Students Welcome Delay to Funding Model Changes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3, 2020

Edmonton, AB - Alberta undergraduates welcome the delay to the implementation of a new funding scheme of performance based funding on post-secondary institutions. With the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) called for a delay in the implementation given the large uncertainties with class delivery, international travel restrictions, and the economic downturn. 

“While we may disagree on the model itself, I think we can all agree universities need stability right now,” stated Rowan Ley, Chair of CAUS. “We can deal with the long-term concerns about the performance based funding model as it comes, but for the time being, we’re worried about the immediate crisis universities are facing and the decision the minister is taking will ease the burden on universities on the coming year.”

With two consecutive provincial funding cuts to institutions, students are concerned that performance based funding would just become a cut by another name. If institutions do not meet their targets, they would receive less funding for the following year but must still maintain quality of instruction and meet additional metrics. 

"It leads to a death spiral," Ley continued. "Cutting funding while expecting institutions to do more, to meet higher targets, simply sets our universities and colleges to fail."

While CAUS is encouraged by this delay, they are also urging the Ministry of Advanced Education to use this time to thoroughly re-evaluate this funding model and keep post-secondary education in Alberta strong.

“Many of the metrics that the government intends to measure are beyond the control of institutions, as we have seen with COVID-19 and other labour market disruptions,” added Marley Gillies, CAUS Vice Chair. “We hope that the government uses this time to reconsider implementing an at-risk funding system and stop the cuts to post-secondary education in Alberta.”

CAUS represents over 100,000 undergraduate students from the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge, Mount Royal University, and MacEwan University. 

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