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.

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