U of L, Lethbridge College react to Budget 2021, cuts in funding

“This reduction is deeper than that previously signaled by the province. Reductions will be applied differentially across institutions,” Mahon said in a statement.

The U of L is set to see its 2021/2022 operating and program support base grant reduced by 5.8 per cent, equal to about $5.7 million. Mahon said this is versus the previously discussed reduction of 5.11 per cent.

“This increased reduction will mean additional work is needed to bring a balanced budget to the University of Lethbridge Board of Governors later this spring,” he stated.

“Advanced education has also signaled reductions will be greater than originally forecast for the next budget year (increased from 5.38 per cent to 5.5 per cent in 2022/23, equating to $750,000 beyond the cut previously communicated.”

Mahon noted the U of L will see a boost in its Infrastructure Maintenance Program Grant of $2.8 million to a total of $7,044,503.

“This funding is specifically for deferred maintenance projects on campus and cannot be used for operating purposes or to balance the budget,” he explained.

Mahon also said that the Post-Secondary Mental Health Grant ($635,000), Students with Disabilities Grant ($275,705) and Health Workforce Action Plan Grant ($284,000) are each frozen at the same level as last year.

His statement can be seen in full below.

Statement from the U of L’s President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon (University of Lethbridge)

LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE

President and CEO of Lethbridge College Dr. Paula Burns, says the reduction to the school’s operating grant for the coming year was more than anticipated.

She said the 6.4 per cent reduction (equating to about $2.7 million) to the college’s 2021-2022 grant will create a significant challenge.

“What we were not expecting was a 6.5 per cent cut to our Apprenticeship Technical Training Grant, a reduction of approximately $99,000,” Burns stated.

“We are seeking more information about this reduction and the rationale behind it, but this is a disappointing development and will require us to dig deeper into what these cuts mean.”

As with the U of L, funding to Post-Secondary Mental Health, Students with Disabilities and the Health Workforce Action Plan has remained unchanged from last year.

Lethbridge College also received an added $848,000 over last year’s funding for its Infrastructure Management Program, money that can be used to assist with the maintenance of campus facilities, but not its operating costs.

“These continued cuts to our operating grant are concerning and challenging, not just for us but for all institutions across the province,” Burns said.

“Having said that, we are a resilient college and we have embraced new technologies and ways of learning throughout the past year, which will serve us well going forward.”

She said the school has been proactive in safely bringing some students back to campus this past year, and Lethbridge College’s “high-flex classrooms and labs” mean they’ll be able to welcome even more students back next year.

“As well, measures we have taken to ensure our sustainability in past years means we are as well positioned as possible to deal with these cuts. “

Preliminary meetings have already taken place to prepare Lethbridge College’s next budget.

by Justin Goulet

U of L, Lethbridge College react to Budget 2021, cuts in funding

What's Happening