April 27, 2004
Kamloops Daily News



Governments in trouble become wonderfully sensitive to
voter's needs.  The University College of the Cariboo was
conceived by such a government.  UCC was born in 1989 with
hope that this hybrid university college would improve the
political fortunes of the Social Credit government and then
Premier Bill VanderZalm.

University colleges became popular.  Soon UCC had siblings -
-  university colleges sprang up all over the province.  The
government, however, was not so popular.  A scandal forced
VanderZalm from office and his party was wiped out in 1991.

B.C.'s university colleges were hastily conceived with
little thought about expansion or even what a university
college was.  It turns out that university colleges are not
generally known as degree granting institutions. Rather,
they are colleges associated with schools that have
religious affiliations.

In spite of UCC's uncertain pedigree, the university college
has been a resounding success.  The voter love affair with
the Social Credit government ended while admiration for UCC
has grown.  Now UCC has more students enrolled in degree
programs than most of Canada's degree-granting institutions. 

Old problems remain.  UCC is like a university with two
notable exceptions: the awkward name and lack of university
funding.  In its haste, the government never planned for the
future success of UCC.  It was an convenient solution to the
educational needs of B.C.'s interior, floated by a desperate
government.

UCC is still funded as if it were still a college.   More
than the name needs changing.  The University of Kamloops
(or whatever it is to be called) needs more funding for
research to become creditable.  Research not only advances
the world body of knowledge, it also solves the problems of
local business and industry, and provides a foundation for
education.

The B.C. Liberals hope that the new university in Kamloops
will improve their popularity.  According to a recent
Ipsos-Reid opinion poll, popularity of the Liberals has
slipped behind the NDP and the premier's popularity is less
than one-half the that of the new NDP leader, Carole James.

The Liberal's political solution is an arranged marriage of
UCC and the B.C. Open University,  currently located in
Burnaby.

The betrothed partners find each other generally attractive
but announcement of the union is a bit of a surprise.   No
wonder there is a bit of uneasiness. George Heyman,
president of the B.C. Government and Service Employees'
Union wonders about the wisdom of moving faculty and staff
of the BCOU to Kamloops.

 "Taxpayers should be very concerned about the unnecessary
expense of moving this well-established distance education
facility," says Heyman.  The faculty of BCOU have been
nervously wondering what the future holds for them.

BCOU staff have mixed feelings: relief that the Open
University will have a permanent home and concern about what
the move will mean to staff who have homes and roots in
Burnaby.

The other partner in Kamloops has been having cold feet too. 
Some of UCC's faculty have expressed concerns about the
details of the merger.  They are not sure that BCOU is a
first-class open university.  They also worry about the
proposed unique legislation, yet to be drafted, will leave
UCC worse off than it now is.

Doubt is also stirring old divisions in UCC's faculty. Some
faculty think that college and trades courses should form a
separate institution from a new university,  the way that
Okanagan University College in Kelowna has done.

Sibling rivalry between UCC and OUC are inevitable.  But
they quite dissimilar.  OUC already has two separate
campuses, one for college programs and one for university
programs.  OUC also has two different faculty associations,
one for the college faculty and one for university faculty. 
For OUC, the split began long ago.

UCC is blessed with a single, attractive, campus that
services trades and university students.  It also has one
faculty association.  

Perhaps dissatisfaction on the part of both partners is good
sign that, in good old Canadian tradition,  compromise
signals a fair resolution.

I'm suspicious of decisions made for political expediency
but I'm also optimistic that UCC will succeed in spite of
political opportunism.

Will the proposed University of Kamloops meet the future
needs of a growing institution?   We will only know once the
specific legislation governing the university is enacted.

Will this political solution get Liberals elected from the
region?  We will know in a year's time, after the next
election.

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