Media

Advisory
Faculty associations at Albertas four research universities to launch province-wide campaign highlighting the importance of Alberta universities Edmonton- The Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations (CAFA) is launching a province-wide advertising campaign urging Albertans to let the Government of Alberta know that cutting post-secondary education funding is destructive to our provinces future. The campaign will feature ads in a number of media formats that show how Alberta universities are a crucial component of our society and a cornerstone of our province. It will also include a website where Albertans can voice their concerns about cuts to post-secondary education to the Government of Alberta. Date: Wednesday October 23, 2013 Time: 10:00 AM 10:30 AM Location: Shaw Conference Centre, Assembly Level (in the large lobby at the bottom of the escalators) Parking: The quickest place to park is the Grierson Hill lot across the street from the Shaw Conference Centre to the southeast. Parking is also available in the Canada Place parkade north of the Shaw Conference Centre. In its 2013-14 budget, released last spring, the Government of Alberta cut post-secondary education funding by $147 million. The impact of this cut is already being felt throughout the Alberta post-secondary system as universities, colleges, and technical institutes are forced to lay off staff, close programs, and increase class sizes, said CAFA President Rob Sutherland, a professor of neuroscience at University of Lethbridge. As the academic staff working at the provinces research universities, we are sponsoring this campaign to highlight the importance of the teaching and research going on at our institutions, and to urge Albertans to tell the government, as it prepares next years budget, that its time to re-invest in post-secondary education. -30- Contact: Lori Morinville, CAFA Coordinator Cell: 780-232-6812 Email: lori.morinville@ualberta.ca