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Financial and Physical Resources The past fiscal year, 2010–2011, marked the first time we operated under our new budget allocation process. The departments responded well to the new model which increases fiscal transparency and attributes budgetary decisions to academic goals. Familiarity will grow as we move into our second year and the methodology gains prolonged use. After a three-year period, the Faculty’s model will be reviewed and adjustments made as required. We are well along in negotiations with the Faculty of Arts & Science to codify our interdivisional teaching arrangements, including our historical teaching agreements, in the context of the University’s new budget model. We have approached this with the aim of providing Engineering students with better access to Arts & Science elective courses, and providing a fair revenue sharing methodology as enrolments and teaching requirements increase or decrease. Over the past few years, space has emerged as our most pressing need. We submitted plans for two new buildings for government funding. The Centre for Enabling Technologies would serve to consolidate research in micro and nanotech fabrication, optics and advanced materials technologies, and the Centre for Innovation and Sustainability would address the Faculty’s shortage of high-quality research space, supporting infrastructure and other space needs identified in the Faculty Space Review. The sites for these buildings have not been settled, and we are poised to purchase property should the opportunity arise. We have identified funding for new buildings as a critical fundraising priority. We continue to work to improve our existing space. We currently have six Canada Foundation for Innovation projects nearing completion, and while this helps to renew our research infrastructure, much more work needs to be done. The Mining Attic project is also scheduled for occupancy summer 2011 and will be an innovative showcase of learning space. In addition to improving research and learning spaces, we continue to seek opportunities to develop space for undergraduate club activities.
Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering | Annual Report 2011 | Chapter 11: Financial and Physical Resources | 79