Last fall, the University of BC Alma Mater Society showed up at BC Budget consultations with a plea for more money for UBC: "We request that the government consider to cap or reduce the overall cost of getting an education in British Columbia [and] ensure that the funding provided to post-secondary institutions will allow them to continue playing an important role in the health of our economy and society."
Today, 24 Hours newspaper broke the story that the UBC president's residence recently received $614,000 in renovations, including four giant TVs with all the bells and whistles so that the prez could keep up with the news. From the story:
UBC public affairs managing director Susan Danard, who invited 24 hours to tour the home on Wednesday, said that many of the TVs are needed since the president must always be on top of the latest news. “We got students and faculty all over the world and researchers engaged with us all over the world. A challenging part for us is staying on top of everything,” she said.
In total, technology and entertainment upgrades to the home cost $93,207.
Seriously?
Eagle-eyed readers may recall that the previous UBC president was also a high-flyer, racking up a quarter-million dollars in first class airfares. We broke that story in last fall's Screwed U spending report. A partial list of the presidential junkets:
And those were just airfares.
Anyway, forgive us if we roll our eyes the next time a UBC official begs government for more money.
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