Frequently asked questions 1. What will change when Capilano becomes a university? 2. What are the benefits of becoming a university? 3. What is the vision for Capilano University? 4. Will tuition fees increase when Capilano becomes a university? 5. Will class sizes increase? 6. Will international students take seats away from local students? 7. What will happen to programs at our regional campuses? 8. Will access be affected by a university designation? 9. Will there be increased costs as a university? 10. Will Capilano’s athletics teams remain a part of the British Columbia College Athletic Association (BCCAA), and Canadian Colleges Athletics Association (CCAA) 11. When will the name change occur? 12. Will the certificate, diploma or degree that I have now be changed from that of a college to that of a university? 13. Will you be joining the AUCC? 14. Will you still be pursuing accreditation with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities? 15. Will there be disruption in terms of labour relations? Answers: 1. What will change when Capilano becomes a university? Not much will change, immediately, in our day-to-day operations. We will maintain our commitment to quality and excellence in teaching and learning, in our services for students, and in our comprehensive range of programs. What will change, however, is the legal and public acknowledgement of our degree-granting status, which will allow us to continue to build, grow, prosper and compete with similar institutions. Later, we will inevitably have to consider issues common to universities that we have not faced to date, such as a Senate; however, we will approach these issues in the knowledge that we are comfortable with the way Capilano operates right now. 2. What are the benefits of becoming a university? University designation will bring enormous benefits to our students and communities, while retaining our local focus and our emphasis, above all, on teaching excellence. As a university, we plan to continue our leading role in strengthening the economic, social and cultural conditions within our region. In addition, the creation of Capilano University will: • Provide greater access to degree granting programs, allowing students to reach their educational goals close to home. • Allow us to build on our already outstanding international reputation for programs in such areas as animation, tourism, business and the arts, including the largest film program in Western Canada. • Benefit the economy by having more students living and learning in our region • • • • Provide greater recognition of our high standards and of our reputation for quality programs and excellence in teaching and learning. Improve our ability to attract private and corporate donations Enhance our ability to recruit and retain international students Advance our success in recruiting and retaining new students and employees 3. What is the vision for Capilano University? Capilano will be a teaching-intensive university focussed on providing career-oriented degrees. 4. Will tuition fees increase when Capilano becomes a university? Tuition fees are not impacted by this announcement. Capilano’s tuition fees will continue to remain significantly lower than those at UBC, UVic, SFU, and other large research universities. 5. Will class sizes increase? We are committed to retaining our small class sizes and personal attention in the classroom. 6. Will international students take seats away from local students? This has never been the case, nor will it be the case in the future. International students enrich the campus environment. They allow the opportunity for Canadian students to experience other cultures without having to travel. Plus, both Canadian and international students benefit from an expanded network of global connections. Increased revenues from International Education activities will also allow us to expand programs and increase course offerings for all students, and invest in capital projects. 7. What will happen to programs at our regional campuses? They will continue to develop, grow and respond to regional needs. 8. Will access be affected by a university designation? We see student access increasing as the university sector grows, and we will be able to develop more degree programs. Capilano is an entry point for most applicants because, unlike traditional universities, our programs range from fundamental literacy skills and preparatory programs to four-year bachelor degrees. We also offer laddering opportunities between these programs. 9. Will there be increased costs as a university? Not necessarily, since government funding will remain controlled by the Ministry of Advanced Education. A name change would might reduce our reliance on government funding because it would enhance our ability to generate revenues from our entrepreneurial and fundraising activities. 10. Will Capilano’s athletics teams remain a part of the British Columbia College Athletic Association (BCCAA), and Canadian Colleges Athletics Association (CCAA)? ???yes. There are many small universities in this conference. 11. When will the name change occur? Amendments to B.C.’s University Act will be required to allow for the designation of the new university. We don’t yet know the date when the change will come into effect. When it does, we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for students. 12. Will the certificate, diploma or degree that I have now be changed from that of a college to that of a university? All previous credentials will remain as they are. The new university designation will only appear when the name has been officially changed. 13. Will you be joining the AUCC? We will not automatically be eligible to be a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada (AUCC) because the AUCC’s membership criteria adhere tightly to the norms of traditional, research-oriented universities. We do participate in a thorough degree quality assessment program through BC’s Degree Quality Assessment Board (DQAB). This procedure rigourously assesses new degree proposals from public and private institutions to ensure quality. It functions as a quality assessment mechanism for new programs, but it does not function as an accrediting agency. Up to 2003, we granted degrees in partnership with the BC Open University, which was a member of the AUCC. Nothing in our programming has changed since we received independent degree-granting status; however, when we received independent degreegranting status, our affiliation with the AUCC ended. Therefore, we, like some other Canadian institutions (Athabasca U), are seeking alternative measures, such as working to receive our accreditation from the US 14. Will you still be pursuing accreditation with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities? Yes. In January 2008, our candidacy for accreditation with the NWCCU is granted. We continue to work towards full accreditation. 15. Will there be disruption in terms of labour relations? The transition is intended to be seamless from the perspective of students and employees. Current collective agreements and bargaining structures will continue to apply.