Universities win funding for construction projects
Alberta’s two largest universities were the big beneficiaries of this year’s post-secondary education budget, receiving funding for major construction projects.
The University of Calgary will see a first instalment of $8 million in 2017-18 as part of a four-year, $270-million plan to redevelop and renovate its MacKimmie Complex.
Closer to home, the University of Alberta’s plans to upgrade its dentistry and pharmacy building received a major boost with a $149-million commitment over four years starting with $52 million this year.
The provincial government also kept its prebudget promise for “sustainable and predictable” funding by increasing base operating grants by two per cent for the third year in a row. Those bigticket items softened the blow of the government’s commitment to a tuition freeze for a third year.
Last year, institutions barred from raising domestic tuition received $16 million to absorb the hit, but that money is absent this time.
University of Alberta president David Turpin told a board of governors meeting in December 2016 that, “if we don’t receive backfill, it’s a cut, a pure and simple cut to programs.”
On Thursday, Turpin stepped back from any criticism, saying there were a lot of good things about the budget as a whole.
“You’ve got to look at the whole package and in these tough financial times, to stand up and to support an increase in funding to postsecondary education for Alberta students, is a very, very positive thing,” Turpin said.
Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt, who made a point of never promising backfill, said the government had “fulfilled its commitment” to universities in terms of operating grants.
“It’s no secret we have to make some tough financial decisions with this budget and in this kind of economic climate, a two per cent increase in operating grants in universities and colleges shows an unprecedented commitment to making Alberta students’ lives better,” he said.
While the government has made mental-health supports a major commitment, it didn’t increase mental-health funding at postsecondary institutions, maintaining the status quo $3.6 million in the area. Schmidt said that money was a “placeholder item.”