The University of Northern British Columbia Board of Governors approved a balanced $75.7 million operating budget for 2016-17 on Friday.
The board approved a number of actions to balance the budget:
- A two-per-cent tuition fee increase. The tuition fee for an average full-time undergraduate student will now be $5,111 per year, an increase of about $100 from last year.
- A one-time elimination of allocations to reserves that have sufficient balances to maintain activities at the same level as previous years.
- A temporary decrease to the utilities budget based on last year's results.
- A temporary increase to the revenue line related to investment income based on prior years' returns.
Layoffs were not considered during budget deliberations.
The budget allows the university to maintain existing service levels, while setting a framework for the continued implementation of new integrated planning processes to establish spending priorities, UNBC said in a press release.
Among those priorities is a new academic plan, meant to envision and plan for new growth opportunities. It will define UNBC's academic mission and inform future iterations of the university budget.
Other themes are included in the budget framework, including a focus on strategic enrollment planning, research, Aboriginal community engagement, enhancing UNBC's international presence, and university-community relationship building.
"I am optimistic about the shared sense of responsibility taking shape on campus regarding planning for our future," UNBC president Daniel Weeks said.
"As a community, UNBC is dealing with some significant financial pressures. This year, however, we undertook a more comprehensive budget consultation and planning process, including several town hall meetings, and multiple presentations to the board and senate.
"I see this process becoming even more inclusive and participatory in future years."
About 63 per cent of the operating budget for the university is provided by the provincial government while about 23 per cent comes from tuition fees.
Wages and benefits account for about 71 per cent of the university's expenditures.
