0 UNBC Names ROB VAN ADRICHEM Future El Presidente Dr. Don Cozzetto will be starting his term at UNBC in July this year. Thursday is the new Friday since 1994 REBECCA CARMICHAEL STAFF WRITER After a term of eleven years as pres- ident of UNBC, Charles Jago is retir- ing. The university started the search last year to find someone good enough to take his place. After much delibera- tion, the UNBC Board of Governors finally chose Don Cozzetto as the fourth UNBC president, which was announced on December 1, 2005. With his extensive administrative ex- perience and a background in BC and in the north, he seems like the ideal” candidate. “My practical and academic experiences in the north seemed to be a perfect match for the presidency of a university in my home province with a mission to provide educational and other opportunities for northerners,’ says Dr, Cozzetto. Dr. Cozzetto spent the last 18 years in the United States, but his roots are in Canada, He was born-in Rossland, located in southeastern BC. Before his academic career, he spent almost ten years working for housing corporations -in the Yukon and Northwest Terri- tories, gaining a wide range of experi- ence pertaining to. Northern and rural issues. He earned his PhD in Public Policy and Public Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. After that, he went ‘January 18, 2006 New Pres on to hold several academic and ad- ministrative posts at universities in the United States, including the University of North Dakota, Florida Gulf Coast University, and Northern State Univer- - sity in South Dakota. He has authored 16 articles and book chapters and co- authored two books. His specialties include public administration, human resource management, and aboriginal government. “« continued enroll-_ ment growth and de- _velopment of regional partnerships are crit- ical to the long term success of UNBCY’ - Don Cozzetto During his most recent post as Pro- vost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Northern State University, he held the position of interim pres- ident for one year. This Has prepared” him for his position here at UNBC. “The role of president is rather unique. I learned that first hand having served as interim president for one year at Volume 12, Issue 7 ident Northern State University here in South Dakota,’ says Dr. Cozzetto.“My diverse academic and administrative experiences at other universities have provided me with a solid understand- ing of higher education issues.’ Dr, Cozzetto will start his term as UNBC president on July 1, 2006. He will be coming to UNBC at an import- ant time in the growth of the university, which is most apparent in the construc- tion of the new Teaching and Learning Center and the Northern Sports Cen- ter. It is also a time of academic growth, with UNBC being ranked fourth in the Maclean's survey of small Canadian universities and with the growth of new -academic programs, such as the North- ern Medical program. He is prepared to continue with this growth and take the university to the next level. For Don Cozzetto, “con- tinuéd enrollment growth and develop- ment of regional partnerships are crit- ical to the long term success of UNBC. The university also needs to continue to develop its research agenda and to define and develop academic programs related to the university's core mission, Developing programming in conjunc- tion with the new athletic facility mast also be a top priority as this will pro- vide both educational and recreational opportunities for students.’ NUSC Committee ANDREW KURJATA NEWS EDITOR Despite hopes to make an announce- ment as far back as October of 2005, there has still been no word on the nature of the development that ceased plans to hold a referendum concern- ing the Northern University Student Centre (NUSC). In September of 2005, NUGSS announced it would be holding a second referendum on hik- ing student fees by $35 per semester in order to fund the construction of a . four-story student centre, which would house a pub, restaurants, clubs, and other facilities. However, this was put indefinitely on ~ hold when an unknown development occurred which NUGSS said it wanted to pursue before proceeding with the referendum. Since then, a committee has been formed consisting of repre- ~ sentatives from NUGSS and UNBC administration officials to discuss the IN THIS ISSUE: INQUUStaratecce traces eo asiscssseenice 2 OPINION Seat re Beer 6 Arts and Entertainment ............ 8 REVIEWS cictest cticassasnes Sports and Clubs .. Comics cost, construction, and space alloca- tion of NUSG, According to NUGSS _ President Colin Phillips, much of the committees work is focused on re- ducing the cost of NUSC for students. This includes seeking out government grants, nominally reducing the size of the building, housing less franchises, and potentially converting it into a two-phase project. According to Phil- lips, the original plan had “too much scope to be financially viable, and the committee is focused on alleviating this problem. 2 For now, however, the student popu- lace will have to wait to hear an official announcement about the development that has caused plans for NUSC to be delayed. All of the committee mem- bers asked to comment for this story have said simply that the it hinges on a number of other announcements be- ing made first, and making any infor- mation public at this point would put Tight-Lipped About Plans the plans at risk, In absence of concrete information, rumours about the nature of the announcement have been cir- culating throughout the student body, including an endorsement deal with a major company and ties to the Olympic Legacy Fund, which would see NUSC constructed alongside the Northern Sports Centre. UNBC’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Rob van Adrichem, says this latter theory is highly unlikely, due to the fact that the Sports Centre is not solely a univer- sity project but one in which UNBC is a single partner. NUSC, in contrast, would be a NUGSS- only building, He does, however, point out that since the Sports Centre-is such a major project, . it would be. difficult to green-light any other construction to take place at the University until plans for the Sports Centre are finalized, which could be causing the delay for an announcement about NUSC, VINCENT CHAN ‘The construction of the NUSC building has begun with nothing but a sign. As for NUGSS, VP External Aidan Kelly says that although he is not aware of what is happening behind the scenes, he has been assured that “the wheels are turning and they're turning well.” As for the rumours, he says that students can put as much stock into them as they ‘choose, as “rumours are rumours.’ As of press time, a committee meeting re- garding NUSC is scheduled to be held on Thursday, January 12, and an an- nouncement is hoped to made in early February, likely followed by plans for a second referendum.