After more than a month of crunching numbers to deal with a $2.3 million budget shortfall, which resulted in 12 faculty positions being eliminated and a two per cent tuition increase, the College of New Caledonia has managed to balance its books.
On Friday, college governors approved a $48 million operating budget for 2012-13 that leaves CNC with a surplus of $24,690.
CNC tried to minimize layoffs by consolidating class sections and courses that have low enrollments. Early retirements, voluntary severances and reduced workloads allowed the college to reduce the number of direct layoffs to four full-time faculty staff.
"There will be no suspensions or cancellations of existing services or programs," said CNC president John Bowman. "The impact on students and the community will be very minimal Unfortunately, it has been necessary to issue four layoff notices to faculty members, two of which have options for a reduced workload. All four could also be rescinded before they come into effect on July 31."
The two per cent tuition increase will mean full-time equivalent students will be paying an average $5 more per course or $50 over a two-semester term. That will result in an additional $100,000 in revenue.
CNC achieved $2.2 million in savings through reallocation of unused budget amounts, finding additional and deferred revenue sources, reductions in equipment spending, and by not filling vacant full-time administrative, faculty and staff positions.
In other CNC news, Robert Murray was re-acclaimed as chair for the second straight year. Now in his fifth year on the board, Murray was first elected chair in September 2011. Murray is a forest technician with 35 years of work experience in the forest industry.
Keith Playfair was re-acclaimed as vice-chair for regional campuses. Playfair was appointed to the board by the provincial government in August 2009.
Linda Smerychynski was re-acclaimed vice-chair for the Prince George campus, having been first appointed to the CNC board in July 2008. Smerychynski is the district electoral officer for Nechako Lakes.
Prince George lawyer Lee Ongman has also joined the board for a two-year term. A UBC graduate, she has served as an adjudicator for the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and spent 12 years on the board of the Prince George Native Friendship Centre.
