News and commentary

This op-ed from AUCC Chairman, Tom Traves, was published in the Hill Times on April 6, 2009.

By Tom Traves
President of Dalhousie University, Halifax
Chair of the Board of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

Since the federal Minister of Finance presented his budget on January 27, far too little attention has been paid to the extraordinary infrastructure investments in postsecondary education institutions and to the enhancement of funding to the Canada Foundation for Innovation, responsible for so much of the leading edge research infrastructure in the country.

The university community has welcomed the substantial infusion of $2 billion from the recently announced federal budget into infrastructure on university and college campuses across the country as an investment in knowledge. These funds will be used to deal with a major backlog in maintenance especially in the many university buildings that were constructed in the 1960s or ‘70s. Many are now overdue for new roofs and windows, electrical systems and heating plants, all of which will contribute to the development of green technologies and environmental sustainability.

Another $750 million is being targeted specifically to research infrastructure through the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This investment in knowledge infrastructure will make a major difference in the research capacity on university campuses and will contribute to Canadian universities’ ability to develop the innovative products and ideas that will help retool the nation’s economy and address pressing social issues.

Together these two major investments are significant and will have long-term benefits in advancing Canada’s research and innovation agenda.

While some private money has been available in recent years to construct new buildings bearing sponsors’ names, maintenance of existing university infrastructure in all provinces has been deferred for far too long. In Nova Scotia alone, we estimate there is $540 million in deferred maintenance to be done at universities. Across Canada more than $5 billion of deferred maintenance has been identified. These projects include undertakings as basic as fixing plumbing systems and as vital as renewing mission critical laboratories to help train the researchers of tomorrow. By paring down the list to one high-priority item per campus, Nova Scotia universities have identified $85 million of projects that are ready to go.

At Dalhousie University, we have plans for a $19-million retrofit of our Life Sciences Building that may qualify under this new funding. It will not only save the university more than $1 million a year in energy costs, but it will also offer state-of-the-art labs and classrooms to the 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all parts of Canada who attend our institution.

Universities right across Canada have done similar assessments and have identified high-priority renewal projects that can get underway in the coming year.

These projects will create immediate construction, project management and renovation jobs in the more than 80 communities that have universities across the country. The economic impact of $500 million of infrastructure work in Nova Scotia alone has been estimated to be more than 6,400 jobs. Extrapolating for the total government investment in university infrastructure (including provincial matching funds), this could create as many as 35,000 jobs.

Many of these projects can also contribute to the development of smart and green technologies by retrofitting university buildings to meet the latest environmental standards. This will stimulate development of cutting-edge industries that could invigorate Canada’s long-term economic development.

It is important to recognize that investment in our knowledge infrastructure will help deliver the economic stimulus needed at this time and contribute to sustainable growth in Canada’s economy. For this reason, we applaud the support of the federal and provincial governments that invest in this initiative.

Read the presentation

Ottawa, March 10, 2009

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada is very pleased to see the timely launch of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program by Industry Canada.

“This funding program will be good news for local economies across Canada in communities where universities are already major employers,” said Claire Morris, president and CEO of AUCC. “Canadian universities are looking forward to playing a leading role in this part of the federal economic stimulus plan.”

AUCC is confident universities across the country can have project proposals submitted to Industry Canada by the March 30th deadline. Many of these projects are maintenance priorities that universities have deferred for years because of a lack of funding and work can begin very quickly once funding is approved. These projects will create thousands of jobs in dozens of communities.

AUCC is also pleased that the funding can be used for a wide range of projects supporting research and development activities for faculty and students in a broad range of disciplines. Project proposals could include upgrading laboratories, major renovations to business and IT faculty buildings and retrofitting science and humanities buildings to make them more energy efficient.

University infrastructure projects support the federal S & T strategy by enhancing Canada’s knowledge and people advantage. Criteria for obtaining funding include an emphasis on increasing the capacity to train students in advanced knowledge areas, updating research space, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions. All universities should be able to apply for this funding.

Universities are ready to work with provinces to determine priority projects that are ‘shovel-ready’ and will meet the criteria outlined by Industry Canada.

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AUCC is the national voice for Canada’s universities representing 94 public and not-for-profit private universities and degree-granting colleges.

For more information, please contact:

Leslie Cole
Assistant Director of Communications
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

Read the presentation

[Ottawa, January 27, 2009]

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada welcomes the new investment in Canada’s university infrastructure and the Canada Foundation for Innovation funding announced in today’s federal budget. These investments will boost universities’ role in the effort to stimulate the economy in these difficult times.

AUCC is pleased to see the investment of $2 billion targeted for critical infrastructure at postsecondary education institutions aimed at supporting repairs and maintenance as well as accelerated construction on university and college campuses. This will create jobs immediately in communities across the country as well as ensuring that the Canadian economy is equipped to compete internationally when we emerge from this difficult economic period. Renewed campus infrastructure will enhance the quality of teaching and research at Canadian universities.

The Canadian Association of University Business Officers has estimated that Canadian universities have a deferred maintenance backlog of more than $5 billion from maintenance delayed over more than a decade. This infrastructure investment will help deal with the $2.4 billion of deferred maintenance that is considered urgent as well as develop new facilities on university campuses.

“Universities will identify projects that are ready to go and will deal with urgent maintenance issues such as upgrading buildings, labs and research facilities,” says Tom Traves, chair of the Board of Directors of AUCC and president of Dalhousie University. “In these difficult economic times, supporting universities’ ability to contribute to Canada’s short-term recovery and long-term growth has an even greater significance.”

AUCC is pleased to see the federal government’s continued commitment to the people and knowledge priorities as outlined in Advantage Canada and the S & T strategy with funding for infrastructure that focuses on increasing productivity and competitiveness through the immediate commitment in 2009-10 of $150 million to existing Canada Foundation for Innovation competitions as well as $600 million for future competitions.

The additional $87.5 million short-term funds for Canada Graduate Scholarships and $3.5 million internships in science and business are significant contributions to maintaining Canadian universities’ ability to produce highly qualified talent. These funds will provide an additional 1,000 master’s scholarships, 500 doctoral scholarships and 600 internships.

“Canadian universities are the training ground for tomorrow’s innovators and entrepreneurs. These are the young professionals and creative workers who will contribute to the development of a strengthened and diversified national economy as we emerge from the current economic crisis,” says AUCC president and CEO, Claire Morris.

AUCC is the voice for Canada’s universities. It represents 94 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

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For more information contact:

Lyse Huot
Director Communications
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada