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The following statement, on behalf of UNB President Eddy Campbell, was issued to media following the release of New Brunswick's 2013-14 provincial budget. At a high level, the provincial budget contains a zero percent increase in funding to public universities and limits tuition increases to $150.

GNB Budget 2013
Statement by Eddy Campbell, president and vice-chancellor
University of New Brunswick

In delivering an austerity budget, the Premier and Minister of Finance are responding to extraordinarily difficult financial circumstances. In light of the many challenges they face, we are grateful to see smart investment in post-secondary education within this budget. New Brunswick’s publicly funded universities and colleges work closely with partners in government and industry to strengthen our province’s economic future.

We will still face challenges. UNB has reduced its expenses by $25 million over the last eight years, and balanced its last three budgets. Our fourth balanced budget will be presented to our board of governors in April. But this has come at a cost. As a result, we need to examine the viability of many programs and facilities on our campuses and in our communities. UNB will continue to make difficult decisions of its own in the coming months and years.

Despite constraints, UNB has accomplished a great deal in recent years. Industry Canada has identified UNB as the country's leader for learning related to entrepreneurship, the result of our determined focus on innovation and experiential education in the classroom. UNB’s research is commercialized at three times the Canadian average, with some remarkable success stories among our spin-offs. This progress is earning national attention: UNB has climbed to fourth overall in the comprehensive category of Maclean's latest university rankings, and has been named one of the top 100 employers in Canada by The Globe & Mail.

We look forward to continued collaboration with government and our partner institutions as we work together to build a better future for our province and its people. The path ahead will be difficult, but our mission to transform New Brunswick is clear. The investment outlined in this budget will allow us to continue this work in the year ahead.