NSCAD in Crisis, Government Considering Further Funding Cuts to PSE.

Faculty Associations from across the Province met this past weekend (November 19), to address the immediate crisis at NSCAD, and also the longer-term threat posed to the post-secondary system as a whole by the government’s stated intention to impose further funding cuts as part of the current negotiations on a new Memorandum of Understanding on funding.

“NSCAD’s current financial difficulties are due in part to irresponsible decisions taken by a previous administration,” stated ANSUT President Chris Ferns. “But they have been made worse by the government’s reduction in funding to the university system as a whole – as well as the fact that the present funding formula does not recognize the true cost of providing a studio based education.”

As for the ongoing MOU negotiations, faculty questioned how far the term “negotiations” was appropriate, given that  the Dexter government has already declared that further funding cuts were on the way. “Rather than investing in the future, the government seems to have decided that Nova Scotia’s excellent university system is merely a cost to be contained,” Ferns said. “It is hard to see how this provides any kind of basis for genuine negotiation.

Click here for a more detailed discussion of the issues.

The ANSUT Executive

President
Chris Ferns, Mount Saint Vincent University
president@ansut.ca

Past-President
Marc Lamoureux, Saint Mary’s University
pastpres@ansut.ca

Vice-President
Robert Seale, Acadia University
vp@ansut.ca

Secretary
Scott Stewart, Cape Breton University
secretary@ansut.ca

Treasurer
Alvin Comiter, NSCAD University
treasurer@ansut.ca

Member-at-Large
Jennifer Sullivan, Member-at-Large
memberatlarge@ansut.ca

Contact ANSUT

ANSUT
c/o Mount Saint Vincent University Faculty Association
Mount Saint Vincent University
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada B3M 2J6
info@ansut.ca

Phone: 902.457.6265
Fax: 902.457.2118