File photo of the Science Commons building at the University of Lethbridge. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Parkland Institute report criticizes Alberta’s plan for future of post-secondary education

Oct 5, 2021 | 10:09 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new report has been released by the Parkland Institute, challenging the Government of Alberta’s plan for the future of post-secondary education in the province.

The report, titled ‘Roadmap or Roadkill, A Critical Look at the Government’s Strategy for Post-Secondary Education in Alberta’, was put together by University of Lethbridge professors Dr. Trevor Harrison and Dr. Richard Mueller.

The document argues that the province’s plan, ‘Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs’ (which can be viewed here) is ill-advised and the proposed changes and cuts, if implemented, will have a radical and dangerous impact on the province’s post-secondary system. Some notes from the report include:

• There is neither a plan to add the projected 40,000 new student spaces the system will need by 2028 or plans to increase access for Alberta students from the lowest participating rate to the national average.
• Post-secondary institutions will be subjected to increased corporate control over which programs will be offered and what research will be funded.
• The $430-million total project cut to the post-secondary education budget will result in much higher costs for students to attend post-secondary institutions.
• Government cuts to Alberta’s institutions have resulted in “massive layoffs for staff and faculty” and will result in a major impact on the quality of post-secondary education going forward.

Dr. Harrison is a professor of sociology at the U of L and former director of Parkland Institute. He said that, “the UCP government is planning to drive Alberta’s post-secondary education system down a dangerous road that will lead to greatly reduced access, quality and affordability.”

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“Albertans need to challenge the government to invest in our post-secondary education system so we can support more students to get a high-quality education and help diversify and strengthen the economy.”

In May, the Parkland Institute submitted a freedom of information request to view a report by McKinsey & Company (the McKinsey report). The province is reported to have paid $3.7 million for the American consulting firm to analyze Alberta’s post-secondary system. So far, the government has not released said report.

The Parkland Institute noted that instead, the Alberta 2030 plan has used talking points from the MacKinnon report “that simplistically compares Alberta’s PSE [post-secondary education] system to Canada’s three largest provinces.”

Dr. Mueller is a professor of economics at the U of L. He said, “the MacKinnon report takes a very narrow and skewed look at the differences between Alberta’s system and Canada’s three largest provinces and does not address issues of economies of scale nor Alberta having the lowest post-secondary participating rate in the country.”

“We need to invest in a post-secondary education system that will meet the needs of Albertans and our economy rather than using select data to help justify massive cuts to our colleges, institutions and universities.”

The Parkland Institute report includes recommendation to improve the post-secondary system in the province.

Harrison said, “first of all, we recommend a fulsome reinvestment in public funding for post-secondary education in the province.”

“There are many challenges that the economy in Alberta faces, but we believe the post-secondary system, if well-funded, could in fact add to dealing with many of those economic issues and prepare, really, for the demographic onslaught of growth in the system of students in years to come.”

The report also recommends a new model of ‘democratic and collegial governance’, which involves staff, faculty, students and the community at large, “while limiting, frankly, the influence of corporate special interests and the centralized authority of the government in operating the post-secondary system.”

Something that may catch the eye of prospective students is a proposal of free tuition for the first two years of full-time undergraduate education, dubbed a ‘New Alberta Advantage’, as well as an improved system of grants and loans.

Harrison said, “right now, Alberta students leave graduate education with very high debt loads and are receiving at the same time, very low support from government.”

“Such a model would retain and in fact, attract new students to the system, especially from Indigenous and other historically marginalized communities and provide a real, genuine economy as a whole.”

The Parkland Institute report proposes increased government transparency and accountability, with Harrison and Mueller calling for the immediate release of the McKinsey report and documents related to Alberta 2030.

The report has received support from members of the local post-secondary community.

Ryan Lindblad, the U of L Students’ Union’s VP External and board member of the Council of Alberta University Students said, “a well-educated population is a proven driver of economic growth.”

“Instead of cutting post-secondary education funding, the Government of Alberta should be providing targeted investments in students and our institutions. Albertans would benefit from the investments suggested by the Parkland report for generations to come.”

President of the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association, Dr. Dan O’Donnell said, “just when Alberta needs to diversify our economy, the UCP government is taking the wrong approach by narrowing Albertan’s post-secondary education options.”

“Lethbridge has always been strong supporters of post-secondary education, as it drives a modern, flexible economy. The last thing we need is to take the kind of steps backwards this government proposes in their Alberta 2030 strategy.”

Jake Cameron, Chair of AUPE Local 53 – University of Lethbridge said, “after the UCP took power in 2019, we’ve seen layoffs, low morale, and budget reductions at the University of Lethbridge.”

“The UCP has been viciously attacking the public post-secondary system, and both students and workers are paying the price. More cuts means a poorer quality of education, and university are one of the keys to Alberta’s economic future.”

The Parkland Institute report can be viewed here.