Alberta Ups Ante in Mandate Fight With Athabasca University, Threatens Funding Cut

Alberta Ups Ante in Mandate Fight With Athabasca University, Threatens Funding Cut
Alberta premier Jason Kenney shakes hands with Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education after being sworn into office, in Edmonton on April 30, 2019. The Canadian Press/Jason Franson
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The Alberta government has upped the ante in its fight with Athabasca University, directing the online-oriented school to get busy making sure more staff work in the small northern town or risk losing millions of dollars in funding.

“The university must end its pursuit of the near-virtual strategy and must deliver a new strategic plan to Advanced Education for approval by Sept. 30,” Advanced Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said in a statement Tuesday.