President's Newsletter — Issue 7 (November, 2009)
Good News
I begin this Newsletter with two good news stories, which, while very different from one another, constitute moments of substantial achievement for Kwantlen, and confirm, each in its own way, that Kwantlen is maturing as an institution.
First, we formally opened the new research facility for the Institute for Sustainable Horticulture several weeks ago, and announced the creation of the Leading Edge Endowment Fund Chair, occupied by Dr. Deborah Henderson. Both these initiatives constitute true firsts. ISH is Kwantlen’s first recipient of support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which was, in turn, matched with support from the British Columbia Ministry of Small Business, Trade and Economic Development. The LEEF (Leading Edge Endowment Fund) Chair is Kwantlen’s first endowed Chair, and was created with funding from the provincial government and the Kwantlen Foundation. Focusing as it does on sustainable agriculture, agro-food security, and urban agriculture, ISH is ideally positioned to be a major contributor to our regional economy. A large group of university, government, and community representatives attended the Official Opening, despite inclement weather, and former Premier Mike Harcourt, now well-known for his commitment to sustainability and smart urban living, was the key-note speaker.
Second was the surprising success of the Kwantlen Women’s Soccer team, who are this year’s British Columbia Colleges’ Athletics Association Champions. This is the first such championship in Kwantlen history, and it constitutes an event of singular importance for Kwantlen’s fledgling athletics program. The reason for its importance is obvious: it is about the success of our students. The team only just snuck into the playoffs, but then in three straight shoot-outs defeated in turn the Vancouver Island University Mariners, the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack and the Langara College Falcons (who are defending national champions). The University should be enormously proud of what has been achieved here. The simple fact is that Interuniversity Athletics has never been very high on our institutional agenda, even though we accept that they contribute a great deal to furthering the institution’s reputation. We congratulate all the team’s members and coaches and wish them well at the National Championships in Toronto.
Office of Vice-President (Academic) and Provost
As I announced earlier this week, Judith McGillivray intends to retire from the institution effective August, 2010. Judith has served with distinction during her sixteen years with Kwantlen, and there is no question that her departure will leave a very large space both in the administration and in the University generally. As Vice-President (Academic) and Provost, she was instrumental in providing leadership in the transformation of Kwantlen from a college to a university college to a university. At a personal level, I have relied on Judith enormously in my short time at Kwantlen, and will very much miss her wise counsel. The job of Vice-President (Academic) and Provost is an enormously challenging one, requiring deft administrative skills as well as an ability to deal with colleagues in a way that respects and celebrates differences and the unique contributions each person brings to Kwantlen. Judith’s contributions in this regard are exemplary of what constitutes an outstanding academic administrator. I shall in due course be consulting with the Deans, Senate, and the Board of Governors regarding Judith’s successor.
Resources and Budget
A departure from previous budgets is this year’s mid-year budget review, which is in its final stages of completion. Its purpose is to account for both new revenues and new expenses, recognizing as we do that circumstances change, especially as they relate to enrolment. Our final recommendations went to Senate last week, and they will be forwarded to the Board of Governors for consideration at its November meeting. Although Kwantlen is hardly swimming in money, it is in reasonable financial shape, and we have, as a consequence, been able to deal with some pressing budget needs. While Kwantlen experienced a budget cut of $700,000 ($600,000 for capital renovations, $100,000 for literacy), this was to some measure offset by one-time year-end funding of approximately the same amount, a general increase of $1.6 million for 2009-2010 (which more or less replaces the 2% reduction of the previous year), and the targeted funds Kwantlen received through the Federal and Provincial Infrastructure Program. As a result of the mid-year budget review, we allocated $1,617,600 in new continuing funds and $837,400 in one-time funds. We received $7,119,800 in asks. A list of allocations, along with a comprehensive list of all budget requests, will be available on the University’s Finance website after Board approval.
The University has also experienced a substantial increase in tuition revenue, although this has largely been used to provide additional class sections to accommodate student demand. These allocations are also available on the Finance website. Enrolment for the current year is up 11%, and we anticipate that Kwantlen will have its largest cohort of students in history. On the negative side, we should be concerned about a $16 million reduction in student aid, which will have significant negative impact on our students.
While our ability to attract more students is a very positive sign, it brings new challenges. Class size continues to be a problem for the University, as marginal revenues in many cases are exceeded by marginal costs. It takes a course with 35 students to break even, and, of course, Kwantlen has many courses with fewer than 35 students. While small classes are a major selling point for Kwantlen, and are critical to who and what we are as an institution, it is clear that the university needs greater flexibility in determining class size, especially as it offers more limited enrolment third and fourth-year classes as part of new degree programs.
One very particular disappointment is the recent decision of the Government to cease funding Kwantlen’s SPARK Program. The University initially received four-year funding for the program, which was intended to provide opportunities for at risk students who might not otherwise have access to post-secondary education. There is no question that the program has been successful. The current situation has nothing to do with program quality but is the result of the provincial budget situation. We shall be looking at other possibilities in association with the SPARK Foundation over the next few months, and I am pleased that, in the meantime, the Kwantlen Foundation has agreed to fund one more cohort for the current year.
Academic Developments and Related Matters
Academic development continues apace. The new B.Sc. in Applied Psychology was recently approved by the Ministry, and is the first Kwantlen degree program approved under our current DQAB exemption. As well, after a long and arduous process, we have just received approval for a new Bachelor of Fine Arts. Many people deserve credit for this success, which has required both commitment and persistence. The addition of the new BFA will substantially reinforce Kwantlen’s position as an institution offering a comprehensive array of programming in both Art and Design. In this regard, too, it should be noted that the Centre for Design and Communications is developing a new degree program in Product Design, intended for implementation in September, 2010.
Of note is the decision of the Department of Journalism to move from the Centre for Design and Communications to the Faculty of Social Sciences. While on the surface, this is merely an administrative change, it will offer substantial academic opportunity for Journalism faculty to interact with faculty from cognate disciplines in the social sciences. This is especially important as Journalism intends a major restructuring of its program. At its last meeting, Senate approved the proposal for a new degree in Asian Studies, and I notice that a further new B.A. in Sociology is coming forward for decision, likely in November.
Implicit in such developments is that we must see ourselves as a receiving institution rather than one that transfers students to other institutions after one or two years of study. This does not diminish the importance of our many certificates or diplomas; indeed it does the very reverse, reinforcing that Kwantlen is in the business of offering its own credentials rather than being a way station for students transferring elsewhere. This is where our resources must be committed rather than to a continuing role as a transfer institution.
I understand that discussion is continuing about the possible amalgamation of the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities into a single Faculty of Arts. The decanal position in Humanities is now vacant, and will remain so until the future of Social Sciences and Humanities is settled. This is not the first time that amalgamation has been discussed at Kwantlen, although there is no assumption that joining the two Faculties together is an automatic outcome. These decisions are now the proper business of individual Faculties, and require the approval of both the University Senate and the Board of Governors.
I am also mindful that the core disciplines in Arts must remain vital and healthy, and must not be marginalized in an institution with a focus on applied learning. Indeed the centrality of broad-based undergraduate education is central to the mission of any university, and any discussion of a merger between the Humanities and the Social Sciences must not be about partisan concerns. The major issue is what will most benefit the University and in particular our students.
Further to my last Newsletter, some of you will know that the University Senate has struck a special task force to examine learning services at Kwantlen. One thing here must be made clear: this review is not about the quality of current programming, which has served the institution well. It is about positioning Kwantlen as an institution with a continuing commitment to accessibility and student retention. It is critical that our learning services make the best use of the resources available, and that we continue to offer students the best learning support we can. Striking is that many universities are developing academic units equivalent to our College of Qualifying Studies, and in this regard we must maintain our competitive advantage in an area that has been key to Kwantlen’s identity and mandate for a very long time. There is also a proposal for a new Faculty of Library and Student Engagement Services, which will be considered by Senate at its November meeting.
Senate has also approved a special Senate Lecture Series intended to focus on areas of special interest to Kwantlen as an emerging university. This includes such topics as tenure and promotion, academic rank, research at a teaching university, and departmental responsibilities and authority. The intention is to raise understanding and awareness and not to determine institutional direction. Universities are built on the principle of free and open discussion, which is fundamental to who and what they are; this, in fact, is the principle of academic freedom.
Mission and Mandate, Reviews etc.
The Mission and Mandate Committee has completed its work, and the final document will be on the agenda of the November meeting of Senate. My impression is that the exercise resulting in this document was a very positive one, and I very much appreciate the input that we received from across the institution. Drafting something of this sort is an extraordinary undertaking, as the Mission and Mandate Committee responded to the many different perceptions of Kwantlen and the myriad of hopes and ambitions for its future, all of which have their individual integrity and legitimacy. The Mission and Mandate document is, of course, only the first step, as it will subsequently inform our academic planning and our budget allocation process.
As the institution makes the transition to a university, it is important that the University’s administrative and support units be positioned to support this new mandate. It is for this reason that external reviews are so important. We are currently awaiting the report of the external review of International Education. The external reviewers for Marketing and Communications are currently on campus.
Kwantlen was fortunate to find outstanding external reviewers, in the case of Marketing and Communications, Heather Magotiaux, Vice-President, Advancement, University of Saskatchewan, and Peter Brodsky, Director of Communications at Mount Royal University, and in the case of International Education, Dr. Sheila Embleton, former Provost of York University and current Chair of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, and Dr Stephen Dunnett, Associate Vice-President (International Education), at the University of Buffalo.
We have begun Kwantlen’s rebranding exercise, with the assistance of Ci (Creative Intelligence). Everyone will recall, I hope, that we conducted a comprehensive search process, which attracted applicants from as far away as California. To assist with the rebranding exercise, we have put together a broad based committee; its membership is as follows:
Mary Jane Stenberg, Executive Director External Relations, Chair
Nathan Griffiths, Student
Brandon Hastings, Student
Bob Basil, Faculty, Applied Communications
Rick Cuff, Faculty, Graphic Design for Marketing
Ross Laird, Faculty, Creative Writing
Ron Maggiore, Executive Director Strategic Enrollment Management
Peter Chevrier, Director Marketing and Communications
Jody Gordon, Vice President Student Services and Registrar
John McKendry, Special Advisor to the President, Langley Campus
Jason Dyer, Executive Director Research and Scholarship
Arthur Coren, Dean School of Business
Tracey Bowles, Campus Admissions Supervisor
Kim Barichievy, Facilities Interior Designer and Alumna
Maggie Fung, Executive Director, IET
As with Mission and Mandate, this will be a consultative process that allows anyone who so wishes to have a voice in how Kwantlen positions itself.
Campus Development, Space
As I am certain everyone knows, Kwantlen has limited recreational facilities for its students on any of its campuses, and those we do have are quite inadequate. And while competitive Athletics at Canadian universities do not generate the kind of fan interest experienced in the United States, they are still a sign of institutional maturity. The solution, moreover, is not a simple one, as a new Recreation and Athletics Facility would run anywhere from $25 – 30 million, well beyond Kwantlen’s capability. When our current facilities were built, no one envisioned that Kwantlen would someday be a university and need university-level facilities.
At the same time, we cannot sit idly by. We are therefore working with the City of Surrey in the development of a new all-weather field at Newton Athletic Park, which will be shared by the City of Surrey and the University. Final commitment to this project, which will cost the institution approximately $1.5 million will, in due course, require Board review and approval. Not only will this project add a valuable recreational facility, it expresses Kwantlen’s wish to partner with Surrey in the future, which, in my view, is a relationship that we must cultivate. Should this project be approved and go ahead, we would aim to have the facility available for the Fall, 2010.
The Kwantlen Student Association recently conducted a referendum to increase the student fees paid to the organization. These new fees are intended to assist with a variety of projects that will enhance student life. One of the most noteworthy relates to the construction of a Student Building on the Surrey Campus. As I suspect everyone knows, the KSA is a third party independent organization which is free to determine its own priorities. At the same time, the construction of any new building will require much consultation with the University, as well as approval of the Board.
There is hope, as well, that any new facility would be a joint project involving both the KSA and the University. Two tasks, however, must be completed before any new student project can go ahead. A major part of any planning is the need to develop an up-to-date master plan for the Surrey campus, and to have the Surrey campus rezoned from its current designation of Residential to Comprehensive Development (CD). The City of Surrey has made very clear that no additional construction will be allowed on the Surrey campus until this rezoning is completed. This must be a priority for the current year. Funds have been set aside to support this initiative.
I continue to be concerned about the need for some sort of campus rationalization, which is put in sharp relief by plans to construct a Student Building on the Surrey campus. The Surrey campus is Kwantlen’s largest campus (by number of students), and some would argue that its growth has been at the expense of Kwantlen’s other campuses. The construction of a Student Building will confirm that it is Kwantlen’s main campus, something in large measure already established by the construction of a major new Library facility.
We have, of course, made Langley a special priority and have this year experienced some success. Student numbers are up, although Kwantlen is still being out-recruited in Langley and Langley Township by the University of the Fraser Valley. A recruitment strategy for Langley is a high priority for the institution, and John McKendry and Ron Maggiore are together working to ensure that Langley gets our full attention and that we take advantage of the Golden Ears Bridge and the access it provides us to Maple Ridge. Construction of a new administrative wing is now well underway, and we anticipate a move in December.
Two of our campuses continue to concern me. The Cloverdale campus is underutilized, especially after 3:00 pm, during the evening, and on weekends. While a spectacular facility in its own right, I am concerned about the campus’ marginalization, and its general isolation from the remaining campuses. We are currently examining possibilities of introducing other forms of programming at the Cloverdale Facility, and hope to do so beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year. It will most certainly become a centre for continuing education programs as they develop over the next year.
Finally, Richmond is under a different kind of stress. The current design programs require considerably more space, and lack of space is very much inhibiting their growth. The same can be said for programming in other Faculties. As I have previously reported, we have looked at leased space, and will continue to do so, even though nothing we have examined thus far is appropriate and the leasing costs are prohibitive. This leaves us with the challenge of moving some units out of the Richmond campus to another campus, recognizing as we do that we cannot offer every program on every campus. The Deans are currently examining the use of space at Richmond, and will be making recommendations for change. We must come to a conclusion on this matter for the 2010-2011 academic year.
A continuing source of frustration at Kwantlen is the management of space, notably who gets what space and why. As well, we need a comprehensive space plan that incorporates the needs of all four campuses, and which outlines how space is allocated, and who makes that determination. For this reason we have set aside funds in the mid-year budget review to appoint a Director of Space Management, who will report to the Vice-President (Academic) and Provost. This is a position typically found in universities, and one which is long overdue at Kwantlen with its four campuses.
An associated frustration is the finding of space for special functions and conferences, limited as we are by the lack of large open spaces. It is perhaps insufficiently known that the University currently has a policy concerning outside use of our space, which may change as we move forward with our comprehensive policy review. At the same time, I remind everyone to consult the relevant section of the Facilities website concerning the outside use of space.
We must also be cognizant of the costs associated with outside use of campus space, and that in the rental of space we must at the very least cover the institution’s overhead costs. Charitable organizations receive a 75% discount, and “system partners” receive a 50% reduction. All outside use must be signed off by a Dean or higher. The simple fact, however, is that University space is being used by all sorts of groups without going through the official booking process. We estimate that this currently costs the University about $100,000/year. One of the first tasks for a Director of Space Management will be to develop appropriate procedures to remedy this situation.
Two final things worthy of mention. I have been been receiving inquiries about our plans for a Tim Horton’s on campus, and wish to assure everyone that they are moving ahead. I have been assured that an outlet will be available in the new year. It is also my understanding that planning has commenced on the new student services space at Langley.
New Board Members
I am pleased to advise that four new Board members have recently been appointed. I wish to welcome them to the Board, and, for those new to the University, to welcome them to Kwantlen. The new Board members are as follows:
Yuri Fulmer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of FDC Brands, which includes A&W and Mr. Mike’s Steakhouses; it is one of Canada’s largest privately-held food and beverage businesses. He has taken on many community leadership roles, and in 2007 was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40.
Kenneth Tung is currently the President of BTI Technologies Inc., and was previously the President of Compumax Systems Corporation. Kenneth is the Vice Chair and former Chair of SUCCESS, a member of the Board of Directors for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a member of the Richmond General Hospital Ethics Board, and an assessor for the Canada Millenium Scholarship Foundation.
Kristan Ash is Director of Operations for the Healing Hands Rehabilitation Services Inc. Previously, she was the Vice-President for Franchise and Business Development for Nurse Next Door Home Healthcare. She is an active member of the Kwantlen Alumni Association, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Kwantlen.
Ariana Arguello is an elected member to the Board as a professional and support staff member. Ariana currently works in the Department of Institutional Analysis and Planning as Manager of Strategic Planning. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University, and has previously worked in the United States Department of Commerce and in Chile evaluating the socio-economic impact of mega infrastructure projects on indigenous communities.
Kwantlen is exceedingly fortunate to have these four accomplished individuals join its Board, and certainly I look forward to working with them over the next few years.
United Way
Each year, Kwantlen participates in the United Way, although I must confess that its participation level has never been substantial in comparison to comparable organizations. One problem was that we previously joined together the United Way Campaign with the Campus Campaign, and inevitably this forced people to choose. This year we have split the two campaigns, and have put in place an entirely volunteer leadership team for the Kwantlen United Way campaign.
The Kwantlen Campaign is fortunate to have Ronnie Skolnick as its Chair, and it includes an able list of volunteers: George Broderick, Robyn Rushford, Cathy Anderson, Tally Wade, Julia Denker, Michelle Sutter, and Kathleen Hearty. I am hosting United Way lunches on each of the campuses. They are not intended as fundraisers, but will instead focus on the good work that the United Way supports. I encourage anyone who is interested to attend, and, of course, I ask that all members of the Kwantlen community give consideration to making some sort of donation, big or small, to the United Way.
David W. Atkinson
President & Vice Chancellor
