May 15, 1996 For Immediate Release

preliminary report of the University of Northern British Columbia Planning Committee has been compiled and is being circulated throughout northern BC for comment. The report includes a revised mission statement, as well as a list of institutional goals and objectives. Highlights include:

• Giving priority to such areas as Natural Resources Management, Environmental Studies, First Nations Studies, Resource-based Tourism, Northern Community Health, Northern and Aboriginal Social Work, and Northern Studies.
• Targeting to have 3000 full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate students and 500 FTE graduate students by 2001. 3500 total FTE would likely equal about 5000 students. UNBC currently has about 2300 students (1700 FTE).
• Working to increase the northern BC post-secondary participation rate to at least the provincial average, and quadrupling the post-secondary participation rates of First Nations students.
• Making it possible to complete a general arts degree in the Northwest, Peace River - Liard, and South - Central regions, and offering at least one professional program (such as Nursing, Social Work, Commerce, etc.) in each region.
• Attaining a regional enrollment of 20% of the University's overall enrollment.
• Tripling the number of scholarships and bursaries over the next 5 years.
• Developing 3 - 6 UNBC research institutes. UNBC currently has the Northern BC Child Welfare Research Centre and the Northern Land Use Institute.

The UNBC Planning Committee is comprised of the President and Vice-Presidents and representatives of senior adminstration, faculty, staff, students, Board of Governors and Senate. The Committee is hoping to have a final version of its report complete by July.

The original UNBC academic plan was compiled in 1991 by founding UNBC President Geoffrey Weller. Having a university in and for the North remains a key element of the new Planning Committee discussion paper.

Members of the public wanting a copy of the report can contact Wendy Fletcher, Secretary to the Board of Governors, UNBC 960-5606. The University encourages public comment on the discussion paper.