My Recent Comments to the Edmonton Journal
January 21, 2012
I know that many people saw a story in the Edmonton Journal recently that talked about the impact of budget reductions at the university, in particular the arts, in which I said the impact on the student experience would be modest. Believe me, I thoroughly understand that successive years in which less money has gone into the Faculties has been difficult. I know that it has been painful. We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact.
My point was that prior to the current fiscal squeeze, we were able to make major investments in the university that have significantly improved the teaching and learning environment—indeed the quality of the educational experience—at the U of A. Yes, there are impacts if we must offer fewer sections of some courses or have a few more students in some classes. But there is no other post-secondary institution in Alberta and few in Canada that offer the rigorous, research-intensive, incredible education that our students are getting. Our students have choices and opportunities that provide an enriching student experience and a University of Alberta degree that opens doors for them with graduate schools and employers around the world.
We do not yet know what the next fiscal year’s budget will hold. I, and my colleagues in the university’s leadership team, continue to campaign and fight every day for funding from sources public and private. I remain hopeful that we will see increases in our provincial grant, but we must prepare for the alternative. I know it is difficult. But I also know that the University of Alberta provides a superior education to our students and we will continue to do so today, tomorrow and for generations to come, and that ensuring that possibility drives the decisions we make today.