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‘by Nancy Orr
The blueprint for the future of the
first umiversity in. British

Columbia in more than a quarter
of a century has been finalized. |

‘The University of Northern B.C, is

. becoming more than a dream...

“The timing is actually on tar-.

- get,” said the chairman of the

Northwest Community College

. board of trustees Hans Wagner. “It
seems that we have been waiting &
_ forever, but when you: consider &

that the president, Geoffrey.
_ Weller, was only hired in January”

of this year, and the scope of the a

work, they are doing well.

“At Northwest Community Col-
lege, we are pleased to sce that a
-cross-disciplinary approach is
planned, that laddering with other
institutions is proposed, and that
there are firm commitments to
regional delivery.

--“Tt now remains for the important

‘task of making the decisions on

details of delivery and where and
. when.”

The report commits the university
to five faculties:
_ «Natural Resources and Environ-

> ment

«Management and Administration

Margaret Dediluke: Now we
must work on the details.

~ Northern university sets aca

needs of students across northern
B.C.; to create a “diverse and
stimulating student body” which
will include native, northern, inter-
national, graduate and special
entry students; to cooperate.and
ladder courses with regional col-

f leges and other educational institu-
tions, . .

There is also a recognition of the

| large proportion of mature stu-
# dents that will take advantage .of

undergraduate as well as graduate

programs, and.a dedication to
quality service.

The university is committed to
“research and develop and expand
in the social, cultural and econom-
ic development throughout north-
em B.C.” and to provide coopera-
tion with other northern universi-
ties, circumpolar, pacific and
international,

A President’s Lecture Series is

proposed and a President’s Coun- -

~ cil, to coordinate all aspects of

+Health and Human Sciences

Art and Sciences

«Graduate Studies

Throughout the report, the
emphasis is to develop policies
intended to meet the particular

Delegation from city
goes to Prince George

Terrace city council has
approved the expenditure of up
to $5,000 to send a delegation to
Prince George to discuss future
plans of the University of North-
ern B.C. Of primary concern to
council is the role of the univer-
sity in the Northwest.

Named to the delegation are
Gerry Martin, Elaine Maikapar,

home.

Rod Arnold, Bryan Edwards and
alderman Darry] Laurent. The
‘group will wotk with Gary Mor-
rison of Northwest Community
College in developing a strategy
for their presentation. Mayor
Jack Talstra and a representative
from School District 88 will also
travel to Prince George with the
delegation.

‘
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university-college relations.
The stated goal is “to provide
educational opportunities for stu-

dents to become valuable mem-
bers or society” with a philosophy
“intended to meet the particular
needs of students across northern
B.C.”

Staffing is in the initial stages,
with the recruiting of senior staff
in progress, the vice-presidents,
academic and administration to be
completed by December of this
year.. The plan proposes to have
deans and heads of faculties in
place by July °92 and to have the
remainder of staff by July °93, in
place for the official start in
September 1993.

The library will begin its gigantic
task immediately to have 150,000-
200,000 volumes by opening, It
will be housed temporarily in a
leased warehouse until the new
building is completed with facili-
ties for 500,000 volumes.

Plans are underway, with archi-
tectural firms, to complete a small
campus capable of expansion on
Cranberry Hill in Prince George.

At the same time, proposals. are
being confirmed with regional col-

Terrace Review —- Wednesday, November 6, 1991 9

demic course

leges to make use of joint facilities
until expansion is warranted.

The report is divided into three
phases, with Phase I showing a
modest start in basic delivery and
with cooperation with existing col-
lege or university programs where
they are already in place. Phase Ii
and JI} will see expansion into
specialized areas of marine,
forestry and mining education in
the resource areas of northern B.C.
“We are looking: at an overview
of the next few years,” said Mar-
garet Dediluke, Terrace physio-
therapist and an appointee on the
UNBC Council.” We are particu-
larly pleased to see the regional:
goals articulated.

“These are the guiding strategies,
the policies and plans that are far-
reaching. Now we must work on
the details, particularly the staff,
who are vitally important for the
success of the venture.”

In the coming months a steady
stream of staff appointments will -
be advertised and filled to bring
Canada’s newest university to life.

More teaching, less research
commission tells universities

by Nancy Orr

Dr. Stuart Smith, commissioner,
will have a chance to put into
“practise what he preaches”.

The one-man Commission of
Inquiry on Canadian University
Education has been travelling the
country for 14 months gathering
information on the state of post-
secondary education in Canada

and has produced a 179-page
report that has received mixed

reactions in the academic world.
The report is of most interest

to the University of Northern B.C.
On Sept. 21 to 23 at the conclu-
sion of Dr. Smith’s inquiry, he
attended the UNBC council's
retreat and provided a wealth of
material information to pe board
as they deliberated the final con-
clusions in UNBC's Academic
Report published last week.

Dr. Smith’s report has received
favourable reactions from univer-
sities across Canada and some
equally adverse reactions.
“Canadian universities today are
fundamentally healthy and are
serving the country well,” said the
report, adding that “most... would
rank... with the top half of the
United States universities.”
However, in other comments,

| Smith was extremely critical, par-

ticularly in the field of commit-
ment to teaching, which he
described as “undervalued”. He

| reports that teaching averaged six

to seven hours a week but that it
was difficult to obtain statistics
from many universitics.

Besides the need for greater com-
mitment to teaching, some of the
other conclusions from the Smith
Teport are:

*more should be done to make
our universities gender neutral
‘transfer of academic credits
should be simplified

*fees should be increased to 25
percent of costs, provided that stu-
dent Joans are more available and

- could be paid back through the

income tax system

ea system of quality contro!
should be-agreed.to be all univer-
sities a

estatistics should be published on
operational facts, such as hours of
teaching, tutorials and senior staff.

The most controversial topic in
the report was the importance of
research to a university and its
relationship to teaching of stu-
dents. Leaders of Canada’s univer-
sities are sharply divided on this
topic.

Dr. Smith, who graduated in
medicine from McGill in 1962,
has had a varied career — in med-
ical practice at Montreal General
Hospital; as leader of the Ontario
Provincial Liberal Party from
1976-82; as chairman of the Sci-
ence Council of Canada; and cur-
rently as president of his own
management consulting firm.

Dr. Smith will be able to assist
with the vital decisions of balance
between innovative and tradition-
al, rescarch and teaching.

The Board of Governors for
UNBC has invited Dr. Smith to
attend further mectings of the
council as they design the future
of Canada’s newest university.

AGAINST
ater | CANADA'S
rouoarion or} #1 KILLER.

A thoughtful way to remember is with an In |
Memoriam gift to the Heart and Stroke Founda-
tion of B.C, and Yukon. Please mail your donation
to the above address and include the name of the
deceased, your name and address, as well as the
name and address of the next-of-kin for an

acknowledgement card.

IMPROVING Maggie Park
YOUR ODDS #209-4526 Park Ave.,

Terrace, B.C.
V8G 1V1
638-1167