'Out of survival mode': Bishop's University to receive $4M financial boost

After three years of negotiations with the province,Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Que., says it is finally getting its due.

The university says it's set to receive a $4-million annual increase in financing from the Quebec government, which will help keep afloat Quebec's smallest English-languageuniversity student population, 2,400.

"We'll be able to movefrom survival mode,"said Bishop'sinterim vice-president offinance, Isabelle Goyette.

Fewer students, less income

Bishop's has run a deficit for the last three years.

In 2016, it had to take out a loan to pay for much-needed renovations to its student residences, hamperingit with $1.5 millionin annual interest payments over 25 years.

• Bishop's University residence renovations costing $41M

Until now, the school's entire operating budget has been less than $50 million.

Goyette says with such a small student population and such a tight budget, even covering basic administrative costs is a challenge.

She explained that 70 per cent of government fundingis on a per capita basisa certain amountfor each student.

"That makes it difficult for small universities that don't have that economy of scale," said Goyette.

Bishop's chronically underfunded

Goyettesaid until now, government funding to small universities such as Bishop's, Universit du Qubec Rimouski(UQAR) and UniversitduQubec Trois-Rivires (UQTR) has beendistributed unevenly.

Those regionalFrench-language universities were receiving a couple of million dollars more a year than Bishop's, Goyette said.

Bishop's had been pressuring the provinceto correct the situation for several years.

• Michael Goldbloom, principal of Bishop's University, gives up 1 year's severance

Goyettesaid getting the additional $4 million in annual financing will help Bishop's "plan for our sustainable future."

She said it won't be enough to provide extra services to students, but it will help the university survive.

Higher Education MinisterHlneDavidwas not available for comment, but her office confirmed David supports the amount Bishop's is seeking.

It's still up to a budget allocations committee of the National Assembly to review the funding, but that's expected to be confirmed by the end of the month.

The $4 million is included in the nearly $500-million increase in funding for all the province's universities over the next five years, announced in this year's budget.

If approved, Bishop's is set to receive:

• $4 millionin recurring annual funding:
• $2 million as a special mission grant.
• $1 millionin fixed teaching support to cover the basic costs of administering the university.
• Increases of $300,000 in 2017-2018, $700,000 in 2018-2019 and $1M in 2019-2020.