The mission of post-secondary education is to help students succeed in a rapidly changing world. This year, more than 34,000 students enrolled in Vancouver Island’s five public post-secondary institutions to find their pathways to success.
And on March 5, the presidents of those five institutions — Camosun College, North Island College, Royal Roads University, Vancouver Island University and the University of Victoria — signed an agreement re-affirming our commitment to work together to further support those students and contribute to the social and economic prosperity of Vancouver Island and the province of B.C.
Each of our five institutions has its own purpose, mandate, obligations and unique place in the B.C. post-secondary system. And in those differences lie our strengths. It is because of this differentiation and complementarity that together we form a healthy post-secondary system on the Island.
As the presidents of our five universities and colleges, we recognize our responsibility to serve the people of Vancouver Island and to meet the post-secondary education and training needs of its residents. Through our programs of education and research, we make an essential contribution to the lives of Vancouver Island residents and to the economic and social prosperity of its many communities. Our institutions have an economic impact on the Island and province of $5 billion.
And we believe we can do even more when we work together.
Sometimes it is said that the issue of the day is skilled trades versus the liberal arts and sciences; or colleges versus universities. Our view is that our province and society need it all. Government projections show that by the end of the decade there will be one million job openings in British Columbia, and about 80 per cent of those will require a college or university education.
Individuals, communities and our economy will have many different needs; and our many students will pursue different pathways according to their varied passions, aptitudes and opportunities. Our collective task is to maximize those opportunities and open up those pathways.
To that end, we work to provide the best possible classroom instruction. We partner with thousands of employers, companies and not-for-profit organizations to create opportunities for our students, to build bridges with the community and to mobilize education and research for the benefit of society.
Our goal is to promote, support and enhance student success by improving students’ ability to access Vancouver Island’s full range of post-secondary education and training opportunities and to move seamlessly between our institutions as they discover the right educational pathway. We already have a long history of working together on initiatives such as joint admissions, bridging programs and shared services. Indeed, this year more than 3,000 students moved in all directions among the island’s five institutions to find their best-fitting route to success.
We will work together to build programs and practices that facilitate the transition from K-12, as well as career changes, to increase the participation and success of aboriginal learners and to enhance the ability of residents of Vancouver Island to participate as citizens of a global world by growing international education and the internationalization of institutions.
We will build more partnerships with industry, community organizations, and small and medium enterprises to focus on problem-solving, graduate career opportunities and strengthening regional and provincial capacity to innovate.
We will undertake research that is responsive to the social and economic needs of our region, including work that directly addresses concerns about coastal communities, oceans, resources and environmental and social well-being.
To demonstrate our renewed commitment, the five presidents have signed an alliance agreement to further signal our efforts to work together for the benefits of our students, our region and the province. In these challenging times, the public deserves no less.
Kathryn Laurin is president of Camosun College, John Bowman is president of North Island College, Allan Cahoon is president of Royal Roads University, Jamie Cassels is president of the University of Victoria and Ralph Nilson is president of Vancouver Island University.
