CALGARY — Alberta college administrators must find cheaper ways to educate now that their budgets have been peeled back by more than 20 percent.
Fairview, Lakeland, Lethbridge and Olds colleges say they’ve already trimmed the fat from their institutions. Now, they must look at the fundamental way they do business, said Larry Bates of Olds College.
Olds must chop $2.5 million by 1997. Staff has agreed to take a five percent rollback in wages and benefits. Larger classes, fewer optional courses, changes in hours per course and tuition hikes are all likely.
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There are about 1,000 full-time students with 3,000 to 5,000 enrolled in part-time classes and extension programs.
Already overworked
At Fairview College in northwestern Alberta, Bruce Barclay said instructors are working at maximum capacity now and are often paid less than what other institutions offer. Fairview has never had a deficit because of tight management in the past.
“We’re especially annoyed because if we had been lousy managers instead of prudent ones we could now find that 21 percent,” Barclay said.
Going to private business for donations or selling services and fund raising have become a way of life for the school. Specialized courses like beekeeping, turf grass management and animal health for the north have been developed.
Fairview serves a wide area with many older students who travel long distances for an education. Abandoning general agriculture courses would only hurt such people. There are about 1,100 full-time students with a large number studying at outside centres like High Level, Peace River and Manning, said Barclay.
At Lethbridge Community College agriculture is a small component of a large community-based school that registered 4,000 students this semester. About 100 are enrolled in the agricultural technology and mechanics programs.
Ken Perl of the agriculture program said tuition fees will rise and all options are open when it comes to saving money. For the last 10 years the college has had a policy that any decision for change or additions had to be cost neutral.
Lethbridge offers irrigation technology and Fairview excels at beekeeping but neither college wants to give up general agriculture courses because of the difference in farming from north to south.
Perl suggests some curriculum areas be uniform across the province and Barclay favors easy student transfers from one college to another.
At Lakeland College in Vermilion, the cuts mean a loss of $3.2 million.
“Simply asking students to pay more for their education won’t solve our problems,” said college president Doug Schmitt. Salary rollbacks and a three-year freeze would save $730,000 and will be discussed with employees.
