From: lyndon@unbc.edu (Lyndon Nerenberg)
Newsgroups: bc.general
Subject: Re: UNBC ... Online?
Date: 29 Sep 92 23:29:20 GMT
Distribution: bc
Organization: University of Northern B.C.


 dkmiller@unixg.ubc.ca (Derek K. Miller) writes:
> Interesting; UNBC is connected via UBC, but is "unbc.edu" and not "unbc.ca."
> Why is that?

Because I was worried about confusion between ubc.ca and unbc.ca. It's
confusing enough right now differentiating on the *phone* right now. (So
far six people I have talked to were shocked that "UBC" had moved to
Prince George and they had not heard about it :-)

> Incidentally, I noted that UNBC posted a full-page ad in The Chronicle of Higher
> Education in the U.S., looking for professors.
> 
> Something is actually happening.

Are you kidding? I wouldn't want to be in Human Resources right now. We're
getting applications for the 40 academic positions from around the world
right now.

I have attached a copy of a press release issued yesterday discussing the
IGC meeting this past weekend. It gives an indication of where UNBC is
right now. I can post more of these if people are interested. (Rob tends
to keep the hype to a reasonable level.)

--lyndon


Media Information

September 28, 1992 for immediate release


         Interim Governing Council Meeting Summary


The Interim Governing Council of the University of  Northern
British Columbia met in Prince George on Saturday, September
26, with 16 of its members in attendance.  The  meeting  was
originally  to  have been in Fort St. John, but a meeting in
that city has been postponed.

The Peace River region, however,  was  the  subject  of  the
first item of business as the regional co-ordinator for that
area was named. Dr Nick Petryszak will  be  UNBC's  regional
co-ordinator  in  the Northeast, moving from his post as the
University's Co-ordinator of Co-op Education.

In  addition  to  the  Peace  River  region,  regional   co-
ordinators  will  be  appointed  in Terrace and Quesnel. The
University has re-advertised for those  two  positions,  but
still  hopes  that  the  first three posts will be filled by
January of 1993. Regional co-ordinators will be, in a sense,
the  eyes and ears of the University in the various regions,
meeting with community college  boards,  local  governments,
and other advisory groups.

Another substantial hiring  campaign  is  underway  as  UNBC
plans  to  hire  40  of its initial faculty members over the
course of the winter. About 60 applications have been arriv-
ing  at  the  University  each day, and at the current rate,
between 2500 and 3000 applications will be sent  in  by  the
time  the  competition  closes  on  October  30th. UNBC Vice
President Academic Ken Coates calls this project one of  the
most  important this university will ever undertake, compar-
ing it both in scope and magnitude to the  building  of  the
Prince  George  campus. The applicants are from all over the
world. The University is looking  to  hire  people  with  an
excellent  teaching  record,  a commitment to research espe-
cially in the University's specialty areas,  and  those  who
are  comfortable with UNBC's regional mandate. An additional
110 faculty members will be hired next year.

It was announced at the meeting that the first Program Chair
has  been  hired.  Robin  Fisher  is  an historian currently
teaching at Simon Fraser University where he has won  awards
for  teaching  and research. He specializes in Northern His-
tory and will become the Program Chair of History.

The University's first courses began  just  over  two  weeks
ago,  and  already discussions are underway to expand course



                     September 29, 1992





                           - 2 -


offerings next fall in preparation for  full  operations  to
commence  in the fall of 1994. How much of an expansion will
occur is still unkown as the University is  in  negotiations
with the Ministry of Advanced Education, Training, and Tech-
nology and any extra budget allotment to  fund  the  program
still  must  go  through  Treasury  Board  and Cabinet. UNBC
President Geoffrey Weller says the University is  interested
in offering more programs to meet the needs of northern stu-
dents but the expanded program cannot be done at the expense
of planning for full start-up the subsequent year.

The present English, Psychology,  and  History  courses  are
being  taught  in  Prince George, Terrace, Dawson Creek, and
Fort St. John and just over 70 students are enroled.  Future
course  delivery  in the regions will be explored in greater
detail in regional  academic  plans  which  may  be  written
within a year.

The President's report  to  the  Interim  Governing  Council
dealt  in  part  with a trip Professor Weller made to Alaska
where meetings were  held  with  the  two  branches  of  the
University of Alaska. In Fairbanks and Anchorage, agreements
were reached on joint  research  initiatives.  A  delegation
from  the  University of Alaska is expected to visit UNBC in
the summer.

At an Arctic Policy  Conference,  informal  agreements  were
reached  on  programming  and  student  exchanges with other
universities that offer Northern Studies programs.


For further information, contact:

     Rob van Adrichem, Media Officer, UNBC
     (604) 565-5555






















                     September 29, 1992