A fiscal and academic review, including an assessment of enrolment history and current application level, at College of the North Atlantic (CNA) has resulted in the institution realigning its staffing complement to better meet programming demands and budget requirements for the 2012-2013 fiscal and academic years. These measures have resulted in the elimination of 14 support staff and 23 instructional positions at the college.
Contrary to statements made in the media, these reductions are not the result of the provincial budget, and are connected to the discontinuation of lower-than-projected interest or funding for programs from other sources. Positions include Heat & Frost instructor, Hunter Guide instructor, and other positions either currently vacant or expiring following one-time funding. Further realignments, as identified through an academic planning process, are an annual occurrence at the college.
“The provincial grant that we receive from government comprises 60 per cent of the overall funding for the college and is relatively stable, however the remaining 40 per cent we raise from other sources can vary from year to year,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, CNA’s President and CEO. “We examine labour market data, which has been collected through consultations with the provincial government and various industry sectors, we then align our program offerings to meet these needs in relation to our overall operating budget and student enrolment figures. For instance, one position was reduced to a half-time position in order to accommodate a need for a half-time position at another campus.”
As colleges are flexible and quick to respond to labour market needs, there are a number of programs and initiatives that are funded through one-time funding. Over the past four years, the college received additional one-time funding. However, this year, these funds were not available at the same level. This has resulted in reductions within the system.
“Up to July of 2010 we had a 221-seat capacity in our Comprehensive Arts and Sciences Transition program, and despite the upcoming reduction we are still at a capacity of 468 province-wide,” she said. “And while the Adult Basic Education program has received a minor reduction; it is directly related to fulfillment of the demand in that part of the province.”
Given that the sources of funds outside the provincial grant were more limited this year, all efforts were made to reduce operating costs prior to any reduction in staffing levels.
“Our priority throughout this process was to determine where reductions could be made so that our current and prospective students and employees felt as little impact as possible, from both a program and services perspective,” she said.
“CNA is a vibrant organization with excellent programs and dedicated staff. It is always unfortunate when employment contracts end as we highly value the quality of teaching and support offered by our instructors and staff at the college. However, we must ensure that our offerings are relevant to our students so that we can prepare them for employment opportunities in our communities. Flexibility and responsiveness are core to our mandate and regular review of our programs is central to that.”
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Media Contact:
Roger Hulan
Communications Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
(709) 643-7938
roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca