The recent $3 billion surplus being posted by the B.C. Liberal government proves that it was vicious and short-sighted for Premier Campbell to allow his minister to slash budgets for colleges and universities across the province by $50 million says New Democrat MLA Gary Coons.
“It makes no sense for colleges and universities to be scrambling to make up a shortfall while the Campbell Liberal government perches on a multi-billion dollar surplus,” said Coons, the MLA for the North Coast. “Institutions like NWCC and UNBC need stable budgets to provide services, especially to outlying campuses in rural communities.”
In mid-March, with only two weeks notice, B.C.’s 25 universities and colleges were told their new fiscal year core budgets would be cut by 2.6 per cent – a $50 million total hit to existing programs. Administrators have grappled with the sudden loss of funding by making broad cuts to programs, faculty and staff layoffs and eliminating thousands of student spaces.
“Cuts in post-secondary education are attacks on the future prosperity of this province,” said Coons. “British Columbia already has a shortage of people with key skills; these cuts will only make skills shortages more acute in the years to come.”
The University of Northern British Columbia was one of the institutions hit hard, losing $1 million in expected funding.
“These senseless cuts must be reversed,” said Coons. “This is the north’s university; it serves a region larger than most countries. The Premier’s actions displays his arrogance and shows his complete disconnect from ordinary British Columbians.”