The gallery will still obviously have very close ties to the Faculty of Fine Arts by the nature of the work they do, but this gives it a chance to grow and really reach out to the rest of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Hakin. "This is the U of L's gallery, and if we can expose more of our campus to the innovative and provocative programming they provide, then we've added a rich resource to the campus experience."

Mills revels in the campus atmosphere and through projects such as Culture Vulture Saturdays, work with the First Nations Transition Program (FNTP) and aboriginal artists, family in residence events, first-year student programs, the popular art + people = x display and the recent Tor Lukasik-Foss event in the Atrium, she endeavours to connect as many people as possible to the gallery and to each other.

"I really want the art gallery to do the kinds of things that bring people together on campus and give them an opportunity to either just meet and talk in an informal way or engage in ideas that can be seen from a number of perspectives," says Mills.

"The Ladies Sasquatch exhibition in the fall is a great example. It was obviously a very innovative art project but also had a great deal of interest for women's studies courses and the women's centre. I want to see more events just like that."

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.

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