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Funding for Forestry Research Program in Limbo - April 28, 2009 |
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Written by Robert Clift
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Tuesday, 28 April 2009 |
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Funding for Forestry Research Program in Limbo
CUFA BC News Release
April 28, 2009
PRINCE GEORGE – It’s been four weeks since funding for a
highly-successful forestry research program was suspended by the
Ministry of Forests and Range and researchers still have no idea if they
will have to scrap their research projects.
"On March 31st, forestry researchers around the province received a
terse note indicating that funding for the Forest Science Program had
been suspended," said Dr. Darwyn Coxson, Professor in the Ecosystem
Science and Management Program at the University of Northern British
Columbia. "It’s now four weeks later and instead of being out in the
field conducting our research, we’re sitting at our desks nervously
waiting to find out if years of work will be wasted."
Rumours are circulating that existing research projects will receive the
balance of their funding, but that no new projects will be funded.
"Dealing with climate change, sustaining biodiversity, maintaining
ecosystem health, and supporting resource-dependent communities all
depend on a solid foundation of knowledge," Dr. Coxson said. "The Forest
Science Program is a unique partnership between universities, government
and industry and should be funded at higher levels instead of being
constrained or possibly cut in its entirety."
Projects affected by the suspension of the Forest Science Program
include: studies on the vulnerability of BC forests to climate change,
including the expansion of bark beetle outbreaks into new regions of the
province; how current forest management practices maintain critical
biodiversity values through practices such as green-tree retention; and
the use of silvicultural practices to improve forest productivity.
"These and the other projects need to have their funding restored
immediately," Dr. Coxson said. "The future of our forests, our
communities and our economy is at stake."
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For Further information:
Dr. Darwyn Coxson (Prince George) - 250-612-2678
Robert Clift (Vancouver) – 604-817-1649
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 April 2009 )
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Getting Past the Spin on Post-Secondary Funding - April 27, 2009 |
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Written by Paul Bowles
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Monday, 27 April 2009 |
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Getting Past the Spin on Post-Secondary Funding
By Dr. Paul Bowles
CUFA BC Wire
April 27, 2009
When the BC political party leaders debated each other on the radio last week it was no surprise that the economy dominated the discussion. But it was a surprise that neither of the two main party leaders, Gordon Campbell or Carole James, mentioned post-secondary education, especially as both have recognized the importance of this sector to the future economic prosperity of the province.
At next week's televised leader's debate they will have another chance. What is the main issue? Well, first you have to get past the spin. Both parties make nice sounding commitments but are short on specifics. The Liberals, since they are running on their record, provide some figures that, unfortunately, are misleading. A good example is their statement that between 2000/01 and 2011/12 funding for post-secondary institutions will have increased by 76 per cent. But that's only true if you include the 145 per cent increase in tuition fee revenue which comes out of the pockets of students and their parents and not from the government.
Much more to the point is that the number of inflation-adjusted dollars provided by the provincial government to public post-secondary institutions per full-time student will have fallen by 8.8 per cent during that time period. That's right, for all the spin, the province's public universities and colleges receive a significantly fewer real dollars per student from the provincial government than they did eight years ago. And it fell under the eight years of the NDP administration before that.
There has been a long run trend of declining funding per student in real terms. That's why professors across the province are more concerned than ever about educational quality and cutbacks to programs. And that's why it should be a part of any election debate.
Dr. Paul Bowles is a Professor of Economics at the University of Northern British Columbia and President of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia. He is also a past member of the Economic Forecast Council of BC.
Advanced Education Financial Statistics (Excel / PDF)
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Last Updated ( Monday, 27 April 2009 )
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UVic and UBC Profs to be Honoured for Community-Based Research - April 2, 2009 |
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Written by Robert Clift
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Thursday, 02 April 2009 |
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UVic and UBC Profs to be Honoured for Community-Based Research
CUFA BC News Release
April 2, 2009
VANCOUVER – A University of Victoria professor whose research helps
Aboriginal men to become better fathers and a University of British
Columbia professor working with families, schools, and communities to
find ways to promote children's empathy, altruism, and well-being will
receive this year's CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards on April 8th.
UVic's Dr. Jessica Ball will be named Academic of the Year for her work
with Aboriginal communities in developing new understandings and
resources to support fathers. UBC's Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl will
receive the Paz Buttedahl Career Achievement Award for more than two
decades of work on finding ways to promote positive emotional and social
growth in young people.
These awards are presented annually by the Confederation of University
Faculty Associations of BC (CUFA BC) to recognize faculty members at
BC's public universities who use their research and scholarly work to
make contributions to the wider community.
"Dr. Ball and Dr. Schonert-Reichl are outstanding examples of faculty
members at BC universities who not only use their research to benefit
the wider community, but who also work in partnership with community
organizations to identify and help fill research needs," said Dr. Paul
Bowles, President of CUFA BC.
"Dr. Ball's work in creating research-based resources for Aboriginal
fathers is unique in Canada and moves beyond stereotypes to help heal
the wounds created by the residential schools," Bowles continued. "Dr.
Schonert-Reichl's research on child and adolescent emotional and social
development has resulted both in new theoretical insights and in
practical programs used by schools and community organizations to
develop healthier and happier kids."
Mark Forsythe, host of CBC Radio One's BC Almanac, will emcee the awards
dinner on Wednesday, April 8th at the Law Courts Inn in Vancouver.
The CUFA BC Distinguished Academics Awards are in their fifteenth year
and receive generous support from Phillips, Hager & North Investment
Management Ltd., CBC Radio One, University of British Columbia, Simon
Fraser University, the University of Victoria, the University of
Northern British Columbia and Royal Roads University.
CUFA BC represents 4,500 university professors, instructors, academic
librarians and other academic staff at the province's five doctoral
universities – SFU (Burnaby, Vancouver and Surrey campuses), UBC
(Vancouver and Kelowna campuses), UNBC (Prince George, Terrace, Fort St.
John and Quesnel campuses), UVic and Royal Roads University.
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For further information, please call Robert Clift, CUFA BC Executive
Director, at (604) 817-1649.
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