Over The Edge Page 14

Janua 28. 2001

Alternative rankings place B.C. first in
higher education

By Sarah Morrison, Ubyssey

VANCOUVER (CUP) - British
Columbiais Minister of
Advanced Education said she
is delighted by a new study
that ranks B.C. as_ the
province most committed to
higher education for the sec-
ond year in a row.

Minister Cathy McGregor
said the study, conducted by
the Canadian Centre for
Policy Alternatives (CCPA), a
national think tank based out
of Ottawa, affirms the
strength of B.C’s education
system. "It has been a very
high priority of our govern-
ment to ensure that accessi-
bility and equity are key prin-
ciples in how we deliver post-
secondary education to stu-
dents and young people, and
even adult learners across
the entire province,"
McGregor said.

The report ranked Canada's
provincial higher education
systems based on equity,

accessibility, quality, and pub-
lic accountability. It cited an
increase in public spending,
the current tuition freeze, and
an excellent loan and needs-
based grant system as the
cause of B.C.'s high score. A
CCPA study last year made
similar conclusions.

While CCPA gives B.C. a high
ranking, Donna Vogel, a
researcher with the BC
CCPA, said she is concerned
about some aspects of B.C.'s
higher education program.
She noted an increase in the
percentage of B.C. post-sec-
ondary institutions’ budgets
being funded by private
groups, which has risen from
35 to 44 per cent in the last
decade. She said this is a
problem because most of that
money is spent on research
contracts, and only seven per
cent of all revenue is spent on
instruction, non-sponsored
research.

"It's important to realize that
while we're ahead of other
provinces, we're far from the

honor roll," said
Vogel.

But McGregor defended her

government's funding of post-
secondary education. "We
have a very strong public
component to our post-sec-
ondary institutions, and we, in
fact, increased our budget by
$85 million," she said. "It
really is a question of afford-
ability and access and using
government resources to
make sure that adequate
funding is in place for institu-
tions across the province."

Anita Zaekner,. B.C. chair of
the Canadian Federation of
Students, said that part of the
reason for such a high-level
of private funding is federal
government programs, such
as the Canadian Foundation
for Innovation, which matches
private funding with federal
money.

"The fact that this is happen-
ing in B.C. is not in fault with
the B.C. government but with
the federal," she

said. "We definitely do need
to be concerned but | think it’s
something we need to direct
our attention to on a national
level."

Zaekner also praised the
report as an alternative to
Maclean's annual ranking of
universities. "We're support-
ive of alternative rankings
that take different criteria
while evaluating post-sec-
ondary education in
Canada," she said.

While B.C. university costs
are the second lowest in the
country after QuEbec, Vogel

noted that the average col- -

lege tuition fees in B.C. are
significantly higher, a fact she
attributes to the large number
of private post-secondary
institutions that are not regu-
lated by the tuition freeze.
Vogel said it isn't unheard of
for tuition at B.C.’s private col-
leges to cost $10,000 a year.
"We need a much better reg-
ulatory system for private
post-secondary institutions,"
she said, adding that clear

rules about corporate involve-
ment in public institutions
need to be made.

The CCPA report praised
B.C. for its commitment to the
tuition freeze, and while some
students are concerned that
the freeze is having a nega-
tive impact on education
quality, Vogel said that this
fear has no basis. "Thatis a
very false choice we're being
presented with," she said.
"It's like saying you have to
choose between accessibility
and quality."

McGregor pointed out that
the NDP has already made a
commitment to extend the
tuition freeze for another
year, adding that she will
lobby her party for increases
to education funding.

The report ranked QuEbec
and Manitoba as second and
third, respectively. Ontario
was ranked last.

NUGSS Bi-election

Campaigning: Jan 3 - Jan 29
Speeches: Jan 29 (around Noon)
Voting: Jan 30/31 (9:30am -

3:30pm)

Candidates:

For the College of Science and
Management representative

1. A.J. Delisle

2. Brendan Krueger

Women’s Representative
1 Saelle Bardwell

Director at Large
- 1. Mark Walsh

Come and meet your
future
Representatives and
Use your Vote

The UNBC Diversity Project invited Dr. Hedy Fry (center), Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Status

of Women, on Friday, January 19th for a question answer session. She was welcomed by Stephanie Curtis
(Left), Diversity Co-ordiantor, and Alex Ried (Right), Associate VP Registrar. This is one of many projects to
promote Multicuturalism in the University Diversity Project..