Thats just crazy they haven't identified the #1 issue: Compatibility and Partnership with UNBC.

From my experience the first and second year classes at CNC are far better an educational experience than UNBC for those two years. CNC is focused on education where as UNBC is focused on research. CNC has classes of around 30 students where UNBC has classes with 150 students for the same courses in those first two years.

IMO CNC should focus on attracting those students for the first couple of years while eliminating the problems of transferring classes up to UNBC. Some of the duplication required by UNBC hurts CNC and the lack of coordination IMO hurts both institutions.

The opportunity here is enormous for both institutions to increase the value of the education they provide and size of their respective school populations.

Of the options offer above I would say - Responsiveness to Communities and Prospective Students - should be the top priority. Maybe they could go and talk to those employers that want to import workers?

Time Will Tell

I understand that the College's programs which are not available at any University have been decimated over the past 10 years.

Technologies such as engineering design, electronics, geographic information systems, and even forestry are gone or cut down to a one year technician program. They used to have the first year of programs such as med lab, survey technology, wood processing technology, etc. All cut some time ago. Even business programs have been cut from what I have heard.

They did and maybe still do have arrangements for two years of the CNC forestry program to be given credit at UNBC towardes study in their environmental/forestry program. I beleive similar agreements were or are in place with programs in business.

The College has changed during that same time period to a supplier of students to Univeristies, not only UNBC. It has a good relation with SFU in criminology for instance, as well as UBC in such programs as engineering and forestry.

It has become primarily a two year University feeder and does not serve this community well in the other career options.

If anything, it should re-build its relationship with BCIT, now a degree granting institute. The programs which have been cut here, are doing just fine and better in Burnaby. I suspect one of these days BCIT will branch out to the rest of the province. I doubt that they will choose PG as a first option over the Island and the Okanagan. However, CNC might want to position itself a bit better so that it does not loose out entirely in such a move.

The post secondary institutes in this community do not just go to supply this community. If they did, they would not survive. They feed into the provincial, national and international pool.

People come here with an education form other parts of the province, country and world. Canada does not restrict movement. We should have as many opportuities as are reasonable for people here to get a post secondary certificate or degree, even if the re are currently no jobs here and they have to go elsewhere. Some will come back, some will not. It is a country of free movement and free enterprise.

The College should concentrate on what ONLY the College can do as a first priority. No one else can do that for this community. CNC needs to provide some stability for programs as long as programs are viable not only in PG but also BC and Canada.

It is expensive to play musical programs. It costs money to develop them, hire appropriate staff for them, prepare special facilities for them, and, most important of all, develop a level of competence which will be recognized in other parts of BC at least so that people will say "wood processing technology ... I need to get into CNC for that because they are the best!"

A reputation is difficult to build and quickly undone. UNBC appears to understand quality. The College has some learning to do if we look at the past decade.

What is my opinion about the strategic plan above ..... ?? a bunch of general BS words which would suit any college anywhere. However, my comments do deal with #4 - "market a clear college identity" .....

Put much more simply - "Be a college as a priority" become a degree granting insititute in applied programs such as business, health and technolgy. Show some fortitude. Get out of those government bureaucratic clothes and practice entrepreneurship as you preach in some of your courses.

Well stated Owl. CNC needs to partner with BCIT so that our young people can move on into their careers