Advanced education minister says province will help with cost to relocate Athabasca University staff

EDMONTON – Alberta’s minister of advanced education says he is willing to help Athabasca University with whatever it wants – including money – to relocate up to 500 employees to the small town that’s the school’s namesake.

But Demetrios Nicolaides says he can’t help if the online-oriented university won’t come to the table.

Nicolaides says he asked earlier this year for a plan from the university to move staff, but says they failed to step up.

The minister says he has little choice but to give the university until the end of this month to agree to the plan, and then find a way to implement it before October.