Beyond the ring

News on post-secondary education across Canada and around the world. To suggest items or topics for this column, email ringedit@uvic.ca.

Queen’s reviewing academic priorities
Queen’s University, facing a projected $33-million budget deficit over the next three years, is reviewing its academic priorities with an eye to doing less with less. Queen’s Principal Daniel Woolf is calling for a review of the university’s academic priorities and a renewal of emphasis on undergraduate education. This is in addition to a 15-per-cent budget cut over the next three years, a salary freeze for senior administration and a review of real estate holdings. Globe and Mail story and Queen’s financial update

U of A raises tuition, fees to help address deficit
The University of Alberta in December raised tuition (1.5 per cent), residence rent (3.8 per cent) and parking fees (2 per cent) to help combat a projected $59-million budget shortfall for the next fiscal year. U of A is looking to address the deficit evenly among measures to increase revenues, identify administrative efficiencies and contain costs. U of A ExpressNews story

BCIT considers layoffs to balance budget
The preliminary budget for the British Columbia Institute of Technology includes plans to eliminate 82 positions in order to deal with a projected $12-million budget deficit. Job cuts would affect managers, support staff and approximately 20 instructor positions. Burnaby News Leader story.