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MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDINGBETWEENTHE PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA ANDTHE NOVA SCOTIA UNIVERSITIESEXCELLENCE THROUGH PARTNERSHIP2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15
1. Whereas the Parties to the Agreement share a commitment to the importance o Excellence in teaching and researchat Nova Scotia’s universities, and understand that this underpins the social, economic, and cultural relevance o theuniversities to Nova Scotia’s progress,2. And whereas the Parties are aware o the scal and demographic realities acing Nova Scotia and understand thatcreativity and innovation are necessary to maintain and build on Excellence in a university system which is made up o autonomous institutions who are proud o their record o legislated sel governance,3. And whereas the Parties recognize that high quality, relevant learning opportunities in higher education should beaccessible to qualied Nova Scotians,4. Te Parties commit to collaborative eort to ensure that the university system operates as a high quality, sustainableand accessible system, able to meet the changing needs o Nova Scotians over the coming 5 to 10 years.5. Tereore, the Parties agree to enter into this Memorandum o Understanding (MOU) as outlined below.6. Te Province will advise the universities o the Operating Grant or the Nova Scotia University System or the yearscovered by this MOU no later than December 31 o the previous scal year.7. In the third year o this agreement, the Province commits to increasing the Operating Grant by a unding stability mechanism in order to ensure stability and predictability in the university system.8. A core objective o this MOU is to achieve a system-wide cost structure that is sustainable relative to the scalcapacities o the Province, can deliver the goals o Clause 1, and is consistent with a air and competitive tuitionrevenue regime. Te Universities and the Province agree to work through the new Partnership, as described in Clause11, to achieve signicant improvements in eciency and nancial sustainability across the system over the lie o thisMOU. Te nature and scale o these improvements, and the ways to measure them, will be agreed upon by the Partiesby March 31, 2012.
9. In order to support the work required in Clause 8, the Province commits to establish a University Excellence andInnovation program which will invest to support universities in their eorts to remove costs and maintain quality within the university system and to achieve sustainability by 2015. Tis unding will total $25 Million, and will beavailable in 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. Nova Scotia Universities can apply individually and in partnership toaccess the program. Decisions on which projects receive support will be made by the Province, based on the strengtho the business case to achieve ongoing cost reductions while maintaining quality. Te strategic objective o this und,through direct and leveraged investments, is to have in place by 2014-15 a range o projects that will, through theircombined impacts, reduce the total annual cost structure o the university system by $25 million on a sustainablebasis.10. Te Parties commit to work actively over the three years o the agreement on a Change Mandate to ensure that a highquality, sustainable and accessible university system is in place to meet the changing needs o Nova Scotians. Troughthe mechanisms described in Clause 11, the parties will agree on the development and implementation o a work planto achieve signicant change in the areas o:a. A new ormula or the allocation o the provincial grant among universities;b. Expanded collaboration to reduce costs while maintaining or enhancing program quality;c. Improvements in quality assurance and accountability;d. A review o tuition-related policies;e. Measures to improve credit transer and accessibility and aordability or Nova Scotia students;. Enhancement o research and development and o contributions to economic development; and,g. Other initiatives as identied in Appendix 1 or by the Partnership.11. Te Universities agree to participate in a Partnership with the Province to provide leadership to achieve theimplementation o the MOU, including progress on the Change Mandate, identication and implementation o Excellence and Innovation program projects, policy articulation and implementation, and all necessary steps oreective realization o “Excellence through Partnership”.a. Te Partnership will include all university Presidents and up to ve Deputy Ministers. Tis Partnership willmeet at least quarterly.b. Te Partnership will establish a small Steering Committee consisting o University Presidents and Deputy Ministers. Te Steering Committee will meet at least monthly.c. Te Province and the Universities will establish a secretariat to coordinate work on implementation o theMOU. Te work will include, but not be restricted to, the items in Clause 10 and Appendix 1.d. Working groups will be established as required to undertake specic projects, and will be comprised o representatives o the Province, the universities, and other experts as required by the task. Students will beinvited to have membership on appropriate working groups such as International Student Policy, and uitionPolicy.
e. Te Partnership will report annually to the Minister o Labour and Advanced Education on their work planand progress.. Te Parties are committed to ongoing, meaningul consultation with students throughout the term o theMOU. Consultation may occur at individual institutions, with CONSUP, and with the Province, and onspecic issues and working groups. In addition, the Partnership will meet annually with representatives o Nova Scotia student organizations to discuss their work plan and progress, and to obtain student input.12. Te Universities respect the Province’s desire that tuition charged to Nova Scotia students stays at or below thenational average. Te Parties agree that during the lie o this MOU, annual increases in tuition rates will be limitedto 3%, pending the outcome o the uition Policy Review, which will include a review o tuition levels at comparableinstitutions. Tis limit will not apply to Medicine, Dentistry or Law. Te Parties agree that the limit will not apply toInternational students.a. With respect to Out o Province students, the Parties agree to examine this matter more ully during 2012-13 and to consult with other jurisdictions, particularly with the Maritime Provinces, and with studentorganizations prior to making a decision on whether the limit on Out o Province student tuition should beremoved in 2013-14.b. Te universities agree that tuition ees or new programs will be set at rates comparable to existing programs.c. Full-cost recovery programs are programs where students pay the ull cost o their education. Restrictions totuition ee increases during this MOU do not apply to ull cost recovery programs. Institutions will consult with students and with the Department o Labour and Advanced Education prior to converting a regularprogram to a ull cost recovery program to ensure that the proposed changes do not violate the provisions o the MOU.d. Te Universities commit to consultation and discussion o tuition increases with student organizations inadvance o decisions being taken.e. Te universities agree to submit to the Higher Education Branch o the Department o Labour and AdvancedEducation, by July 31 o each year, tuition ee schedules or all programs.13. With respect to auxiliary ees and ancillary ees,a. Te universities agree that they will not increase auxiliary ees or ancillary ees within their control tocompensate or an inability to raise tuition ees beyond the tuition caps in this agreement;b. Auxiliary ees are ees or supplies, equipment, labs, eld trips, or other items that students must pay in orderto enroll in or complete a program or course;c. Ancillary ees are ees or non-academic services such as residence accommodation, ood services, healthservices, and student association.d. Auxiliary and ancillary ees will be transparent with regard to the goods and services they are designed to beapplied against.
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