News Archives: Provincial Budget Impact on GPRC
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015
The Alberta Budget includes changes which impact the Post-Secondary Education system across the Province. Over the next two years, the impact on GPRC will be a reduction of $5.2 Million. This is a significant percentage of the overall operating budget, and people and programs will be affected. The College is currently working through the required changes, and more details will be available in late April when final decisions have been made.
Included in the proposed Provincial budget is a system-wide Operating Grant reduction of 4.1% (1.4% for fiscal 2015/2016, and 2.7% for fiscal 2016/2017). The institutions will also have to absorb the impact of inflation and wage increases, and for GPRC that means additional unfunded costs of approximately 2% in each of the two years.
The impact to GPRC will be a total budget reduction of $5.2 million by the end of the second year.
“In all of our budget deliberations we have been focused on what is best for the College, given the circumstances,” says Don Gnatiuk, President and CEO. “We have worked to ensure the least possible impact on our classrooms, affecting the fewest number of students possible. It is our job as a public institution in the Province of Alberta to act on the decisions of government, and we will deliver.”
An institution-wide budget team is currently working through the changes required to make up the funding shortfall, and will be presenting a balanced budget for Board approval in late April.
“GPRC has a commitment to maintain our service to this region,” says Pete Merlo, Chair of the Board of Governors. “The Board fully supports the actions being taken by President Gnatiuk and his team, and we are confident that GPRC will continue to be a leader in collaboration within the system. Public post-secondary education in Alberta will emerge from this challenge strong, sustainable, and transformed to meet the needs of the future. We are proud to be part of this transformation.”
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For more information please contact:
Don Gnatiuk, President and CEO
Grande Prairie Regional College
780-539-2024
dgnatiuk@gprc.ab.ca