Joint Statement from University of Alberta Students’ Union, University of Alberta Graduate Students’ Association, Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta, and University of Alberta Non-Academic Staff Association
The University of Alberta Senior Administration and Board of Governors have continued to ignore concerns from the campus community about the budget passed on March 16, 2018. Students, staff, and faculty at the University of Alberta now call on the Government of Alberta reaffirm its funding and not accept the University’s budget.
When the Board of Governors passed the budget, it assumed that there would be no increases to the Campus Alberta Grant and no backfill funding to compensate for the tuition freeze. However, the Government of Alberta’s Budget 2018 includes a 2% increase to the base grant as well as $17 million in backfill funding, meaning the current University of Alberta budget was approved on incorrect assumptions. The Government of Alberta has a mission to provide “accessible, affordable, high quality learning opportunities” to post-secondary students, and in light of that it should confirm the funding promised and send back the budget so that the University of Alberta’s Board of Governors can reassess with an accurate picture of the University’s anticipated revenues.
We call on the Government of Alberta to stand with vulnerable staff and students at the University of Alberta and keep our institution accountable to its main stakeholders.
United, students, staff, and faculty advocate that the Government of Alberta publicly confirm the funding promised and send the budget back to the University of Alberta so the Board of Governors can re-examine the budget and reduce cost increases and budget cuts.
Marina Banister
University of Alberta Students’ Union President
president@su.ualberta.ca
Babak Soltannia
Graduate Students’ Association President
gsa.president@ualberta.ca
Dr. Heather Bruce
Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta President
heather.bruce@aasua.ca
Elizabeth Johannson
Non-Academic Staff Association President
nasapres@ualberta.ca