Was Sault College penalized for balancing its budget?

Sault College President Tim Meyer believes his institution was allotted significantly less money than was expected in a one-time stabilization grant a few weeks ago because it balanced its budget in the spring of 2004.

"We were working our way clear of a deficit and were penalized for it," Meyer (shown) told reporters after a college board meeting last night.

In the spring budget, the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced a one-time stabilization fund of $25 million designated to assist smaller, rural and northern colleges.

Based on the portion of such monies that Sault College has received in the past, college staff crunched a tentative and, what they believed to be very conservative, figure of $1.47 million expected as the local share of the fund.

In August they were dismayed when they got a letter telling them they would get about $500,000 less than their original estimate.

President Meyer expressed frustration with the ministry because some colleges that didn’t seem to fit the description of smaller, northern and rural, such as St. Lawrence College and Algonquin College were allocated proportionately much more than Sault College.

St. Lawrence College got $3.8 million.

Algonquin College got $3 million.

Meyer maintains that Sault College will not cut services or programs because "There is nothing left to cut. All that's left is to carry the deficit."

College President’s report

At last night's board meeting, Meyer also reported that:

- field camps led by Natural Resources faculty are underway in the east and north parts of the city

- native education enrolment is positive with 26 students registered in the two-semester Ojibwe immersion program, which was featured recently at a cultural diversity conference in Hawaii

- nursing enrolment is strong as is retention, with students in all four years of the program for the first time. The program began in 2001 and saw 60 new students join this year

- an agreement with Algoma University was signed this summer, allowing students from some programs at the college to enter Algoma with advanced standing and credits for up to half of some B.A. or B.Sc. programs