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_ The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - AY.

College head inks new deal

NORTHWEST COM-
MUNITY College presi-
dent Stephanie Forsyth has

signed a new employment

contract, extending her stay
in the area past a first five-
year ‘commitment which be-
gan.in 2000.

While there’s ‘no fixed
date this time, Forsyth has

_ no plans of: moving on any-

time soon.

“T think this time all of us"

decided that with so much

’ “change in the last while, ‘it

would be irresponsible to
walk out right ‘now,” ‘said
Forsyth of conversations
between herself and the col-
lege board. “I’m here for: at
least a few more years.”
It's been a_ challeng-

ing time for the college, up:
‘to and including a double

whammy of. being caught
up in the general economic
slump that has affected the

Northwest and being hit:

with provincial government

. budget cuts, which resulted .

in the college laying off em-
ployees and raising tuition.
It forced the college. to

~ look at the role it was play--

ing for its students and the

_. region, leading to a shift in

philosophy and intent.

_ “I don’t think it was a
- secret: the college wasn't a

part of the community that it
should have been,” said For-
syth. “People weren't turn-
ing to us first.”

Forsyth ° began making

‘contacts with the aboriginal

community, concentrating

on programs, services: and ",
_ courses ‘that met that.com-

munity’ Sneeds. .
And she also pursued
mining and exploration com-

“panies with a view to having
_ the college offer the kind of |

training ‘they require.

“If there’s work. here,
I want to see local: people
getting .those jobs,” © said

Forsyth. “We should have
‘them.”
One specific a area of im-.

provement is the college’s
nurse training offerings.

it now takes ina class of

foeat

. studenas Sach year and, this

fall, became: the home base

“for students starting studies’.

for.a Bachelor of Science in
Nursing degree. They'll be
at the college for two years
before moving on to the

University of Northern Brit- «
~ ish Columbia.

Forsyth, who became an

advocate for literacy pro- ©

grams before coming to Ter-
race, has also been working
hard on ensuring those who

do come to the college have . |
the basic skills they need to

thrive in the courses they
take. |

“We have more cost- :

Visitor -

injured —

A WILLIAMS Lake motor-

ist was taken to hospital for
treatment of injuries after
her vehicle went off Hwy 37
Nov. 23.

. Terrace RCMP and high-
way patrol officers arrived to
find the Ford Aerostar van in
the ditch near the Water Lily
Bay tumoff. ~

The 33-year-old driver

suffered some facial cuts.

She was taken to Mills
Memorial Hospital for treat-
ment and observation.

shared literacy grants than
any other college in the
province,” she said. -

Forsyth is also happy °
‘with the college’s strategic
“plan released just this fall

because of its emphasis on
students. —

- “We celebrate the diver-

sity of this region. That di-

versity we have is one of the “

strengths of the region,’ ” said
Forsyth.

Forsyth has also been .
reaching out to regional in- .
dustries, looking to create

partnerships.

That’s resulted in grants —

from Alcan in Kitimat and ° ; .

from Prince. Rupert Grain

and Ridley Terminals in.

Prince Kupert.
“And now that. there
could be pipelines in this

- area, those companies will
‘need to develop their human.
said For- .
syth of further potential for .

resources plans,”

the college to take a training
role.

Although ‘the college is ©

regaining some of the foot-

ing it. lost, its enrolments
remain below what the | pro-'
- vincial government wants in
return: for the money it pro-.,

vides..

So far, Forsyth has been:
able to fend off suggestions -
the. province-will cut the col-.

lege’s. budget if enrolments
do not increase.

She and other rural -col- |

lege presidents consistently

argue that it costs more to

run a college in a rural area.
Forsyth also says the col-.

lege needs to do more to’

become top of mind when
people. consider higher
education and. training and

when companies look for '
places offering up Potential .
‘employees.’ |

“What I want people to

understand is that we're try--
ing to keep the money in the

North. There’s.no sense to

seek another college to offer _
something . we already | of-.

fer,” she said.
College board chair Pe-

nelope Denton of. Prince

Br da at
ae

' NORTHWEST County College president Stephanie "Forsyth enlists some ree
in cutting the college’s 25th anniversary cake in Sept. 2000.

Rupert.is more than pleased

with the work Forsyth has .

done. .
“She’s- brought leader-

ship and vision and we’re

“any dollar amount, give it to someone. 0

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Even though Forsyth has
a new contract, it doesn’t
come with a wage increase.

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