Released on March 24, 1997
Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training Minister Bob Mitchell saidtoday's provincial budget invests $9.8 million in new funding to
Saskatchewan's universities and replaces federal cuts.
"Our universities are vital to Saskatchewan's future," Mitchell said.
"Through our funding, we're preserving and enhancing their excellent
programs, and helping ensure that university education is affordable
and accessible for students."
The minister said the universities will be able to reconsider their
announced tuition fee increases as a result of the new funding.
New funding includes:
an extra $2.8 million for sustaining capital infrastructure, a 60
per cent increase.
an additional $4 million to protect the investment in buildings
on each of the two campuses and to enhance their technology and
research capacity.
$3 million for special renewal projects, such as university
libraries, identified in the MacKay report on university
revitalization.
In addition to this new money, universities, and affiliated and
federated colleges will see their operating grants maintained at the
current level of $168 million for both 1997-98 and 1998-99. Previously
announced university cuts for those two years of three per cent
annually will not be implemented. Those announced reductions,
anticipated because of federal transfer payments, would have cost
universities $5 million in each year.
Mitchell said the new monies will help the universities refine their
mandates, undertake faculty renewal, and effectively apply technology
to learning, teaching, research and administration.
"Our universities have made considerable progress toward increased
efficiencies and greater cooperation and communication between
themselves and with government," Mitchell said. "Students, faculty,
communities, all of us, are winners in their renewal."
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For more information, contact:
Ken Alecxe, Assistant Deputy Minister
Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-6056