January 22, 2002 For Immediate Release

The British Columbia College of Teachers has approved a new bachelor's degree program in Teacher Education to be offered by the University of Northern British Columbia. UNBC has already begun advertising for faculty and is planning to begin offering the new program in September 2002, but implementation is dependent on Provincial Government funding.

UNBC's two-year BEd will initially offer training for students interested in teaching at the early (K-5), and senior years (9-12). The University has plans to develop a middle years (grades 6-8) program in the future. The program will be open to students who have already completed a bachelor's degree in an academic area that is commonly taught in British Columbia schools. Program features:

· emphasis on teaching in northern communities
· working with First Nations
· 20 weeks of practical classroom experience

"Receiving approval from the College of Teachers is a milestone for us in the development of this program," says Robin Fisher, Dean of Arts, Social and Health Sciences at UNBC. "The College of Teachers has been working hard with us to develop a teacher education program of high quality."

"From day one, the school districts and community colleges in northern BC have worked with us to develop a program that will meet northern needs," says Paul Madak, Chair of Education. "In addition to offering courses in Prince George, we are proposing to start our first regional cohort in Terrace."

"We're looking to appoint about five new faculty to begin offering the program, ramping up to 15 faculty and staff when the program is fully operational," says Charles Jago, UNBC President. "There's a need for this program in the North, where teacher recruitment and retention can be a challenge."

The proposed BEd will provide new opportunities for students to become teachers. Since 1994, UNBC has offered a master's degree program in Education, providing additional training for current teachers and others in counselling and instruction.