FP: U of M president responds to letter

Letter of the day

Tue Jun 19 2007

U of M president responds

In his June 13 column, More bean counters needed, Rodney A. Clifton paints an unbalanced and incomplete picture of the fiscal responsibility of the University of Manitoba. His suggestion that operating expenditures have risen disproportionately to the number of degrees granted is misleading and does not factor in numerous important considerations. Clifton does not indicate where that money goes or how it is spent at the U of M. He also does not consider the dramatic increase in enrolment experienced at the U of M and all other post-secondary institutions in the province over the last number of years, or its impact on the cost of providing an education to students and delivering on the province's research and innovation agenda.

Student enrolment increased by 33 per cent between 1997-98 and 2005-06. At the same time, expenditures increased by 29 per cent after adjusting for inflation. Clearly, the university coped with more students with less money. The U of M recognizes that in order to attract and retain the best professors, researchers and staff, the institution must remain competitive with sister universities around the country. In order to do this, salaries must be in line with those offered elsewhere and this accounts for a significant portion of the increase. Clifton also fails to consider increases in numerous other costs incurred by the university. For example, utility costs at the university have increased by 70 per cent since 1999 due to rate increases and new facilities. Insurance premiums are up 175 per cent in that same time frame. The cost of maintaining and adding to our library materials has increased dramatically, not to mention the high cost of ensuring that our facilities are kept current with up-to-date technology and equipment. In the past few years, the U of M has added new facilities to campus that ensure our students have what they need to learn and succeed in today's knowledge economy. The U of M has met these challenges and experienced this growth while making a concerted effort to keep administration costs low. According to the Canadian Association of University Business Officers, the U of M is second only to Queen's University in having the lowest administration costs of all universities in the country. Unlike a number of other Canadian universities, the U of M adheres to balanced budget legislation and does not carry a deficit year over year. Tuition at the U of M continues to be among the lowest in the country. Our students paid an average of $3,272 in 2005/06 compared to the Canadian average of $4,214 as outlined by Statistics Canada. The U of M has shown itself to be a good manager of its resources for the last 25 years. To suggest otherwise is incorrect and unfair.


EMOKE SZATHMARY

President and Vice-Chancellor


University of Manitoba