The Alberta government has raised the stakes in its battle with Athabasca University, ordering the online school to hire more staff in the small northern city or risk losing millions of dollars in funding.
“The university must end its pursuit of a near-virtual strategy and must submit a new strategic plan to Advanced Education for approval by September 30,” Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Failure to comply will result in a reduction in Athabasca’s future funding.”
Nicolaides informed the school of the changes in a letter sent over the weekend.
In it, Nicolaides tells the school’s board of directors that it has until the end of August to order the school’s president, Peter Scott, to stop implementing what is known as the university’s “near-virtual” strategy.
In addition, Nicolaides wrote, the board should help Scott craft a new strategy “that expands and strengthens the university’s physical presence in the city of Athabasca.”
This new strategy must be submitted to Nicolaides for approval by the end of September.
Failure to do so, Nicolaides said, “will allow the Department of Higher Education to withhold the $3.43 million monthly contribution to Athabasca University’s core operating grant.”
The letter also stipulates that all university executive members must live in the city no later than April 2025.
Christine Williamson, a spokeswoman for the university, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The letter escalated a standoff between the province and the university over the school’s mandate.
Ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university introduced a “near-virtual” plan to give employees more freedom in where to do their work. That plan was accelerated when the pandemic forced people to work from home.
Scott has publicly argued that the school’s goal is to provide the best distance learning with the highest quality staff—a mandate that would be hindered by requiring staff to work in Athabasca.
Nicolaides says high quality can still be maintained while sticking to the promise of economic diversification that led to Athabasca’s move from Edmonton almost 40 years ago.
Nicolaides ordered the university in March to present by June 30 a plan to resume and expand in-person operations.
In May, the province replaced Nancy Laird as chair of the Athabasca University board to expedite the change. She was replaced by Calgary lawyer Byron Nelson.
However, the change was rejected by Scott.
Scott, in an email to staff in April, said “current work with our near-virtual workforce will continue.”
He also noted the university closed satellites in Calgary and Edmonton to concentrate on Athabasca.
Nicolaides said Tuesday that the June 30 response did not stand up to scrutiny, leading to “the need for the Alberta government to take substantial action.”
Local residents have also joined the fray.
The advocacy group Keep Athabasca at Athabasca University has advocated for more of a local presence, concerned that a fraction of the roughly 1,200 employees remain in the city.
The group hired a lobbyist to plead its case, and in March, Premier Jason Kenney himself came to town to promise changes to bring people back.
Athabasca University has about 40,000 students.
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