Suzy Thompson
The University of Calgary’s $73-million budget surplus met with some cold hard facts during the institution’s budget town hall meeting on October 14.
Since the university’s $1.2-billion budget is in surplus students are asking why the U of C is asking the Alberta government if it can apply “market modifiers” to tuition for some programs effectively raising tuition between $170 and $300 per course for new students depending on the program. Post-secondary tuition increases are regulated by the provincial government.
Provost and academic vice-president Dru Marshall and VP of finance and services Linda Dalgetty took turns explaining to an audience of about 300 students and staff that the surplus will not be used to support ongoing operating. The university will also maintain a five per cent surplus of $65 million to act as a buffer in case government funding is unexpectedly cut as it was in 2012.
Dalgetty said despite the surplus the U of C has a “revenue-expense gap” which it must close by providing new learning experiences and cutting back where possible.
“We are not going to control inflation it’s a reality of where we live…. We need to find ways to sustain the operations of the university while managing with this revenue expense gap and being creative.”
Marshall whose base salary was $400000 in 2012 also said that innovation is difficult when 90 per cent or more of the budgets for many departments goes toward staff wages.
“This means when you’re talking about being innovative and trying to do creative things with your programming there is not very much money” Marshall explained.
