A deep cut in provincial funds earmarked for upgrading and maintaining
UBC’s buildings will have a major and lasting impact on the campus
infrastructure, said UBC President David Strangway.
The cut, which slashes the 1996/97 minor capital program budget
by more than half — from $15.1 million to $7 million — affects
four areas: minor capital, cyclical maintenance, the Safer Campus
program and access for the disabled.
“These cuts mean yet further deferred maintenance on our buildings
and that our classrooms cannot receive much-needed upgrading. Less
maintenance is equivalent to an increased deficit,” Strangway said.
It is anticipated that the cut will result in approximately 20
to 25 staff layoffs.
Cyclical maintenance funds have been reduced from $6 million to
$2.6 million, while the minor capital program budget has been reduced
from $7.9 to $4.4 million.
Among the projects affected are overhauling heating and ventilation
systems and upgrading of classrooms. Funds designated to expand
the Safer Campus program and an access program for people with disabilities
have been completely cut. The province had committed $500,000 to
the Safer Campus program, while $650,000 was destined for the access
program. The Safer Campus program includes a safety telephone service
and upgrades to exterior lighting on campus paths. The access program
includes systematic upgrading of buildings, including access ramps,
curb cuts, and audible signals for the visually impaired.
“UBC has a major space deficit despite a decade of intensive capital
development, which has included a significant provincial contribution,”
Strangway said. “The university has only 90 per cent of its entitlement
and when we take into consideration buildings that should be removed
such as old huts and trailers, we really only have 78 per cent of
the space we are entitled to,” he said, adding that many other buildings
do not conform to occupational health and safety standards and need
upgrading.
Strangway said UBC has increased its efficiency and productivity
in many areas over the past few years.
Graduates of UBC have increased by 36 per cent since 1984/85. This
36 per cent increase in output has been accompanied by an eight
per cent increase in provincial grant support in constant dollars.
For the past 10 years, UBC has averaged a reduction of 2.3 per cent
every year in provincial grants per degrees granted, Strangway added.
“We are doing more with less, but cuts such as this recent one
to the minor capital programs remove our flexibility to operate,”
he said.
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