Program development for the BMO UNBC Downtown Business Centre of Excellence

This paper discusses programming and possible uses for the University of Northern British Columbia's downtown campus. Thirty individuals working throughout the downtown core of Prince George, BC, were interviewed to gather information about the programs that would be of most interest to themselves and their organizations. A literature review showed that the location of a program was important but was secondary to the quality and relevance of the course. The interview results supported the hypothesis people working in the downtown core are most interested in career or work related programming. There was overwhelming support for courses at the downtown campus and participants had strong views on the time of day and week when courses and informational sessions should be held. The interviews further showed that the community was interested in utilizing the location for meetings, events and courses they planned to hold. This paper clarifies the interests of the downtown community in relation to the university's presence in the downtown core.