University College of the North (UCN) has lost $1.3 million in external funding over the last two fiscal years, says Dan Smith, vice-president academic and research.
“What many people may not realize,” Smith said May 12, “is that in the last fiscal year, that’s the 18/19 fiscal year, the University College of the North lost $400,000 in its grant, plus $500,000 in funding that was dedicated to access programing. To add that to the 19/20 budgetary decisions that saw UCN lose another $400,000 for a total loss over two years of $1.3 million dollars. That’s a lot of money.”
Smith said UCN President and Vice-Chancellor Doug Lauvstad has made the “specific commitment” not to recoup that $1.3 million either through staff layoffs or increased tuition fees for students. Instead, Smith said, UCN has managed to “contain” that “$1.3 million loss” in lost external revenue through some “internal restructuring,” including doing what might seem like minor things, he said, but which can really add up in cost. The example he cited was promoting the use of UCN fleet vehicles rather than employees using their personal private vehicles and being reimbursed for mileage by the school to travel when necessary between campuses and post secondary access centres, known until recently as regional centres. The two campuses in The Pas and Thompson are almost 400 kilometres by road and four hours apart.
UCN also has 12 regional post-secondary access centres operated through community partnerships in Flin Flon, Churchill, Swan River, Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake), Tataskweyak Cree Nation (Split Lake), Chemawawin Cree Nation (Easterville), Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (Nelson House), Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (Pukatawagan), Norway House Cree Nation, Misipawistik Cree Nation (Grand Rapids), Bunibonibee Cree Nation (Oxford House), and St. Theresa Point First Nation.
Smith also noted that Lynette Plett, whose appointment was announced March 12, will be UCN’s first associate vice-president of access for the newly-created access department within the academic and research division. Plett, who is based on The Pas campus, began working at UCN May 6. She comes from a Mennonite Anabaptist tradition, and grew up on a rural farm in Manitoba.
While the shape of the access department under Plett’s leadership is a work-in-progress, Smith said he has asked her to focus on building he department and begin developing a strategy around access and accessibility to post-secondary programs at UCN, including essential skills and upgrading.
Plett joined the University College of the North after more than a decade working for the provincial government. During her time in Manitoba Education and Training, Plett led adult learning and literacy, the branch responsible for adult learning centres, and most recently served as senior executive director of skills and employment partnerships.
The University College of the North marks its 15th anniversary being known as such this coming Monday.
UCN is the successor of Keewatin Community College as the main post-secondary education institution in Northern Manitoba. Keewatin Community College was established in 1966. Its Thompson campus was created in the early 1980s.
The University College of the North came into existence on June 10, 2004 when the University College of the North Act received royal assent. Keewatin Community College, as established by Section 2 of the Colleges Establishment Regulation, Manitoba Regulation 39/93, was continued as the university college.
From the outset, UCN was set up to provide “post-secondary education in a culturally sensitive and collaborative manner” that “is fundamental to the social and economic development of Northern Manitoba.”
UCN has the power to grant degrees, honourary degrees, certificates and diplomas.
The act also stipulates “post-secondary education in Northern Manitoba should be learner and community centered and characterized by a culture of openness, inclusiveness and tolerance and respectful of aboriginal and Northern values and beliefs.”
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