in Response to Owner's Illegal Activities

 

CUFA/BC News Release
October 18, 2006 

In response to today's report that Michael Lo and Kingston College had "repeatedly and flagrantly" mislead students and government officials, the organization representing BC's public university professors demanded that the provincial government suspend operations of Mr. Lo's other post-secondary institution, Lansbridge University.

"There is now incontrovertible evidence that Michael Lo has misled students and government officials for more than six years about degree-granting activities at Kingston College," said Robert Clift, Executive Director of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of BC (CUFA/BC). "If this information had been known when he applied to operate Lansbridge University in British Columbia, he would never have received approval. Clearly Lansbridge University's BC operations must be shut down."

The investigation by Jim Wright, registrar of the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA), found that Michael Lo and Kingston College had contravened the Private Post-Secondary Education Act, the Private Career Training Institutions Act, the University Act, and the Degree Authorization Act over a six-year period.

"The PCTIA has ordered Kingston College shut down," Clift said. "In light of these revelations, Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell has to protect students from Michael Lo potentially defrauding students at Lansbridge University or one of his high schools."

The university professors said this case highlights the gross inadequacies in provincial legislation to protect students from unscrupulous and illegal operators.

"The students who initiated this investigation are left out in the cold because there are no provisions to protect them from this type of illegal activity," Clift said. "We are demanding that Minister Coell bring forward legislation this spring to establish an independent office with the power to hear student complaints, shut down questionable institutions, and order restitution for students who are victims of this type of fraud."

Representing 4,200 university professors, instructors, academic librarians and other academic staff at SFU (Burnaby, Vancouver and Surrey campuses), UBC (Vancouver and Kelowna campuses), UNBC, UVic and Royal Roads University, CUFA/BC monitors BC's post-secondary education policy, conducts research, and provides advice to government on how they can improve post-secondary learning and research.