University of Saskatchewan | Land leased for commercial and residential development will offset budget shortfall
A University of Saskatchewan initiative to lease hundreds of acres of land it owns in Saskatoon shouldn’t disrupt its agricultural research, say school officials.
They also say the move isn’t related to a budget shortfall at the university totalling tens of millions of dollars.
The U of S has identified more than 900 acres of land suitable for commercial and residential development as part of a 50-year plan developed in 2007.
The university is already working to rezone some of the land, although none of the projects currently underway require its crop, horticultural and animal science operations to consolidate or move.
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Greg Fowler, the university’s acting vice-president for finance and resources, said some operations could eventually move outside the city.
The university already owns 4,000 acres of land outside of city limits, has bought a small parcel of near Clavet, Sask., and has identified a need to purchase more.
“It’s basically a win-win because the university also begins to realize the economic value of the land, so it comes back into the university and supports the mission,” he said.
“It’s also an understanding, of course, that agriculture is a very important priority for the university.”
The university announced in January that it will conduct a review that will rank all of its departments and services, seeking efficiency improvements and cuts as a result of a projected budget shortfall of $44.5 million by 2016.
The university announced 40 layoffs in January with more to come in the spring.
“There may be some agriculture activities we’d move outside the city limits … but what I would say is that there is little connection to our current budget process because all of the options we’re looking at would take more than four years to bring on stream,” said Brett Fairbairn, university provost and vice-president for academics.
“We’re not looking to sell anything or get a quick return.”
He said the shortfall is the result of rising salary and pension costs and the Saskatchewan government offering only limited funding.
The program review will be conducted this year with task forces making recommendations for elimination, reduction and amalgamations. Changes to academic programs won’t be made right away.
The agriculture college and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine will be included in the review.
Agriculture dean Mary Buhr said earlier this year that the college wasn’t affected by the first round of job cuts.
“I can’t tell you if we will be or won’t be in the future,” she said.
The WCVM receives funding from all four western provinces.
“We won’t ignore those factors when we’re looking at the programs,” said Fairbairn.
“We will rank everything according to the same criteria and I can’t predict precisely how that will turn out, but I am confident that the strategic importance and history of those programs will be taken into account.”
