Update to Membership March 1, 2021
March 1, 2021 Update to Membership
SAFA’s Response to Provincial Budget
Last Friday’s budget announcement was a call to action for post-secondaries across Alberta. The coming year will see PSE lose another $135 million in provincial government spending on post-secondary operations, with an additional $113 million reduction in 2022-23. This is on top of the $182 million cuts already implemented last year. (Information about expenditures for Advanced Education can be found on page 104 of the budget’s fiscal plan.)
Additionally, this budget indicated that the Government of Alberta would move forward with implementing performance-based funding (PBF) in 2021-22. This means in coming years, PSE funding will be tied to metrics set by the government, many of which are outside the control of the institution. PBF is bad news, with the only possible impact a further decrease in funding if an institution cannot meet all the government’s measures.
SAFA will continue to advocate for all faculty (adjunct, contract, temporary salaried, and full time salaried) to minimize the impact on the you, the folks who carry the fundamental role of the organization – teaching and supporting students. We will also continue to update members as we learn more and will let you know what actions we can take.