McMaster faces a number of challenges in planning the institution's financial future, says assistant vice-president administration Lilian Scime, who last week presented the University's preliminary three-year financial plan to Senate.

“It is critical that the University maintains its financial health if it is to achieve its goals,” Scime said, adding the University must be flexible in order to handle “what if” situations.

Added provost Ken Norrie: “We can't compromise everything we've accomplished in recent years which is why we'll have to take some calculated risks.” Norrie meets weekly with deans to talk about budgeting priorities, using the University's strategic plan Refining Directions as a guideline.

As in past years, the University will struggle with setting a balance between investments that sustain the current resource base and those that enhance quality and support excellence, according to the preliminary report, located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/ipa/financial/2006-07-finplan.pdf. It notes that 2006/07 will be especially difficult as the University absorbs the cost of the third year of the three-year plan to incorporate the current service cost of the salaried pension plan into its operating budget.

On the positive side, adds Scime, the University is well positioned to capitalize on funding opportunities announced in the McGuinty government's plan entitled Reaching Higher: The McGuinty Plan for Post-Secondary Education, but it remains that this new funding will not be sufficient to cover projected costs.

The report also notes the University has not, as of yet, determined its financial strategy to manage potential salaried pension deficit payments or recognition of the current service cost of other non-pension post-retirement employee benefits.

It is proposed that the Budget Committee, through the budgeting process, will identify options and recommend a strategy for funding these payments. The challenge will be to balance the burden on the operating budget at a time when new government funding will require new investments in quality initiatives.

“Recognizing that every new dollar invested will require a current dollar to be saved, the University must focus on the strategic initiatives in Refining Direction that include enhancing the quality of the learning environment and expanding graduate education,” says the report. “These strategies are perfectly aligned with the Ministry's accountability framework.

Scime presented the report at the beginning of the budget process in order to provide information on the financial issues at an early stage in the process. The final budget will return to Senate and the Board of Governors for approval this spring.

Other Senate highlights

Transfer credits from post-secondary institutions with religious affiliations

Senate also approved an admissions and transfer credit policy for applicants from accredited post-secondary institution with religious affiliations.

As a result, undergraduate general academic studies taken at Bible colleges, theological colleges and seminaries will be considered for admission and transfer credit.

The policy identifies the appropriate admission process for three categories of applicants who wish to transfer to an undergraduate degree program at McMaster from a post-secondary instuttion with a religious affiliation: 1) applicants who have completed course work as past of an undergraduate degree program offered at an accredited instiution, 2) those who have completed courses as part of a diploma program offered at an accredited institution, and 3) applicants who are applying from a non-accredited institution.

Minimum Required IELTS score

The minimum required score on the International English Language Testing System examination will be decreased to 6.5 from 7 for admission to undergraduate degree programs at McMaster.

The change will bring McMaster's IELTS requirements into line with those of other Canadian universities and with McMaster's own minimum requirements for other tests of English language proficiency.

Articulation agreement between McMaster and Fanshawe

An articulation agreement between McMaster and Fanshawe College has been approved. With the agreement, qualified applications who have successfully completed either a liberal studies major certifcate or diploma in the general arts and science program at Fanshawe will be eligible to receive transfer credit for course work completed at Fanshawe upon admission to level I or II, respectively, of a degree program in the faculty of humanities or social science at McMaster.

Admission requirements to Engineering

Admission requirements to the Faculty of Engineering have been revised to include the removal the Grade 12 geometry and discrete mathematics as a required course. While this course is still a requirement, other mathematics and science courses may be substituted.

New programs

New programs have been approved in the faculties of engineering, humanities and science. The following programs will be introduced this fall:

Mechatronics Engineering, offered by the Department of Computing and Software in co-operation with the Departments of Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering.

Honours Linguistic Cognitive Science, offered by the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, involving members from the faculties of humanities and psychology, neuroscience and behaviour.

Microbiology and Biotechnology Specialization, offered by the Department of Biology.

Closure of visual art diploma

A diploma in visual art foundation studies has been discontinued. Jointly offered by McMaster and the Dundas Valley School of Art, the program has not been financially successful, as the market for a full-time program in this area is small. Recent efforts to expand enrolment have been unsuccessful.

University Technology Committee

The composition and terms of reference of the University Technology Committee has been approved.

Composition of the committee is as follows: Debbie Barrett, chief information officer; Paul Bates, dean of business; High Couchman, scientific director of SHARCNet; Susan Denburg, AVP, academic and associate dean, education, health sciences; Fred Hall, AVP academic; Andy Hrymak, chair of chemical engineering; Del Harnish, academic director of CLL; Stefan Sinclair, associate professor, communication studies and multimedia; Lilian Scime, AVP administration; Susan Watt, associate dean, Faculty of Social Sciences; Phil Wood, AVP, Student Affairs; chief librarian (when appointed).

The committee will advise the chief information officer on implementation of the University Technology Strategy and will review submissions for new technology inititiatives. It will monitor progress on funded projects, assess and mitigate technology risk and reporting on progress to the audit committee and recommend University policies to ensure the effective use of technology to support University objectives and other matters which may by considered appropriate.

Approved chairs in health sciences

Senate has approved two new chairs in Health Science: the David R. (Dan) Offord Chair in Child Studies that will support research and education in child mental health disorders at McMaster, and the Beamish Family Chair in Peripheral Vascular Surgery will support research and education in vascular surgery at McMaster.