Province threatens funding cuts to Athabasca University if not comes to the table

Alberta's minister of Advanced Education says he can't help Athabasca University if the online-oriented school won't come to the table.

Demetrios Nicolaides (duh-MEE'-tree-ohs nick-oh-LIE'-dezz) says he is willing to help with whatever the university wants -- including money -- to relocate up to 500 employees to the small town that's the school's namesake.

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.

If not, the school risks losing millions of dollars in funding that the university says would likely see it go bankrupt.

University president Peter Scott says the idea would siphon off vital resources while making it harder for the school to compete for top-quality talent.