This notice is from the archives of The Notice Board. Information contained in this notice was accurate at the time of publication but may no longer be so.
Over the last few months, a number of our colleagues have been working very hard to conclude activities and deliberations that provide clarity and stability for the University as we come to the end of the current academic year.
Our Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) has continued working to develop the University operating budget for 2019-2020. Of course, with the election campaign underway, we do not expect a Provincial Budget for quite some time. To that end, the Board of Governors recently approved an interim 2019-2020 operating budget for the University that is based on the 2018-2019 operating budget.
Significantly, a new collective agreement with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) has been agreed upon. AUPE staff members at our University perform many vital and necessary services on our campus. I am grateful AUPE members and the Board of Governors ratified a new agreement that is consistent with other settlements and reflects the fiscal realities in the province. I am also pleased that we were able, with the help of a mediator, to find the compromises needed to achieve such an agreement. AUPE staff are valued members of our University community and I extend my gratitude to all who worked very hard to reach this agreement.
University administration and the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA) continue negotiations on the Faculty Handbook. A disagreement on the interpretation of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) from the prior agreement has been resolved by the Alberta Labour Relations Board. Much work remains to be done and I offer my thanks to the ULFA negotiating team and the team representing the Board of Governors for their hard work and commitment to reaching a settlement.
Finally, the recently released Tuition and Fees Regulation mandated a new, collaborative process for setting tuition and fees moving forward. University administration has been working with the Students’ Union and Graduate Students' Association executives to agree on a process on setting these fees that complies with the new Tuition and Fees Regulation. We have reached an agreement on process and wish to thank both the Students' Union and Graduate Students' executives for working with University administration on this. As per the new Tuition and Fees Regulation, any fee changes that may occur will not take effect until the 2020-2021 academic year.
Again, I want to extend my thanks to everyone who has been working on these initiatives.
Contact:
caroline.zentner | caroline.zentner@uleth.ca