Student Congress Condemn Funding Cuts; Resolves to take action

Edmonton, Alberta - On March 27, post-secondary student leaders, representing over 200,000 students across Alberta, met to discuss the challenges that students and the post-secondary sector are facing. 

“A gathering that represents this many Alberta students is unprecedented,” said Rowan Ley, Chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS). “The students at Alberta’s colleges, polytechnics, and universities are deeply concerned about funding cuts, rapid increases to tuition, online course delivery, and on-campus supports.”

“This congress is ultimately about supporting young talent capable of building our community,” said Spirit River Striped Wolf, president of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University and initiator of the congress. “It's about students coming together and asserting our worth to our community because there is no community without young educated talent paving our way for our future and building opportunities.”

The student congress resolved to condemn the provincial government’s 25% cut to post-secondary operational funding since Budget 2019. Students called for predictable, transparent, and equitable funding for Alberta’s post-secondary education system.

“Our post-secondary institutions are where Albertans gain skills and knowledge needed to advance and contribute to stimulating our economy,” said Marley Gillies, CAUS Vice Chair. “If this Government is promising jobs, and the skills for those jobs, it makes no sense to cut funding to post-secondary education.”

The congress also resolved to support further collective action, taking into consideration student safety, if the government continues to offload costs onto students and slash post-secondary education funding. 

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The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) represents the interests of over 140,000 undergraduate students at Athabasca University, MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge. 

For more information contact:
Rowan Ley, CAUS Chair
e-mail: rowan.ley@su.ualberta.ca

Jon Mastel, Executive Director 
cell: 780-297-4531 
e-mail: ed@caus.net

Spirit River Striped Wolf, SAMRU President
email: president@samru.ca