Progressive Conservative Minister of Economic Development and Training Ralph Eichler has given the University College of the North (UCN), and the province’s other seven universities and four colleges – Booth University College, Brandon University, Canadian Mennonite University, Providence University College, Université de Saint-Boniface, University of Manitoba, and the University of Winnipeg, Assiniboine Community College, École Technique et Professionnelle, International College of Manitoba, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, and Red River College – their marching orders in the form of a mandate letter that addresses “stewardship of public funds.” UCN offers both university and college-level programs.
In his letter earlier this month, sent to Cam Mateika, chair of UCN’s governing council, Eichler writes: “The Province of Manitoba expends over one billion dollars annually on our post-secondary system, through direct funding to institutions and indirectly through student financial supports, tax credits and research funding, among other supports. Manitobans expect that all public sector organizations operate with sound oversight, financial accountability and transparency as core principles. Manitoba is continuing its efforts to achieve fiscal and workforce sustainability and this requires all of our public sector entities, including post-secondary institutions, to be aligned with government policies and priorities with respect to compensation for executive employees and management staffing levels.”
Before entering politics, Eichler served for eight years as the administrator of the Stonewall-based Interlake School Division.
“The Province has made difficult decisions to help stabilize our finances while protecting our front line services. In the same way, we expect post-secondary institutions to ensure the financial sustainability of our post-secondary education system. Institutions must employ lean principles, reducing duplication, increasing efficiencies, and ensuring that expenditures consider value for taxpayer’s dollars. Specifically, opportunities to develop and implement a shared services model for ‘back office’ functions, such as procurement, centralized applications, and other related administrative activities should be explored. In addition, institutions should coordinate academic programming to reduce duplication of effort and achieve economies of scale.
“It is expected that institutions operate with balanced budgets, in a fiscally responsible manner. Institutions must seek approval from the provincial government on all institution-owned or controlled capital projects, including approval of related operating expenditures, regardless of the funding source. Each organization should develop five-year capital plans and submit those plans to the Province for review.”
Eichler copied his letter to Mateika to Doug Lauvstad, president and vice-chancellor of the University College of the North. The school released a copy of the minister’s letter Jan. 27.
“Over the next year,” Eichler goes on to say, “post-secondary institutions will work together, in partnership with the Province, to further define student successes and continue to build data capacity to enable measurement of outcomes over time. Going forward, leveraging this foundational data work, Manitoba will be developing a new model for post-secondary funding based on performance, and will be engaging institutions in the design.”
The minister also said, “Post-secondary institutions need to be closely connected to industry to ensure programs meet workforce needs and students gain the right skills and competencies to succeed. There are numerous examples of successful partnerships at all of our Manitoba institutions, however, more alignment and collaboration is needed in order to meet the demands of our ever-evolving world of work.”
More than ever, said Eichler, “it is critical that our colleges and universities be nimble and responsive, ceasing programs that lack responsiveness and value in a modern context and building programs that deliver the skills needed for today and tomorrow. It is expected that Manitoba’s post-secondary institutions will become more agile and continuously make changes to their systems in order to be more responsive to the pace of labour market changes.”
The minister’s letter also follows on work by Higher Education Strategy Associates, of Toronto, and its Government of Manitoba: Manitoba College Review System-Wide Report, released almost two years ago in March 2018. The provincial government asked for the review, co-authored by Alex Usher and Yves Y. Pelletier, in 2016, shortly after it was first elected, and it was undertaken between November 2016 and November 2017.
Higher Education Strategies Associates’ mandate was to undertake a review of the five post-secondary institutions in Manitoba that offer college-level programs: Assiniboine Community College, the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Red River College, Université de Saint-Boniface and University College of the North, or UCN as its just as often abbreviated to and known as. The government, first elected in April 2016, set out five objectives: to develop forward looking system-wide strategic directions and a proactive, co-ordinated, systemic approach to college education; to enable the college system to improve outcomes for students, including indigenous students, with improved completion and employment rates; to strengthen labour market alignment and responsiveness to labour market need; to improve governance and sustainability of the college system with lean, efficient and effective administration and operations; and to further promote innovation, collaboration and partnership opportunities within the college system and with industry partners.
soundingsjohnbarker 