Finances, merger possibility set staff on edge
In the print version of this article, a source’s name was incorrectly reported. Norman is the last name of the NSCAD student quoted, not Graham as was incorrectly stated. The Gazette regrets this error.
On the eve of its 125th anniversary year, NSCAD University is at a crossroads.
University instructors and technical staff voted 93 per cent Nov. 3 in favour of striking if no agreement can be reached with the provincial government.
Howard Windsor, a former provincial deputy minister, was appointed by MLA Marilyn More in September to figure out the best possible course of action with regards to NSCAD. Options include getting rid of programs or downsizing, as well as merging to some degree with Dalhousie or Mount St. Vincent.
The faculty wants to remain autonomous and keep its programs, and to have fairer full-time teaching positions. Aislinn Norman is a second-year student at NSCAD. “Getting rid of faculty, getting rid of programs, and especially merging with Dal would be awful,” she says. “It would be really, really bad.”
“We’re the only art school of this kind east of Ontario, and we kind of feel like it would take away that spirit, those opportunities for students—Nova Scotia needs us.”
A town hall held Tuesday afternoon, which informed students about the situation, was “inspiring,” Norman says.
The O’Neill report from 2010 recommends either a merger or a consolidation of NSCAD’s programs to fix the school’s ongoing financial issues, although it recognizes issues with the idea of a merge.
“The reputation of NSCAD is argued to be significantly stronger as an independent entity, and the reputation could be damaged by a merger with another institution,” it says.
However, a merge would not necessarily mean a complete takeover by the larger school: O’Neill argues that there are a range of options, including a similar situation as that of Dal and the University of King’s College.
The university had a $1.4 million deficit in the 2010/11 fiscal year, which the province absorbed. This year the deficit is of $2.4 million.
NSCAD’s small class sizes and need for extensive technical equipment are a major reason the school is losing money, the report says.
Norman says students, as well as teachers, will fight if the two parties can’t agree. “It’s kind of an anxious atmosphere,” she says, “but kind of hopeful too. We know that we can do something by not crossing picket lines, writing letters to Howard Windsor, writing letters to the provincial government.”
“Students are kind of prepared to come together,” says Norman. “We’re ready to do what we need to do, if it comes down to that.”
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