The College of New Caledonia’s (CNC) board of governors passed a balanced budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year that reflects the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The board passed the budget during a regular meeting held Friday, April 24 via video conference.
Budget 2020-21 shows consideration for the current COVID-19 pandemic and includes contingencies for a possible decline in enrolment, as well as funds for supporting faculty and students with alternate delivery methods, according to a news release from CNC.
“As we work through the uncertainly of this pandemic, we will adjust for contingencies for a number of situations that could happen,” CNC President Dr. Dennis Johnson said in the release. “The college will continue to monitor the evolving situation and adapt our strategies to best support CNC students and employees.”
When CNC’s board of governors approved a two-per-cent domestic tuition and three-per-cent international increase in November 2019, it advised that those funds be invested directly to the support and development of students.
Supporting that direction, CNC’s 2019-20 budget invested in additional resources for aboriginal education, training and professional development funding for student-focused initiatives, and new furniture for some of the common areas.
Last year, CNC added a number of faculty positions to meet student demands. Those positions are continued in Budget 2020-21, with an increase in funding for faculty regularizationsm, according to the news release. The budget also features additions to reflect the second year of delivery of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program and the first year of the Civil Engineering Technologist program, which is scheduled to launch in the fall.
A multi-year project to improve classroom technology and furniture, which began last year, continues in Budget 2020-21. Additional funds have been designated to support the development and enhancement for both digital delivery and other alternate delivery models.
“This is a challenging time for everyone, and the level of uncertainly has made this budget process quite different from other years,” said Tara Szerencsi, CNC’s vice-president of finance and corporate services. “However, we know it’s important to continue providing resources to ensure CNC faculty, staff and students are successful. This budget allows the college to continue meeting the needs of students in this region with a prudent approach while we see how the year evolves.”
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editor@quesnelobserver.com
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