Board approves 1998-99 budget
Posted May 15, 1998
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 14, 1998
Board approves 1998-99 budget
The University of Saskatchewan's Board of Governors has agreed to
continue with Year Two of a two-year budget approved last spring. In
April 1997, the University of Saskatchewan's Board of Governors
approved a two-year budget for 1997-99 which balances the
continuously rising cost base caused by inflation and contractual
obligations with a combination of tuition increases, staffing and other
expenditure reductions, and increased revenue targets.
The budget focuses on maintaining high quality programs and an
enhanced learning experience for students, through such measures as:
- allocating over $1 million to bursaries and other recruitment
and retention initiatives
- an increase of 5 per cent for library acquisitions
- funding for the Student Employment and Career Centre
- funding for a Teaching and Learning Centre which will enhance the
teaching skills of new faculty, thereby enriching the learning
experience for students
- funding an academic program review process which will ensure our
programs remain at the leading edge.
"We are grateful to the provincial government for the increase to our
operating grant for 1998-99. However, we required a 3 per cent
increase each year just to meet our basic financial obligations without
incurring a deficit," explained Board Chair Hal Wyatt. "The remaining 2
per cent was needed to partially restore our salary and wage
competitiveness. We therefore have no option but to continue our most
responsible course of action which is to proceed with the 1997-99
budget plan."
The 1997-99 budget plan requires reductions for all colleges and
administrative units totalling $2 million, elimination of 22 faculty
positions, and revenue enhancements. Fifty percent of the reductions
were to be achieved in 1997/98 and the balance in 1998/99.
The budget plan also includes a tuition level for Category I programs of
$3,000. This level is substantially lower than comparable universities
such as the University of Alberta ($3,329), and the University of
Calgary ($3,440). It is also competitive with tuition fees at the
University of Regina ($3,000) and the University of Manitoba ($2,610).
The University of Manitoba has placed a greater emphasis on a
differential tuition fee than the University of Saskatchewan, which
means that while tuition for our Category I courses may be slightly
higher, tuition for courses such as Dentistry and Medicine are
substantially lower ($5,704 at the U of S compared to $6,604 at the
University of Manitoba).
Highlights of the 1998-99 Operating Budget are attached.
For more information, please contact:
Hal Wyatt, Chair
Board of Governors
(403) 240-5519
(403) 233-7538 (h)
or
George Ivany, President
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6212
(306) 975-1081 (h)
or
Tony Whitworth, Vice-President (Finance & Administration)
University of Saskatchewan
(306) 966-6631
(306) 242-4670 (h)
1998/99 Budget Highlights
Tuition
A student enrolled in all Category I classes would pay $3,000 in tuition.
This level is substantially lower than comparable universities, such as
the University of Alberta ($3,329), and the University of Calgary
($3,440).
Although the exact sums paid by students will vary depending on the
courses they take, in general first-year students enrolled in the
following programs will pay (sums cover a two-semester period):
Agriculture $3,120
Arts $3,030
Science, Education, Nutrition $3,060
Commerce $3,000
Dentistry, Medicine $5,704
Engineering $3,510
Law $3,300
Nursing $3,090
Physical Education $3,105
Pharmacy $3,525
Physical Therapy $3,974
Veterinary Medicine $4,889
Graduate students will pay $3,816 in tuition, up from $3,568 last year.
Recruitment and Retention
Over $1 million will be allocated to fund a variety of mechanisms for
student support including bursaries, retention and recruitment
initiatives. $525,000 of this amount was allocated in 1997-98.
Scholarships and Fellowships
Graduate Teaching Fellowships will increase by 4.4 per cent, to
$354,515 from $341,560. Graduate scholarships are maintained at last
year's level of $3,287,613.
Library Acquisitions
To help combat a double-digit annual inflation rate for library materials,
the budget allows for an increase of 5 per cent for library acquisitions,
or an additional $267,000. The U of S has recognized the importance
of the library throughout its years of budget cuts and has tried to
preserve the library?s acquisitions budget as much as possible.
Student Employment and Career Centre Funding
Funding for the Student Employment and Career Centre will be
maintained at $45,000. The Centre provides a valuable service to
students and to employers.
Student Tour Program
A Student Tour Program will receive a budget of $50,000. Campus
tours were eliminated in the first round of budget cuts five years ago.
Their restoration will permit their use as a means of promotion,
recruitment and community service.
They will also provide a valuable source of part-time employment for
our students.
In 1996-97 the University complex attracted:
- 77,600 visitors of which 72,274 were from outside Saskatoon
- these visitors spent 124,600 visitor days in Saskatoon
- the economic impact of visitors was $9.6 million.
Teaching and Learning Centre
A Teaching and Learning Centre will receive $70,000 in funding. It will
provide the prospect of enhancing the teaching skills of new faculty,
thereby enriching the student learning experience.
Academic Program Review
A total of $35,000 will be set aside for academic program reviews,
which will provide for a thorough consideration, on a periodic basis, of
the objectives of an academic program, the content of the curriculum,
the qualifications of faculty, and the outcomes of the teaching, learning
and service enterprises. The program review will ensure our programs
remain at the leading edge.
Reductions
The Board agreed to proceed with planned budget reductions for all
colleges and administrative units totaling almost $2 million; 50 per cent
of the reduction was to be achieved in 1997/98 and the balance in
1998/99.
In addition, the budget framework requires the deletion of 22 faculty
positions: 10 in the College of Arts and Science, 10 in the College of
Education, and 2 in the College of Physical Education. Six of these
positions were deleted last year.
Increased Revenue
Through a variety of non-tuition revenue generation measures, the
University is budgeting for increased revenue from non-student
sources of $530,000 in 1998/99. Over the two year period,
miscellaneous revenue will have increased by $800,000.
1998-99 Capital Budget
The University received $14.4 million from the provincial government
for its 1998-99 capital budget, up from $7.7 million last year. These
funds will be allocated as follows:
- $5.3 million to repairs, rehabilitation and adaptation of buildings
Major projects include repair or replace roofing ($714,000);
steam tunnel replacement ($500,000); electrical system replacement
($290,000); building code upgrades ($205,000).
- $1.3 million to equipment
Allocated based on prioritized submissions from academic and
administrative units.
- $1.4 million to computer network and audio visual and multimedia
equipment
This allocation is split between information technology
infrastructure ($900,000) and audio visual and multimedia
equipment ($500,000).
Examples of information technology expenditures include:
- upgrade connections in student computer labs;
- replace approximately one-quarter of the Library public
access stations;
- upgrade the network connections to several buildings;
- install additional capacity to support rapidly expanding
applications of World Wide Web materials for teaching
and other communication purposes;
- improving electronic mail capabilities.
Examples of audio visual and multimedia equipment expenditures
include:
- renovation to six major lecture theatres;
- upgrading classroom equipment such as overhead projectors,
projection screens and video-data projectors.
- $0.5 million to a program to assist new faculty establish their
research programs.
The allocation of funds for the purchase of equipment has
been cited repeatedly by numerous committees at the U of S as
essential as faculty renewal occurs. This allocation will allow
the U of S to be more competitive in recruiting top quality faculty.
- Up to $5.9 million to service principal and interest payments on
a proposed $75 million debt.
This debt would allow the U of S to address three urgent building
projects:
1) the Thorvaldson Building addition and renovations ($30 million)
2) the Physical Education Centre ($30 million)
3) the College Building restoration ($20 million)
This step will require the support of the provincial government.
Discussions are currently under way with the provincial government.
