Students rally against post-secondary funding cuts

EDMONTON – A crowd of approximately 300 students from across the province marched on the legislature Wednesday, angry at Premier Alison Redford for breaking her promise on funding for post-secondary education.

Students from the University of Lethbridge joined with those from the University of Alberta, MacEwan University and Athabasca University to call on the government to restore the 7.2-per-cent budget cut.

While that was happening, inside the legislature an all-party committee began debating the budget of the advanced education department.

“I left a small town to go to university and avoid becoming a rig pig, and now they are trying to take it away,” said Teigen Robin, a University of Lethbridge student.

“I already work two jobs and have a student loan — it’s ridiculous and I fear for what will happen,” she said.

“Redford promised a two-per-cent increase in the post-secondary budget, and that’s what we want,” said Emma Hosgood, also a U of L student.

While a group of students held up banner with ‘RESIGN’ written on it- referring to Advanced Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk- other students headed to an underground entrance to the legislature, where their entry was barred by seven security officers.

That prompted the crowd to stand and chant — “Whose legislature? Our legislature!” — before leaving in an orderly fashion.

MacEwan student Kelly Jo Aldworth said she went back to university later in life, “so I wouldn’t be stuck in retail.”

Now the cuts will make it harder to keep professors and make education more expensive, she said.

Carolyn Sales, a U of A film professor, said the Redford government wants everyone to be more innovative — “except themselves.”

“It’s time for innovation when it comes to revenue generation,” said Sales, referring to Redford’s decision to cut spending rather than find new revenue sources in the March provincial budget.

Meanwhile, the U of A faculty association, in an open letter, called on the board of governors to refuse to sign its letter of expectation because it threatens the independence of university research.

The U of A’s mandate letter “subjects both our teaching and our research to narrow government directed business and economic imperatives,” the association said.

The mandate letters will be discussed at a meeting Thursday, when Lukaszuk meets with the presidents of all 26 post-secondary institutions.

The faculty at Athabasca University earlier called on their board to reject the mandate letters.