MLA for West Vancouver-Garibaldi.

Capilano’s campaign to become a
regional university is in full swing.

Members of Capilano’s regional
university steering committee, along
with all the MLAs for Capilano’s
region, met with Murray Coell,
minister of Advanced Education,
on Wednesday, May 9 to discuss
Capilano’s future. This followed
along the heels of Capilano’s ad
campaign that began on April 28,
and a campaign website that was
made available on May 10.

Discussions with the minister were
initiated by Geoff Plant's Campus
2020 report, which contains many
valuable recommendations, including
the suggestion to create a new

type of university—~the regional

A spring 2007 student survey
directed by Capilano’s Institutional
Research department asked
Humanities and Social Sciences
students if they would complete an
applied degree at Capilano if there
was an applied degree in a
discipline/area of their interest. Of
the 220 students who responded to
the survey, 74% indicated yes and
21% indicated no. The remaining
5% did not answer the question.

Of those who answered yes, some
of their comments included:

“Capilano should be a four-year
college with bachelor degrees in

From left to right: Catherine Vertesi; Daniel Jarvis, MLA for North Vancouver-Seymour;
Ralph Sultan, MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano; Linda Robertson, Capilano board chair;
Jim Cooke; Murray Coell, minister of Advanced Education; Greg Lee; Katherine Whittred,
MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale; Jackie Snodgrass. Missing from photo is Joan McIntyre,

At Capilano College our mission is to enable student success.

university. It defines a regional
university as a degree-granting,

teaching intensive, regional learning

institution that is not focused on
research. Capilano believes that
this describes exactly what it has
been doing for its region and is
asking to be included on the list of
institutions given that designation.

“The meeting with the minister
was encouraging, and we were
told that the views of Capilano
in regards to the organization of
B.C’s post-secondary system will
be considered,” said Capilano’s

president, Dr. Greg Lee. “This
non-partisan issue received strong
support from all MLAs in our region.”

The next step in the campaign

will be to produce a proposal

for Capilano to be designated

a university-colleqe/regional
university. This will be presented
to the minister by the end of June.
Any decisions on the Campus 2020
recommendations will not be made
until the fall of 2007.

“Almost certainly, there will be new
regional universities as a result of

the Campus 2020 report,” Greg said,
“and we want to be a part of that.”

With formalized designation as a
regional university, Capilano would
be better positioned to build

upon its regional, national and
international reputation to meet
the future learning needs of its
changing communities.

Your comments on the report
can be sent to Murray Coell,
minister of Advanced Education,
at aved.minister@gov.bc.ca

with a copy to premier’s office at
premier@gov.bc.ca. In addition,
you can submit your support at
www.capilanonow.ca.

The Campus 2020 report is available online at - _
www.aved.gov.bc.ca/campus2020/campus2020-thinkingahead-report.pdf

Students want access to more applied degrees at college

Philosophy, English and History,
instead of the two-year university
transfer program. I would prefer
immensely to stay on at Capilano
and earn a degree. The universities
are overcrowded and impersonal
and are more suitable for post-
bachelor work. Colleges should
have the task of providing basic
liberal education to a country’s
citizens and not merely deliver
trades-based training.”

“Because I love the school, great
profs! And being so close to home
is a bonus!”

“Cap has great teacher availability,
small class sizes, and sufficient hours
for the library and writing centre.”

“Yes, most definitely! I have
attended other colleges/universities
and I think the quality of the
instructors at Cap is second to
none!! I love the atmosphere and
the campus. I am quite interested in
biopsychology.”

“T love Capilano College. The smaller
classes and great community make it
an amazing environment to learn in.
If I could complete my schooling
here right now I would!”

Photo by June Hunter :

Students from Capilano’s
Mountain Bike Operations
program treated 12 members of
the College board and executive
group to a walking tour of
their new bike trail in Gibsons:
Sprockids Park on April 17.

Along with showing their
impressive new trail, which
hey dubbed the Skool-Out
rail, the students had the
pportunity to display some
of the skills they have been
learning, such as mountain
bike guiding, trail building,
risk management and event
planning.

“The students were really
excited to show the results

of this amazing trail to some
of our board and executive
members,” says program
coordinator, Caroline Depatie.
“Tt was a great preview to

our trail unveil event where
the entire Sunshine Coast
community was introduced

to this learning trail that the
students have been working on
all year.”

Approximately 150 people
attended the trail unveil event
held on April 21. The Gibsons
Lions Club served burgers

and hot dogs supplied by the
Gibsons IGA, with proceeds
($200) going to local cycling
clubs. After lunch there was a
short trail-dedication ceremony,
followed by guided rides of
the trail, skills clinics, group.

launched
has attrac