September 14, 2001 For Immediate Release

The Presidents of all six British Columbia universities will be having their annual general meeting in Prince George next week to discuss issues of mutual concern at the provincial and national levels.

The meeting will take place at UNBC on Monday, September 17th. The agenda will include national post-secondary issues, building relationships with the British Columbia government, and new opportunities for universities. Also participating in the session will be BC Advanced Education Minister Shirley Bond.

The keynote address will be open to the media. Lunch will begin at 12noon in the Atrium of the Administration Building and the media are welcome to attend. The keynote speaker will be George Hunter, Executive Director of the BC Technology Industries Association, speaking about the role of universities in advancing BC's economy.

The University Presidents' Council provides leadership on public policy and funding issues significant to British Columbia's six public universities. Within this context, the Council acts as a provincial focal point for working with the BC Government and provincial or national bodies associated with universities.

The university presidents attending the annual general meeting will be:
Martha Piper, The University of British Columbia
Michael Stevenson, Simon Fraser University
David Turpin, University of Victoria
Charles Jago, University of Northern British Columbia
Gerry Kelly, Royal Roads University
Jean Watters, Technical University of British Columbia