UNBC Launches $15M Northern Leadership Campaign
UNBC president Dr. Daniel Weeks – photo courtesy UNBC
Prince George, B.C. – Dozens turned out for the launch of the University of Northern British Columbia’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign today (the public phase).
The $15-million Northern Leadership Campaign aims to help bolster the institution as one of Canada’s best small research-intensive universities.
The campaign is focused on three priorities: to strengthen research and teaching excellence, research forests and northern health.
The campaign started in late 2014 and has already raised close to $13 million. Money raised will also be used to help support unique projects that have both a local and international impact, such as the Sustainable Communities Demonstration Project.
“This ambitious fundraising effort will help us strengthen our capacity to inspire leadership for the next generation,” said Tracy Wolsey, the Chair of the UNBC Board of Governors. “The fruits of this campaign will empower economic, social and cultural prosperity for British Columbia and Canada.”
“It takes a lot of capacity to appropriately raise funds and I’ve learned a lot about our institution through this,” added president Dr. Daniel Weeks. “I certainly learned a lot about the tremendous support we enjoy in Prince George. In fact, all the communities in the North and well beyond as well.”
Those wanting to donate can learn more at www.unbc.ca/northern-leadership.
Comments
It’s interesting to me that this tiny institution has been able to raise that much money in 2.5 years, but they can’t get enough bums in the seats every year to cover their operating costs.
Perhaps they should research why this institution can’t attract enough students in a bad economy, a time when post secondary enrollment usually surges. Maybe people are finally realizing that a UNBC arts degree isn’t worth the investment anymore. There are already legions of them out their serving coffee. How well rounded do you need to be in order to excel at serving coffee?
All other Universities in BC are having increases in students every year. Its just UNBC who has had a decline in undergraduate enrollments since 2008-09.
Undergraduates 2008-09 2,656.25 2015-16 2184.76 Continuous decline in enrollments
since 2008 with a small exception in 2012.
68% of UNBC undergraduate students come from the North Central Interior. The population in the Interior has been declining and so have the high school graduation numbers.
Sooooo,. With a finite number of graduate students in North Central BC the question is how can we grow the enrollments, and where will the students come from.
Keep in mind that there is a lot of competition for these students from UBC, Simon Fraser University, Universities of Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops.
North Central BC is facing some huge problems in the future providing jobs, etc; when the population is falling and industry is stagnant.
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