CNC Board prepares to talk about the budget – photo 250News

Prince George BC – The Board for the College of New Caledonia has approved the revised budget for the 2016/17 academic year and it will see the return of the Dental Hygiene program.The  Dental  Hygiene program  will resume  taking students for that program  in September.

The college ended up with a $1.8 million dollar surplus.

In the President’s report to the Board,   Henry Reiser  notes the 2016/17 budget has set aside $830 thousand  to an “unallocated fund”   which will be dispersed “As projects are identified and approved by the Board.”  It also designates $1 million dollars to cover “increased costs in utilities, salaries, health and safety improvements and  the cost  of an Executive Director

 Seven  layoff notices had been issued  as per the collective agreement.  It is not yet known how many  of those notices may be rescinded.

In a presentation to the Board,   members of the Faculty Association expressed concern over the budget process.  The actual revised budget was not available  to  the Association or the public until the meeting  started at 1 this afternoon,  and  representatives asked how  the  budget  from last year  could go from  the anticipated  deficit to a  significant surplus.

The Board  says it will now be  basing its  budget projections on  three year averages which will   help eliminate   the guess work.

Board Chair, Jason Fisher,  says  going forward, the Board will be reviewing quarterly reports in an effort to  identify and address budgetary issues in a more timely manner.

The budget for  2016/17  upholds previously announced cuts which include:

• Suspension of the Aboriginal Early Childhood Education on line program
• The Day Care at the Burns Lake campus will not be operated by the College  after the end of this month,   the Day Care service is being transitioned  to a non-profit society
• Employees on leave are not being replaced

Mark Wendling, the Faculty Association’s representative on the Board was the lone dissenter  in passing the budget,  saying  he could not support the spending plan  because “It is constantly taking support out of the classroom and putting it into  administration.”  Wendling  noted that for every 4 members of faculty,  there are 5  non faculty  positions.

The Board also approved a strategic plan,  but the details of the  plan are not yet  available to the public.  The plan  is to be posted  the College’s website  around the end of this month.