Late Budget Means Financial Difficulties UBC’S President, Dr
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Volume 29, Number 15 September 7,1983 Late budget means financial difficulties UBC’s president, Dr. K. George quarter of the fiscal year with Council of B.C. announced the division of million rollback in the middle of the Pedersen, continues to carry out an commitments to everything that was in government grants to the three public financial year. UBC’s share of the global intensive round of consultations with deans place at the end of the last fiscal year.” universities. grant is $172,370,508 for general operating and other University officials in order to (The full text of the interview with Dr. In his UBC Reports interview, Dr. purposes, plus 98,342,405 for expansion of resolve what he describes as a “difficult” Pedersen begins on page two of this issue.) Pedersen said it was incorrect to say that the medical school, the same as last year. 1983-84 budget situation. UBC’s current fiscal year began on April UBC will have the same operating budget However. the government has reduced In an interview with UBC Reports, Dr. 1, 1983. However, the provincial in 1983-84 as it had in the last fiscal year. by about $3 million the funds for a wide Pedersen said the University’s financial government did not introduce a budget in The operating grant to the universities range of miscellaneous higher-education difficulties largely stem from the fact that the legislature until early July, and it was for 1983-84 totalled $300,993,292, exactly programs which are designated in the “we are two months into the second not until Aug. 9 that the Universities what was provided last year after a $12 ministry budget as “Operating Grants- Other.” In UBC’s case, a total of more than $2 million has been removed under this category for the support of such UBC won’t programs as Health Care Teaching Costs, the Industrial Education Program, non- lack students metropolitan programs and a project in the UBC library involving computerization of library holdings. in 1983-84 UBC also has to fund permanently a UBC may be experiencing some fund liability of about $1.1 million arising out of shortfalls this year, but there’s one thing it faculty salary increases awarded last year won’t lack in 1983-84 - students. and must provide an additional $800,000 UBC Registrar Kenneth Young says to pay for increased utility costs in 1983-84. enrolment at UBC could increase between These commitments, the president said, 8 and 9 per cent this year -- a rate of total between $3.5 and $4 million and increase UBC hasn’t experienced since the don’t take into account salary increases for 1960s. faculty and support staff, inflation on His guess is based on the number of supplies and expenses and the introduction authorization-to-register forms which were of new programs. issued up to the end of August. This year, “I’m not at all sure that the University 30,813 forms were issued compared to can deal with a problem of (that) 28.367 at the same time last year. magnitude. five-twelfths of the way That’s an increase of 2,446 or 8.6 per through the fiscal year. cent. .I “It may be that when we’ve considered The number of forms issued to students everything in the way of options UBC. for classified as new admissions (applicants for the first time in its history, may have to first-year programs and transfers from seek approval of the provincial government colleges and other universities) is also up by to run a deficit.” nearly 20 per cent from 7,566 in 1982 to Under Section 28 (1) of the University 9,024 this year. Act, the provincial legislation that outlines Mr. Young doesn’t have comparable University government, the University’s figures for the number of forms issued for Board of Governors is prohibited from first-year programs as of Aug. 31. incurring any liability or making any However, as of Sept. 15 last year, forms Dr. Roy Taylor, right, head of UBC’S Botanical Garden, was among the first expenditure in a fiscal year over and above had been issued to 4.053 entrants at the visitors to Norman MacKenzie Home when UBC’S new president, Dr. George the total of funds expected from the year-one level. The comparable figure for Pedersen, and his wife, Joan, moved into the renovated house on Sept. 1. provincial government, student fees and the same programs of Aug. 31 this year as Appropriately, Dr. Taylor brought with him a bouquet offlowers from the miscellaneous revenues, “unless an estimate is 4.623, an increase of 14 per cent. of the increased liability or overexpenditure campus garden, which formerly had its headquarters in the house and which has The registrar is quick to point out that has been first submitted to the universities not everyone who gets an authorization-to- moved a stonek throw away to the former Home Management House on council and approved by the minkter (of register form actually shows up to register. Northwest Marine Drive. universities) and Minister of Finance.” He said the “shrinkage” rate in the past The president also expresses concern has varied between 10 and 15 per cent, but about a problem arising out of the last year dropped to 8.9 per cent. Pedersen Exchange provides expansion of UBC’s medical school. He Some quick calculations will tell you that said the position of provincial universities if the shrinkage rate this year is the same minister Dr. Patrick McGeer is that as last, some 28,000 students will register chance to air your concerns sufficient monies have already been for day and nighttime credit programs, an provided to enable the medical school to increase of 8.6 per cent over last year when Dr. George Pedersen, UBC’s new “the exchange allows me to get to know double its intake of first-year students from 25,83 1 enrolled. president, plans to continue at UBC one people in the University community and at 80 to 160. The biggest increases in enrolment are activity he initiated ,while presidentof the same time provides an avenue for the UBC will this year enrol 130 first-year likely to be in the Faculties of Arts and Simon Fraser University. expression of concerns. both positive and medical students, the same number as last Science, Mr. Young said. It’s called the Pedersen Exchange and is negative.” year. UBC received no increase in funds in UBC‘s dean of Science, Dr. Cyril designed to give any member of the on- He said the exchange proved to be both its 1983-84 budget to enable it to consider Finnegan, said his faculty would be hard campus University community an useful and successful when he was expanding the first-year class beyond 130 pressed to accommodate even 100 more opportunity to meet personally with the president of Smon Fraser University. “The students. undergraduate students than the 3.885 who president to discuss matters of concern. bulk of those who took advantage of it The president said he had received a enrolled last year. His problems centre on The Pedersen Exchange begins on were students who had some difficulty with letter from the provincial ministry of a lack of classroom and laboratory space. Monday (Sept. 12) at 350 p.m. in a room the organizational bureaucracy of the universities indicating that if expansion to UBC’s Faculty of Forestry will introduce adjacent to the Librarian’s office in the university.” 160 students does not occur the minister its new four-year program this year, which Main Library. President Pedersen will be Not all those who appeared for the would be forced to reallocate funds from means it will be taking in students directly available until 5 p.m. exchange came with problems. “I found the medical expansion program to the from high school for the first time in its Members of the University community that many people came to tell me how well development of equally important history. who wish to meet with the president should they’d been treated by some campus unit,” programs at other B.C. universities. A total of 129 students have been speak to the receptionist in the Librarian’s he said. Dr. Pedersen also said in his UBC admitted to the first year of the new office, which is immediately to the left of Normally, the Pedersen Exchange will Reports interview that serious consideration program. Students who last year were the main entrance of the Main Library take place every Monday from 350 to 5 will have to be given in the coming year to building. She’ll direct those wishing to see p.m. if the president is on campus. It is placing enrolment restrictions on UBC Please turn to Page 6 the president to the meeting room. cancelled for Sept. 19 because Dr. programs that currently do not have See ENROLMENT “As I see it,” President Pedersen said, Pedersen will be away on that date. enrolment limits. UBC Reports September 7, 1983 AN INTERVIEW WITH UBC’S NEW PRESIDENT Enrolment limitations may be necessary at UBC Reports intemewed UBCj new Each 1 per cent increase in the salary base president, Dr. K. George Pedersen, on two is equal to $1.8 million. occasions last month - on Aug. 2, the day 1 should mention, too, that nothing has before he left for meetings of the been provided for inflation on non-salary Association of Universities of the British items, nor for the provision of new Commonwealth in England, and on Aug.