UCW is a private university owned by LearningWise Inc. The parent company raised capital which was used to lease the former Blanchard Elementary School and to provide bridging financing. UCW is now accredited by the province of B.C. In 2005/6 the first class of 21 BCom students and 16 MBA students were registered. Currently, there are a Faculty of Business and one of Arts & Science, with plans for a Faculty of Fine Arts. There are also a number of Academies which were formerly independent and are now affiliated.

Dr. Strong presented organizational charts as well as lists of the members of the Board of Governors, the International Advisory Committee and the current faculty members. It is of interest that the first Chancellor has been appointed: Myer Horowitz, former President of the University of Alberta. With regard to the need for this institution, Dr. Strong noted that a large fraction of B.C. residents who applied for entrance to the public universities of B.C. could not be admitted. Part of this situation arises because we are now facing peak enrollments from the children of the baby boomers, and this year the total university student population of Canada reached one million for the first time. This is expected to decline in the near future, certainly by 2015 (some reports give a much earlier date). Dr Strong feels that the private institutions will then see a compensating demand from Asian countries.

Dr Strong with Lynne Murray and Mary Canty

With regard to costs, a course at UCW costs $800, a degree $32,000, compared to $496 and $19,840, respectively, at public B.C. universities. UCW has a more flexible curriculum and shorter terms due to shorter exam periods. The advantage for students of the shorter study period allows them to be about $50,000 better off at the end of the four years required at other institutions, assuming they work at average salaries for the 1.5 years of "freedom". Furthermore, the classes are small and there is a system of faculty mentoring to help students with their studies.

Future Plans
There are very ambitious plans for more campuses in the future. There will be a downtown campus in the new Radius complex, near the old HBC building. In the Comox valley, 400 acres has been acquired on which to build a multi-university, more similar to the public ones. An eventual enrollment of 20,000 to 40,000 is envisaged. Plans have also been drawn up for a campus at Whistler.

In answer to some questions, there are currently 65 enrolled in the Fine Arts diploma program in the Academy of Fine Arts, 24 in BCom and 8 MBA students. The aim is to have a total of 1,500 students in five years.

Dr. Strong was thanked by Bob Beauvais, who had organized this vocational visit.
For more information visit www.universitycanadawest.ca/