University budgeting for ‘post-pandemic’ school year

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This article was published 21/03/2022 (1640 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon University passed its 2022-23 budget on Saturday, with the school’s board of governors approving a proposed $71.2 million worth of operating expenses for the upcoming academic year.

Talking to the Sun on Monday, BU president David Docherty revealed this budget was designed to reflect a “post-pandemic” school year, where COVID-19 restrictions aren’t a major part of day-to-day life for staff and students.

One of the most glaring examples of this new direction was the fact that the 2022-23 budget did not set aside any money for “COVID-19 costs,” whereas in past years the school earmarked around $200,000 for this specific line item.

Instead, Docherty clarified this need will be fulfilled through larger emphasis on general sanitation costs, which will continue to be a significant priority for BU moving forward.

“It’s just about making sure that things are cleaned properly and regularly. The costs of plexiglass was a big budget increase this year for us, plus disinfectant and things like that,” he said. “Those costs will, I suspect, be a major part of our budget for the foreseeable future.”

While BU officials are hoping to leave COVID mostly in the rearview mirror, Docherty clarified that certain elements of the past two academic years did take root in the 2022-23 budget.

For example, the school’s travel expenses have been reduced by $400,000, since the pandemic has highlighted that taking part in certain events online is just as impactful as attending them in the flesh.

Even though faculty members can still fund out-of-town excursions through their professional development allowance, Docherty explained that in-person attendance for events like the Universities Canada annual meet-up in Ottawa won’t be viewed as the only option anymore.

“Does it warrant me spending a day flying to Ottawa, being there for two or three meetings and spending a day flying back?” he asked.

“If I can join those meetings by Zoom and still get something out of it, boy, that’s great.”

However, Docherty said the budget also makes room for a continued emphasis on remote learning, since this model has provided certain people, such as international students, with the flexibility they need to succeed.

“I’d say we’re learning the lessons of COVID and making the best of them.”

Docherty was also happy to report that BU’s ancillary services are expected to contribute around $100,000 to the operating budget, with a full return to campus life allowing for the collection of revenue through residential, parking and food amenities once again.

“So it was very pleasurable to plan a budget thinking that our residences are going to be busier again,” he said.

“We have a sense that our ancillary services, our food services and our residences will be working on, at the very least, a cost-recovery basis.”

In terms of how this budget compares to the current academic year, BU is shouldering an overall increase of $2.74 million worth of expenses, having passed a $68.4 million budget for 2021-22.

Docherty said a major driving force behind this four per cent jump in expenses is salary increases that were mandated as part of the school’s collective agreement with various unions.

These salary increases include a one per cent bump for those represented by the Brandon University Faculty Association and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Meanwhile, workers belonging to the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union are entitled to a 0.75 per cent salary increase* for 2022-23.

“They’re relatively minor salary increases … but those are things we collectively bargained with and we have an obligation to live up to them,” Docherty said.

University officials are also planning to increase student tuition fees by 3.75 per cent overall, with fees and enrolment expectations driving a $928,000 increase in costs compared to 2021-22.

“The province sets guidelines on what tuition increases can be and so this year it was 3.75 per cent. And so we built that into the budget to help cover our additional costs,” Docherty said.

“What I would point out is that, while we understand that post-secondary [education] is expensive, tuition in Manitoba is still lower than it is in most other jurisdictions. So we think our students are getting good value for their money.”

The school is planning to drop most of its COVID restrictions by the end of April, paving the way for a fall semester that is, more or less, similar to what campus life was like before the pandemic emerged.

However, Docherty said his administration will remain vigilant and ready to adjust BU’s overall services and spending if the province’s COVID numbers take a nasty turn.

“We have to be ready to change,” the president said. “If something happens and COVID comes back with a vengeance on Labour Day, we have to be able to make a decision then.”

» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

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