Update from Provost Matthew Evans

Written by Communications on March 22, 2024. Posted in News.

March 22, 2024 | 3:22 PM | Kingston, ON

Below is an update from Provost Matthew Evans’s March newsletter sent to student leaders (AMS Executive and Faculty Societies). This includes updates from the Provost’s Office, Budget Cuts, and additional information.

Operating Budget Deficit Updates

We have completed the third quarter analysis of the budget, and the deficit has decreased to $40.7 million (in January, I reported it had decreased to $48 million).
This improvement is due to reductions in shared services and central spending. Projected deficits in the faculties/schools are still slightly higher than budgeted.
We also now have a provisional look at what the next three years will look like, as we prepare the 2024-25 operating budget, which will be submitted to the Board of Trustees in May.
We are anticipating the need to provide significant subventions (at least $16 million per year) to the Faculty of Arts and Science over the three-year period.
To do this, for 2024-25, we will have to use the entirety of the deficit mitigation fund (funds accumulated through a 1.5 per cent cut to allocations across the university), along with a portion of the University Fund, and through a reduction in transfers to capital initially earmarked for future capital needs.
To support the Faculty of Arts and Science over the next few years, we need to apply an increased deficit mitigation fund charge to the other faculties and schools (1.5 per cent for 2024-25, 1.75 per cent for 2025-26, and 2 per cent for 2026-27).

Provincial Funding Announcement

The recent provincial funding announcement indicated institutions could receive a 3 per cent increase to operating funding in 2024-25, which would amount to about $6 million for Queen’s; plus an additional 2 per cent in 2025-26 and 2026-27. We believe that this compounds so it will amount to about $10 million and $14 million for Queen’s for those years, respectively.
There is also an additional $10.7 million for Queen’s this year, because we have recruited more STEM students than are funded by the operating grant from the province.
The announcement also includes a possible top-up for institutions with greater financial need, for which we would need to apply.
These financial measures will provide some short-term assistance to universities, but it does not solve the long-term financial sustainability issues faced by Queen’s and many others in the sector.

Queen’s Renew Project

As mentioned in my last newsletter, we launched in late January the Queen’s Renew Project, a university-wide initiative that aims to make Queen’s more adaptable in the face of shifting challenges across the post-secondary landscape. We are working with Nous Group (Nous and NousCubane), an international consultancy firm, on the project.
Queen’s Renew will focus on ensuring that the university’s support services are structured and operating as effectively as possible with minimal duplication of services, and that professional services staff are well supported with effective tools, systems, and processes.
Part 1 of the Service Effectiveness Survey from NousCubane was conducted in February (sent to about 2,500 employees). This is a tool used to benchmark Queen’s current structures and ways of working against peer universities.
Last week, we launched the next phase of the project – the Activity Data Collection, designed to capture data on how support services are delivered across the university.
A progress update was published in the Queen’s Gazette on March 5th.

International Universities Climate Alliance

I am pleased to share that Queen’s has joined the International Universities Climate Alliance, a network of global universities that encourages and enables greater collaboration between research teams, communication to the public of the latest climate research, and support for leaders, policymakers, and industry in planning for and responding to climate change.
Dr. Warren Mabee, whose research focuses on the interface between renewable energy policy and technologies, will be the lead for Queen’s partnership with the alliance, and I will work with Dr. Mabee and provide oversight of key activities.

Please direct all questions to the Office of Matthew Evans, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academics) at