September 22, 2005 Source: University of Calgary:
http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/sept05/hancock-speaks.html Advanced Education Minister Dave Hancock looks at state of post-secondary education in Alberta By Alex Frazer-Harrison There’s no guarantee the province will freeze student tuitions this year, warns Advanced Education Minister Dave Hancock. Speaking at a forum on the state of post-secondary education in Alberta at the U of C on September 21, Hancock said last year’s freeze was only a one-time deal. “ I can’t honestly tell you if I’ll get the $43 million (needed) to continue the freeze,” he said. “It was a one-time freeze to allow us to address tuition, but we haven’t done that yet.” Hancock said he expects students may experience a tuition increase this year and recommended they prepare for that possibility. “ If they do and we do put in (another) freeze, they’ll be in a good position,” he said. Hancock was speaking at the first of a series of community forums hosted by the Calgary Varsity PC Constituency Association, where he fielded questions from residents, professors, and students about the province’s plans for post-secondary education. Addressing concerns that too much funding has been put towards trade-related programs and not enough towards liberal arts, Hancock said universities need to set their priorities. “ The university shouldn’t be a trade school,” he said. “One of the things there have been discussions about is whether the U of C or University of Alberta may be looking at a moving toward graduate student education, recognizing that colleges are doing a good job on the humanities and social sciences. These are the types of debates we should have.” After the forum, Hancock clarified he doesn’t think Alberta universities are likely to get rid of their undergraduate programs. “ I think it’s fair to say the universities would like to move to a level of 25 percent of students at the graduate level,” he said. “My point is the liberal arts are being taught at a broader range of facilities.” Hancock said the education system for the 21st Century cannot be run the same way it was in the past. “We have to recognize it’s not all about getting PhDs,” he said. “Moving people towards literacy adds great value to the economy. It helps (people) become self-sufficient and build communities.” At the same time, he said, if oil and gas prices stay high, “People will be looking at the next source of energy. We should be at the forefront of (finding) the next energy source.” The pressure is on the education system to produce people with the creativity and knowledge necessary for Alberta to compete in the global, knowledge-based economy, he said. Hancock said the province’s goal of adding 60,000 new post-secondary spots over 20 years doesn’t mean building 60,000 more desks. “It’s about providing access to Albertans to achieve where they want to be,” he said, citing the Campus Calgary Digital Library, which will be built at the U of C, as an example of how access can be provided. A steering committee examining the future of advanced education in Alberta is collecting opinions from Albertans at www.advancededucation.gov.ab.ca.
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