Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater MLA Colin Piquette says he's hopeful that Athabasca University (AU) can regain its sustainability without having to relocate.
Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater MLA Colin Piquette says he's hopeful that Athabasca University (AU) can regain its sustainability without having to relocate.
Piquette said he will advocate strongly for AU, once the Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education begins formal discussions with AU executives.
Questions regarding AU's future reached a fever pitch earlier this month, when the AU Taskforce on Sustainability released a report declaring AU could face insolvency on its debt in two years.
The report proposed four options to avoid that outcome, including moving AU out of Athabasca.
“In the report, they list a bunch of different options, ” Piquette noted. “That's just one of the options, and I'm confident we're going to be able to help the university reach its sustainability goals while staying in Athabasca. ”
Minister Lori Sigurdson has yet to take a position on the situation, but will be involved in formal discussions with AU interim president Peter MacKinnon and the Board of Governors chair Margaret Mrazek later this summer.
“As MLA, I'll be part of those discussions and I'll be advocating strongly for the importance of Athabasca University in the community, ” Piquette said. “In regards to discussions with the president, the taskforce recommendations need to be discussed with key parties, including the minister and the board chair, before the minister takes a position. ”
The issue is of personal concern for Piquette, who holds a Master's degree in Adult Education.
“Athabasca University is absolutely critical to the town of Athabasca, as well as the region, ” he said. “It's the largest employer in town. It's an exemplar of the ability to have good knowledge-sector jobs in rural communities. ”
One-third of Athabasca University's 1,100 employees live in the Athabasca region.
Back in April, Piquette appeared at an open house put on by the Athabasca University Faculty Association, when the Sustainability Taskforce was still gathering submissions for its report.
At the time he said, “We all need to make the same message, with the help from a united community, to keep AU as a strong and viable institution. ”
But, as he stated at the open house, the NDP would not dictate what institutions could and could not do. He echoed this sentiment last week.
“We have to respect the autonomy of universities, ” Piquette stated.
In the meantime, Piquette said he's met informally with MacKinnon, who told him that he has already committed to helping the university.
“I'm very confident we'll come up with a solution that's in the best interest of both the university community and the town of Athabasca, ” Piquette stated.
“It's obviously a very critical issue for Athabasca. I'm paying very careful attention to what's been happening. ”
