I am writing to share a welcome update with the university community regarding the Government of Alberta’s Provincial Priorities Act 2024.
As I wrote last May, the legislation requires provincial entities, including post-secondary institutions, to obtain approval from the Government of Alberta before entering into an agreement with the federal government. This legislation's broad scope could potentially include all federal research funding for Alberta post-secondary institutions, a matter of great concern to the U of A and our researchers.
In my May post, I asked the Government of Alberta to reaffirm its commitment to freedom of expression and open inquiry. I proposed that the regulations enacted under this legislation exempt federal research funding at post-secondary institutions in Alberta.
Following almost a year of determined advocacy in collaboration with our post-secondary partners, the Government of Alberta has issued regulations confirming significant exemptions for the post-secondary sector. These exemptions will come into effect when the legislation comes into force on April 1, 2025.
In the Minister of Advanced Education’s February 26, 2025, letter to post-secondary boards and presidents, she confirmed that under the regulations relating to the post-secondary sector, the following agreements are exempt from the Provincial Priorities Act:
- agreements that are primarily purposed for research;
- agreements that support programming such as student employment, work experience, official languages, non-instructional events, and instructional programming;
- fee-for-service contracts, short-term facility leases, and rental agreements; and
- agreements with Banff Centre.
The regulations further exempt federal agreements relating to continuing education programs and conferences, symposiums or other non-instructional events.
I am pleased to report that these exemptions will include the large share of federal funding received by the U of A, including most Tri-Agency funding. We will continue to work closely with the Government of Alberta as the regulations are implemented and provide further details on any impacts on the U of A.
These exemptions are a welcome outcome for freedom of expression, academic freedom and open inquiry, all of which are foundational to the role of a university in a free and democratic society.
Bill Flanagan
President and vice-chancellor