Download the Press Release HERE
To the University of Lethbridge community,
The ULSU opposes the provincial budget released yesterday and we are saddened
by the continued cuts we are seeing directed at our institutions, and the lack
of support being provided to our students. In a time when post-secondary
students have needed more support than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
government has continued to make University more expensive, and thus less
accessible for Albertans wanting to pursue post-secondary education. Across the
sector, we have seen a cut of $135 million to the Campus Alberta Grant. That is
a massive cut to institutions that have already experienced layoffs, academic
restructuring, and the delays of major projects due to previously slashed
budgets. The University of Lethbridge itself has seen a cut of 5.8% to our
funding, and this will work out to a reduction of approximately $5.7 million
for our institution which has already been slashed year after year. This also
comes at a time when students will once again be looking at another potential
hike in tuition of 7% in order to make up for these reductions in government
funding. Once again, the Provincial government is expecting students, who are
currently living in the worst health crisis of our lifetime, to pay higher
prices while providing less support. This budget also shows the beginning of
the performance-based metrics we have been fighting against for the entirety of
this year. Due to advocating for the delay or cancellation of these metrics, we
have seen that the government will only focus on 1 area in which metrics will
be measured. The government will have 1 or 2 metrics based around Work
Integrated learning. This is only currently a 1-year agreement but it will
still put the UofL at risk of potentially losing 0-5% more of its funding if
the measures are not met. The Mental Health Grant has been frozen for this year
meaning there will be no cut to this funding, however, there will also be no
increase as we have been advocating for. As of right now, this freeze is a
1-year agreement, but they are already in the process of making it one that
lasts for 3 years. While we are happy that this funding will not be cut, we
will also continue to advocate that this funding needs a massive increase
before it is frozen so that student mental health can be properly supported.
Regarding campus sexual violence, there currently exists no specific budget
line for this area. It is important to note that this does not mean there is no
funding, but just that we do not know what its funding looks like yet. In a
meeting with the Advanced Education Minister on the night of the budget
release, we asked about this subject and we were simply told that more
specifics for that funding would be seen in April with the release of the
Alberta 2030 review. Unhappy with this, we pressed on and insisted that if they
truly plan to implement new campus sexual violence policies that are said to
exist in the review, then we need to see guaranteed funding for it. It would
need to see an increase in funding to ensure the new policies and initiatives
can be implemented. Sadly, we still received no guarantee and thus we will
continue to monitor this closely as we await the release of the Alberta 2030
review. In addition, we have seen that the forecast for the 2022-2023 budget
also seems to include further cuts, signalling that even after this most recent
round of slashing, the provincial government will not be finished with their
attack on post-secondary education. Once again, the ULSU is opposed to this
provincial budget, and are disappointed to see that the provincial government
continues to put more financial pressure on students in a time when they are
begging for support and relief. We will continue to advocate for greater
support and greater funding for our students, and will keep our student body up
to date with any new information we may receive over the coming weeks.
Yours in solidarity,
The ULSU Executive Council
Jonathan Diaz, President
Ryan Lindblad, Vice-President External
Richard Lee-Thai, Vice-President Student Affairs
Liam Connel, Vice-President Academic
Ethan Pullan, Vice-President Operations and Finance
