PRESIDENT'S REPORT: December 2, 2009
I.
GENERAL
Over the past several weeks, there has been a great dea I of work undertaken on two projects designed
to help improve services and programs, make optimal use of our resources, and address our budgetary
constraints. The Optimizing Academic Resources (OARs) project, which focuses on improving the use of
our academic resources, and the Resource Optimization and Service Enhancement (ROSE) project, which
focuses on improving our services while reducing costs in a sustainable way, both are well underway and
are benefiting from the involvement of and input from a many members of the university community.
These projects were the major focal point of the October 15 President's Town Hall, at which many
members of our community participated and expressed their views. As was noted at the Town Hall, the
university is pursuing these projects in order to create efficiencies, optimize our resources and create
flexibility in existing budgets, so that we have more options when the provincial government announces
our funding level and any changes related to tuition fee levels in the spring. The measures we are
undertaking right now are meant to minimize the impact of potential reductions on the members of our
community.
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance held hearings in Winnipeg on October 20. The
University of Manitoba's presentation to this Committee focused on the three funding priorities
articulated in its pre- budget submission to the committee: (1) Increased funding to the three major
research granting agencies and increased funding for the indirect costs of research; (2) increased
investment in university programs and services which support Aboriginal students; and (3) funding
support for the establishment of a Canadian Cereals Research and Innovations Lab - an international
Centre for Excellence in grain Crops at the University of Manitoba.
In late October, I attended meetings of the AUCC in Ottawa and while there, also took the opportun