At a time when everyone is tightening their belts, Athabasca University is trying to do the same.
The institutionís plan to ìgradually shiftî the IT departmentís ìoperational activitiesî ñ i.e. moving 59 jobs out of Athabasca and into the Edmonton area ñ is just another cost-cutting measure they could implement, one that would be a hit to community here.
It would save the institution money. And with a projected shortfall of $7.2 million, the university needs to find ways to cut its spending.
These are tough decisions. There are few options, and the ones that are there are bound to have opponents.
On one hand, you have the institution that is hunting for ways to remain viable when there is little money to go around the province and the online education market has become saturated with other schools. Staffing difficulties in a small town and other costs associated with its rural location only compound the issues.
On the other, you have a community that relies on the institution heavily for jobs, its educational and cultural events, and its research and archiving capabilities.
Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt said, ìWeíre putting the priority on making sure that Athabasca University is sustainable.î
But does that supersede the areaís wish to keep the university based here in Athabasca?
If moving the IT team is required for the overall health of the university, allowing it to survive here in Athabasca, then it has to be done.
That said, the local governments in the region should still be wary of what is happening.
By moving those 59 positions ñ about one tenth of the universityís workforce in Athabasca ñ to the Edmonton area, it sounds more like one step closer to moving the whole operation.
And if that is the case, we should not have to wait for the brown envelopes.
The province and the institution need to be honest and open about their goals, rather than furtively pushing operations out of the area.
