Change has to be in Athabasca University's future if it is to survive, states a long-awaited third-party report, which was released June 8.
Change has to be in Athabasca University's future if it is to survive, states a long-awaited third-party report, which was released June 8.
The 74-page independent third-party review of the institution, which was conducted by Ken Coates, states that “AU has difficult, but not insurmountable, financial and managerial challenges.”
“The university has significant problems, particularly with regard to information technology, public reputation/status, pedagogical models and program structure,” the report continues. “Change is necessary, in my view, but the path forward that I envisage builds on the university's history and original mandate.”
The report was released by the province and the university at a joint press conference on AU's Athabasca campus.
Vivian Manasc, new chair of the university's board of governors said she was happy to note that the third-party report reaffirms Athabasca University as an open university, which is committed to the long-term well-being of northern educational communities.
“We'll be committed to strengthening our connection to the community here in Athabasca and in the county of Athabasca,” she said.
The report also includes recommendations, and a timeline for the university to meet those recommendations.
Advanced Education Minister Marlin Schmidt was present at the report's release, and he said he was pleased with the recommendations and looked forward to their implementation.
“Time is of the essence,” Schmidt said. “There's still a lot of work to be done, and it needs to be done quickly.”
University president Neil Fassina said although some of the deadlines are “very soon,” the institution has to seize the opportunity.
“One of the strongest messages that was in there is that the future of the university is in the university's hands,” he said.
Athabasca University in Athabasca
Coates' report states that “at present, AU has not fully internalized its commitment to northern Alberta and the Town of Athabasca, meaning that significant opportunities have been lost or ignored.”
The report also notes that nevertheless, there are significant challenges to remaining in Athabasca. It states that AU should relocate selected core activities to offices in Edmonton, while the university's outreach and student support should be led from Athabasca.
“We've been very clear all along that the future of Athabasca University has to be here in the Town of Athabasca,” Schmidt said.
“We are absolutely, 100 per cent committed to our presence in the Town of Athabasca,” Fassina said, noting that the university will be “purposeful” in how they use their location. He added that they could use resources for research endeavours related to the north.
Financial issues
“The core assumption – that AU has serious financial challenges – is fundamentally correct,” the report states, adding that this has to be dealt with immediately. “Failure to do so will result in an accumulation of debt that could imperil the future of the university or, at a minimum, delay much needed restructuring.”
One of the suggestions from the report to increase revenue is to increase tuition and student fees.
“We've got a tuition and financial aid review underway for all students in higher education in Alberta, and we'll be making some decisions on what the future of that support will look like later this year,” Schmidt said. “That will have a significant impact on Athabasca University of course, but all of our university and college programs.”
The report also states the government should incrementally invest in the university.
When asked about additional funding for the university, Schmidt said the province is looking at changing its funding models across the board for post-secondary education. He noted that the balance sheet is already better now than it was a year ago.
Loss of focus
The review mentions several times that the institution has lost its focus, noting that it has shifted “away from its initial focus on providing open and accessible university-level programming.”
“A combination of decisions made by AU over the past decades and managerial challenges within the organization resulted in major budgetary issues, mission creep and a loss of focus,” the report states.
Timeline
The report establishes 13 tasks and deadlines for the university, as well, including among other points:
Produce for approval by the Board of Governors, by July 1, 2017, a 2017-18 budget that acknowledges the existing financial challenges facing AU and that makes decisions in light of the Board's response to the Third-Party Review.
Establish, by July 1, 2017, an internal structure that will be responsible for identifying programmatic opportunities for AU that respond to changes in the workforce, the educational marketplace and developments in the field of educational technology.
Produce for approval by the Board of Governors, by September 1, 2017, a review of AU's strategies for operating and expanding its presence in Alberta as an open access institution.
Produce for approval by the Board of Governors, by September 15, 2017, a revised mandate and vision statement that forms the foundation for AU's new business plan.
