U of A scrambles to find $9 million for leadership college

The University of Alberta says it needs to find $9 million to cover its elite leadership college after the NDP government suspended funding for three years.

On top of that, the Peter Lougheed Leadership College is also looking for a new leader as the tenure of the founding principal, former Canadian prime minister Kim Campbell, is coming to an end.

Established in 2014 under former U of A president Indira Samarasekera and the then Progressive Conservative government, the college’s focus is to develop leaders during a two-year certificate that includes mentorship programs and workshops.

Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt said the college had accumulated a surplus, hence the temporary cessation of money.

“It didn’t make sense to us to continue to keep giving the university money that they weren’t spending,” Schmidt said last week.

“In three years time, we will be willing to look at making the payments again to the college.”

Though the university ’s finances are under increased scrutiny and pressure, university president David Turpin said Friday it has no choice but to continue underwriting the college while the government takes a “funding holiday.”

“Having to find an additional $9 million is always a challenge, but we will work to do that,” he said.

He said the money will “ultimately come from the (university’s) operating budget,” but where specifically has yet to be identified.

A portion of the money will be used to pay for programming, but most of it will go toward paying for the college’s building, he said.

The $35-million Peter Lougheed Hall opened last year.

Under the original 10-year, $35-million agreement, the university was required to seek out federal government funding and philanthropic contributions to supplement the province’s contributions.

Turpin said the federal money “didn’t materialize,” but the university did secure $10 million in donations for the college.

The funding agreement with the province will be extended by three years and conclude in 2027. Funding for the college is not part of the university ’s annual Campus Alberta grant.

That funding shortfall coincides with a shift in focus for the leadership college, which will see its programs and certificates embedded in faculties across the campus as opposed to its current iteration as a stand-alone certificate, Turpin said.

As for Campbell, the country’s first female prime minister, her term ends June 30 and Turpin said the search is underway for a replacement.

“Kim has done a remarkable job building this initiative from nothing,” he said.

“We are extraordinarily proud of her accomplishments. This is a real opportunity to take what Kim has created and take it to the next level where it permeates the university.”