Red Deer College will receive four to five per cent less in funding from the provincial government next school year.
Around 57 per cent of the approximately $100-million operating budget for RDC is funded by the provincial government.
RDC president Joel Ward said there will be very little impact on the college’s ability to deliver student services or programs and there are no plans to raise tuition rates more than 1.5 per cent for the 2010-2011 school year.
“We’re anticipating a balanced budget and we’ve been able to make the necessary adjustments in our organization that we needed to match the amount of money the government was giving us, which is less than last year,” Ward said. Other post-secondary institutions across the province have seen a similar decrease, according to Ward.
He said they don’t anticipate laying off full-time staff as a result of the reduced funding. However, he said a drop in the number of apprentices that are going to be trained during the next school year could mean RDC may not need as many part-time or sessional instructors in some of the trade programs.
He said RDC is undergoing an information technology review to see if money can be saved, as well as looking at contracts with vendors to see if there is a way to deliver the same service at a reduced rate and even looking at ways to use printers and paper more efficiently.
He said through attrition the college may also combine some operations and restructure the organization a little differently.
“It’s causing some discomfort, but it’s not going to result in the loss of students or loss of programs or affect our ability to serve our students to the level we have become accustomed,” Ward said.
RDC has a surplus of around $2 million to $3 million to be used in the event of emergencies. Ward said the college may have to dip into that a little bit in the next year.
The college will submit its budget to the provincial government in May.
sobrien@www.reddeeradvocate.com