AB offers “any kind of assistance” needed to relocate 500 school staff to Athabasca U

Demetrios Nicolaides, the Advanced Education Minister for the Government of Alberta, recently stated that he is willing to do whatever is needed, including offering funding, to relocate 500 employees to the small town of Athabasca. “I’ve offered to provide any kind of assistance that the university needs,” said Nicolaides. “They haven’t asked for any.” The Brandon Sun reports that AthabascaU President Peter Scott said that AB’s demand threatens to put the university “on the path to ruin” and questioned why AB would spend the money to attempt to move staff rather than advancing the university’s core mission of providing quality online education. In an article for Alberta Politics, David Climenhaga reported that the recent demands differ starkly from previous comments from Nicolaides about out-of-town staff, and noted that the town does not currently have sufficient housing or supports for a sudden influx of residents. Niagara Falls Review (CP)| Brandon Sun (CP)| The Tyee| Alberta Politics Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.