The Doer government's first budget, in May 2000, included $60 million of new money for Manitoba's community college system, and a 3.8% increase for university funding. Although senior educators acknowledged that Caldwell's spending increases were a step in the right direction, many described the funds as insufficient. The University of Manitoba announced that it would need to introduce significant cuts in the wake of the budget, although Caldwell argued that university management practices were responsible for the institution's shortfalls. Brandon University officials described the budget as their "most optimistic" in years.