March 27, 2010

The Board of Governors for the University of Northern British Columbia has approved an operating budget of $66.3 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which will start on April 1. The budget will allow the University to maintain stability and not resort to cuts in services or staffing.

“This is a time of financial constraint in British Columbia, so we’re pleased that we have been able to develop a balanced budget for Board approval that maintains a strong foundation for our future growth,” says UNBC President George Iwama. “The costs of maintaining what we have are rising; even though the University received an increase in revenue of just over 1%, it has largely been allocated to address the inflationary pressures that we’re facing.”

For example, nearly $400,000 in additional operating funds has been allocated to the Library, campus infrastructure, and new fees related to greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the University has also been keen to realize some strategic opportunities. Although funding is limited, the University is allocating funding to expand videoconference capability for course delivery and leverage the bioenergy facility currently under construction to achieve greater energy savings.

“The Board is obviously interested in ensuring that the University budget is balanced but we’re equally concerned that we have the resources we need to invest in things that will make UNBC stronger and more attractive to students,” says Board Chair Dawn Martin.

The budget also includes a provision to increase tuition fees by 2%, bringing the tuition for a full-time student taking five courses to about $2269 per semester.

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Vice-President External Relations, UNBC – 250.960.5622