Athabasca University signs funding agreement with province after government lowers demands
Athabasca University signs funding agreement with province after government lowers demands
Athabasca University
The Alberta government says it has reached a deal with Athabasca University under which the province will continue funding the institution if half of its executive and 25 additional employees live in the town it shares a name with.
The agreement – which the province calls an investment management agreement – stipulates that four of the school's executive members be based in Athabasca and the number of local employees must grow from 252 to 277 within three years.
"These targets are very achievable and I am confident the university will be able to meet these goals," Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a Wednesday evening statement announcing the details.
"How the university achieves these targets is entirely up to it and I have already heard about some interesting and exciting ideas from the faculty association and others about how this can be accomplished."
In a statement to CTV News, the university's president said he was pleased with the outcome.
"We were pleased to work with our community to develop and present a comprehensive and balanced plan to create an exciting research hub in northern Alberta, to benefit the Athabasca region and support the government's Alberta 2030 strategy," Dr. Peter Scott said. "We look forward to continuing to work with the minister to refine this ambitious plan to realize a wealth of benefit for our community of Athabasca as well as our learners and researchers.
INITIAL DEMANDS LOWERED
Athabasca University, with an estimated 1,200 staff and 40,000 students, was founded in 1970 and moved to Athabasca in 1984 to help stimulate the economy of the town. It primarily offers distance education.
The provincial government began earlier this year to threaten to withhold the school's monthly $3.4-million grant if it didn't bring more staff into the town of roughly 3,000. It said 500 university employees were based in Athabasca in 2014, and fewer than half of that number remained as of 2017.
Nicolaides originally wanted to see the entire nine-person executive and a total of 500 employees living in Athabasca to strengthen the school's ties to the community and drive economic growth.
The university resisted, saying the demand would make it harder to recruit top talent and waste money, time and other resources.
Wednesday's government announcement included a statement from university board chair Byron Nelson saying the university was "pleased" with the agreement which will allow it to drive economic growth "while remaining a leader in distanced-learning."
The area's MLA, county reeve and town mayor all called the deal a success that recognized the needs of the community.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
Investment management agreements are a product of the government's Alberta 2030 initiative, which is focused on improving the higher-education system.
Each public post-secondary institution must sign one and each agreement is unique. In each, funding is tied to specific "tailored" goals, the government says.
Athabasca University's base operating grant for 2022-23 is $41.5 million.
With files from The Canadian Press
Correction
A previous version of this story stated the university was founded in 1984. In fact, it was established in 1970.
The federal government is seeking to delay the extension of assisted dying eligibility to people whose sole condition is a mental disorder until March 17, 2024. Justice Minister David Lametti introduced a bill seeking the extension in the House of Commons on Thursday.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
Will we see six more weeks of winter, or an early spring? Here’s what some of the groundhogs (and one human) have predicted so far, from coast-to-coast.
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
The United States has answered President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plea for rockets that can strike deep behind the front lines of the nearly year-long conflict with Russia. Now Russian forces will need to adapt or face potentially catastrophic losses.
Australia is removing the monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's new $5 bill will feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall theft.
Paramedic logs from 2022 are highlighting some of the pressures Regina EMS workers have been facing for months including one instance where a patient died following offload delays at the hospital, the documents indicate.
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
On the day that Shubenacadie Sam predicted six more weeks of winter, there are warnings and statements cautioning that the coldest air of the season is about to arrive in the Maritimes.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Three Richmond Hill residents have been arrested after police seized $500,000 in fake gift cards from a “sophisticated forgery lab” while searching multiple local properties last month.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
The next few nights are expected to be frigid in Montreal, with wind chill factors dropping to -30. In order to prevent anyone experiencing homelessness from ending up outdoors, the City of Montreal is announcing the opening of two emergency shelters.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall theft.
Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities across Canada and the United States in a study on downtown recovery, with activity levels at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Ontario has released a new 'connected' and 'convenient' health-care plan aimed at shortening wait times and localizing access to care across the province.
Wiarton Willie made his prediction his spring prediction Thursday morning at 8:07 a.m. The groundhog did not see his shadow, meaning we could get an early spring.
The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service is investigating after a handwritten note containing a violent threat at an Attawapiskat arena was found during a hockey tournament prompting an armed response by officers.
Highway 11 in northern Ontario is closed Thursday morning from Highway 66 near Kenogami Lake to Matheson after a collision involving several vehicles, police say.
Nestle Canada says it is winding down its frozen meals and pizza business in Canada over the next six months. The four brands that will no longer be sold in the freezer aisle at Canadian grocery stores are Delissio, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine and Life Cuisine.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
A pair of provincial parks are being considered in the B.C. government's treaty negotiations with the T’Sou-ke and Songhees nations on Vancouver Island.
A homicide investigation is underway on Quadra Island, B.C., after a 39-year old woman was found dead in what investigators believe was a targeted killing.
Athabasca University
