In an article for the Calgary Herald, Nazak Birjandifar (Mount Royal University) argues that Alberta’s universities are being slwoly redefined by a series of funding decisions, legislative changes, and policy reports. Beginning with the 2019 Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta’s Finances, the author outlines a series of events that she says have reduced universities to mere “skills pipelines for workforce development” without recognition of their responsibilities on the fronts of cultural preservation, the development of informed citizens, and research. Given the implications for society more broadly, she concludes by calling for Albertans to decide whether they want their universities to be devoted to “immediate economic goals” or to serve their broader purpose.
