U OF A AT RISK OF DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS

Slashing funds makes life harder for students, say Michael Phair and Bradley Lafortune.

Like many Albertans, we are angry and we are gravely concerned about the future of our province. From deep and long-avoided fiscal challenges to strains on our social safety net, Alberta is undeniably under a tremendous amount of pressure. We believe this is in large part as a result of policy choices and political priorities. And we believe the correct response to tend to these challenges and pressures must be policy-based and political at the highest level.

A critical part of the solution to easing these pressures, and, more importantly, imagining an Alberta built on the principle of a society where all Albertans thrive, is engaging and confronting what is currently unfolding at our post-secondary institutions and particularly at the University of Alberta — which has been left “stabbed and bleeding ” at the hands of the UCP government.

Let's put it in context. When Ralph Klein cut post-secondary as part of his reckless agenda to “balance” Alberta's books at the expense of health care, education, and mental health and addictions services, to name just a few, he cut back funding by 18 per cent over 10 years. Kenney's approach makes this look tame by comparison. The UCP'S proposed reduction to our post-secondary system is to cut operational funding by 20 per cent over the next four years. Specifically,

the UCP is aggressively targeting our flagship university, the University of Alberta — while 25 per cent of Alberta's students attend the University of Alberta, the school is facing 50 per cent of the cuts.

We expect that in the Alberta system, where colleges and universities are governed by an appointed board, that the minister of Advanced Education advocate for the value of the sector and its importance to a promising future. Instead, Minister Demetrios Nicolaides and his office deliberately push for these draconian cuts, resulting in shock and chaos to the system that will lead to a race to the bottom. If these cuts persist, Alberta is at risk of providing the least amount of money of any province to post-secondary institutions, based on population.

And what about the outcomes? The jobs of over a thousand university staff — professors, tradespeople who repair and upgrade buildings, groundskeepers, and lab assistants — have been demolished. These were good and decent jobs for folks to be able to work, live and contribute as Edmonton citizens. In attempting to partially compensate for the $120-million-and counting-funding loss, tuition for all students is significantly rising at a time when many students are burdened by huge debts.

The UCP is reducing accessibility for every young person, making post-secondary harder and harder to justify for more and more potential students. Meanwhile, they are undermining the U of A's claim to greatness, as programs of studies and the range of course and research opportunities continue to be eroded through funding cuts, attrition and reorganizations, resulting in faculty and staff being asked to do more with much, much less.

Ultimately, the kind of province and society we want to protect and the future we want to build — founded on creativity, equity, the public good, adaptability, passion, innovation, and knowledge — is at stake. For over a hundred years, the university has been an Edmonton treasure and its excellence has brought nationwide recognition and acclaim to the city and the province; under the UCP and Minister Nicolaides the university is bleeding.

These observations come from a place of deep care for the University of Alberta and our province, and a belief that if we walk alongside our allies within and beyond our institutions, we can save the future of our post-secondary education system, for current students, faculty, staff, and for generations to come. That's why Public Interest Alberta is redoubling its efforts to protect Alberta's future by protecting the U of A and our post-secondaries. You'll be hearing a lot more from us and our partners this fall, that is for certain. The current context and the stakes demand it.

Each year at the U of A, nearly 9,000 mostly young people graduate and each year the university welcomes 10,000 new students. We simply cannot let the message be sent to these students that we are now living in the “Alberta Disadvantage.”

Instead, we need to reverse these cuts, stop the bleeding, and invest in a future for all of us — especially our students.