Advanced Resource Management Workshop in Toronto: register now
CAUBO is pleased to present a one-and-a-half-day workshop on advanced resource management in Toronto on November 16 and 17, 2015, facilitated by Andrew L. Laws, Managing Director, Huron Consulting Group.
In an effort to manage resources effectively, administrators often look to budget models for answers. This workshop will consider if and to what extent such resource allocation models can effectively contribute to sustainability in a financially-constrained environment. We will explore the wide spectrum of resource allocation models, the importance of linking incentives and other elements to the strategic plan and, most importantly, seek answers to key questions that must be contemplated to ensure that a change in model helps drive positive change.
Some of the questions that will be explored are:
What are the key elements of a successful resource allocation model?
How can we successfully implement a new budget model that will help minimize challenges and maximize expected results?
How do incentives impact decision-making and behaviours?
How does understanding marginal revenue and costs associated with programs contribute to program optimization?
Those who may find this workshop useful include VPs Administration and Finance, Provosts and VPs Academic, controllers, planning officers and budget directors. All CAUBO members are welcome to participate.
The workshop will be held at the Hyatt Regency Toronto, 370 King Street West, Toronto. Click here for full details or to register now for the workshop.
GST Public Service Body Rebates Update
Representatives from CAUBO and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) met with Finance Canada in June to voice concerns regarding recent changes to the claim periods for GST Public Service Body Rebates.
CAUBO and FCM representatives clearly illustrated the administrative impact of this change for universities and municipalities, as well as potential implementation and auditing challenges for the CRA. CAUBO also produced data over a three year period that indicated typical delays in payment of invoices outside of the month an invoice is issued from one large Canadian University.
Both groups strongly urged Finance Canada to reverse the CRA decision or, as a last resort, to find a reasonable compromise on time frames for claim periods. As an alternative, Finance Canada officials suggested a 6-month claim period might accommodate the processing times for most rebate claims (e.g. revised GST returns would only be required to cover invoices taking longer than 6 months to process.) CAUBO and FCM expressed strongly that 6 months would not be acceptable.
Finance Canada provided clarification on the reason for the change—the changes to claim periods were primarily a response by CRA under their legal interpretation of the Excise Tax Act. Finance Canada officials also indicated that even if they wanted to make a legislative change (although none was offered), it would not be possible until after the federal election in October.
Finance Canada officials committed to discuss the issue further with the CRA and will reach out to FCM and CAUBO with potential solutions. We have been informed that Finance Canada has had a number of discussions with the CRA on the issues raised during the meeting. Finance Canada also committed to outlining the meeting outcomes in writing. However, this outline has not yet been received; CAUBO plans to follow up with them shortly on this matter.
We would like to thank everyone who provided CAUBO with a letter of support. In total, close to 50 letters of support were sent to Finance Canada, demonstrating that CAUBO had strong support from its members on this issue.
Communications in a University Context: Guide and Strategies documents now available online!
CAUBO’s newest resources for university administrators focus on the unique communications challenges posed by working in a university environment and offer support and solutions in two distinct documents:
The Guide to Communications in a University Context provides university administrators with an understanding of the university context, its stakeholders, and their particular traditions, culture, roles, and relationships with the intent of helping administrators develop and deliver communications that achieve a positive impact. Members who are new to a management role or new to higher education will find this guide to be of particular value.
As a companion to the Guide, CAUBO developed Strategies for Communicating in a University Context to provide a series of concrete approaches that help ensure that communications are on message, focused, and clear. Together, these documents prepare administrators to produce successful communications that facilitate positive outcomes.
Let us know what you think of these new resources! Contact David Elliott, Professional Development Coordinator, at delliott@caubo.ca.
Tax Hotline for CAUBO members now live
As announced in June, CAUBO has retained KPMG to develop university-specific tax resources for members. These resources are currently in development and will consist of a series of interpretive notes covering key university-specific issues in the areas of income tax and sales tax (GST/HST/QST).
We also indicated to you that as part of this agreement, in addition to the development of the tax notes, a tax hotline would be made available to CAUBO members to allow you to communicate with KPMG Indirect Tax and Income Tax practitioners located across Canada regarding questions about university-specific tax issues.
That hotline is now live and can be accessed by email at caubotax@kpmg.ca or by phone at 1-800-663-1280. By phone, please ask for Jennifer Boychuk, Raj Sharma or Brad Perkins.
If you have questions or feedback about this service, please contact Elizabeth Taylor at etaylor@caubo.ca.
CAUBO Online Courses: register now for fall and winter offerings
CAUBO’s popular online courses “University Culture and Governance” (UCG) and “Fundamentals of the Research Enterprise” (FORE) are both being offered in the next few months. UCG runs from October 26-November 27, 2015 and the FORE course runs from January 11-February 25, 2016. The registration fee for each course is $550; courses are open to all CAUBO members. Registration for UCG is open now; FORE registration will open shortly.
Fundamental Concepts for Working Effectively in Universities: one-day French-language workshop in Montreal
CAUBO is pleased to present a one-day workshop in Montreal on Thursday, November 26, 2015, tailored to meet the needs of our francophone members, composed of key content drawn from CAUBO’s two online courses “University Culture and Governance” (UCG) and “Fundamentals of the Research Enterprise” (FORE).
The UCG course helps both new and established administrators to better understand the unique characteristics of universities including governance, tenure, and academic freedom. This knowledge can help administrators function more effectively within the university environment and increase their capacity to drive results.
Research is one of the three main pillars of a university’s existence, affecting everyone on campus, including students, faculty and administrative staff. The FORE course provides an overview of the research enterprise, including its funding, regulation, administration, and impact on the entire institution. Learn more about how your work in administration supports the research enterprise, directly or indirectly.
The English versions of these courses have received many positive evaluations, and CAUBO is eager to share this content with our francophone members. New managers or staff new to higher education administration will find this content particularly useful; however, we have had many participants with a decade or more of experience in higher education who have found great value in these two courses.
The workshop will take place on November 26 at the Delta Montreal. For more details or to register now for this great professional development opportunity, click here.