Skip to content

Athabasca University looks to fill gaps

Athabasca University president Neil Fassina said the institution is taking steps to meet the recommendations that came out of the thrid-party review almost six months ago.
Athabasca University president Neil Fassina spoke to staff and students June 8 upon the release of the 74-page report from an independent third-party review of the
Athabasca University president Neil Fassina spoke to staff and students June 8 upon the release of the 74-page report from an independent third-party review of the institution. In an interview this week, he said the institution is making progress on the report’s recommendations.

Athabasca University president Neil Fassina said the institution is taking steps to meet the recommendations that came out of the thrid-party review almost six months ago.

The 74-page independent third-party report, released June 8 and based on a review of the institution conducted by Ken Coates, stated that “AU has difficult, but not insurmountable, financial and managerial challenges.”

University president Neil Fassina said in an interview last week that recommendation fulfillment is going “really well.”

Fassina – who has been working at the university for almost 13 months – said that shortly after he arrived, he recognized that there were gaps in how project and activity operations.

“Shortly after my arrival, I initiated an integrated planning approach, last winter, that would enable us to tie our strategic planning with all our other planning activities and project activities at the university,” he said. “And I think the need for this kind of approach was echoed in Dr. Coates’ report.”

He pointed to last year’s financial surplus despite the fact that a deficit was projected, noting that there were “one-time financial pieces” that played a part, bit it was also about making sure they “peel back” some of the structural pieces.

“This year we submitted a balanced budget, and we’re tracking to that environment,” he said. “Financially speaking, I won’t say we’re out of the woods entirely, but we’re most certainly tracking in the right direction.”

Fassina also said the university has to be a purposeful partner with local municipal and school divisions to strengthen relationships and create a robust approach, noting that the institution is working on times to connect with those partners, recognizing that there are new councils onboarding.

As for the northern Alberta research unit suggested in the report, Fassina said the institution is still in the discussions and development stages.

“I think in the spirit of the recommendation, we will likely see something like that,” he said.

There are a slew of new faces in the upper echelons of the university, as well. Fassina said that hiring a new vice-president information technology – Jennifer Schaeffer, who started Nov. 6 – is another step in creating a strong leadership team.

He noted that the vice-president university relations, Rick Harland, is the only interim role left, and he will be looking to fill that on a permanent basis.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks