BC cabinet shuffle affects colleges and universities – October, 2010 Post-Secondary Changes For the first time in about 20 years, colleges and However, those employers will apparently still universities were separated into two distinct belong to the Post-Secondary Employers’ ministries after the most recent BC Liberal Cabinet Association (PSEA) for bargaining purposes. shuffle. The Hon. will run the new Ministry The Hon. will head up the new Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development. She of Science and Universities, overseeing all will oversee colleges and institutes as well as post- universities, including the five former colleges, secondary policy and finance (excluding institutes and university-colleges repurposed in 2008 universities). by . Stilwell’s current portfolio is extensive. Added to The newer universities will fall mainly under her post-secondary duties is a long list of other Chong’s ministry except where they deliver skills important responsibilities, such as regional and/or industry training programs. economic and rural development, immigration policy and the Public Sector Employers’ Council These include Vancouver Island University and (PSEC) Secretariat, plus much more. Emily Carr University of Art+Design whose support Staff are members of CUPE. The Ministers 1. Minister of Science and Universities – Hon. Ida Chong Minister Chong was first Chong has held several portfolios over the past elected MLA for Oak Bay- few years, including Minister of Small Business, Gordon Head in 1996. She is Technology & Economic Development and a Certified General Minister of Advanced Education. Accountant and former

senior partner in a Saanich accounting practice.

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND UNIVERSITIES

General Responsibilities Major Agencies, Boards and Commissions . Universities, university financing . University Boards of Governors . University policy and accountability . Leading Edge Endowment Fund Board . Research, innovation and technology . BC Innovation Council . Year of Science . Premier’s Technology Council . Student financial assistance

1 COPE491 2. Minister of Regional Economic and Skills Development – Hon. Moira Stilwell

Dr. Stilwell was first Under Stilwell’s watch, post-secondary funding elected MLA for and funded student seats were effectively frozen Vancouver-Langara in and the student aid budget dropped from $116 2009. Before the election, million to $84 million—a 28 per cent cut. Stilwell was employed as a Like Chong, Stilwell sits on the influential radiologist and nuclear Treasury Board cabinet committee. She is also medicine physician at BC Vice-Chair of the Economics Committee, Women’s Hospital. She chaired by Colin Hansen. was also a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Radiology in the Faculty of Her appointments to these two high-ranking Medicine at the University of . committees, plus the range and diversity of her ministerial responsibilities, suggest Stilwell is a This is Stilwell’s second cabinet appointment cabinet heavy hitter. since June 2009. She served as Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development from June 2009 to October 2010.

MINISTRY OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

General Responsibilities . Rural BC Secretariat . Crown Agencies Resourcing Office . Colleges . Public Sector Employers’ Council Secretariat . Post-secondary financing (excluding Major Agencies, Boards and Commissions universities) . Post-secondary policy and accountability . Industry Training Authority (excluding universities) . Colleges and institutes . Multiculturalism . Private Career Training Institutions Agency . Immigration policy . BC College and Institute Boards . Labour market policy . British Columbia Council on Admissions and . Provincial Nominee Program Transfers . WorkBC . Degree Quality Assessment Board . BladeRunners . BC Pension Corporation . Industry training . Multicultural Advisory Council . Community adjustment . Northern Development Initiative Trust . Community Development Trust . North Island Coast Development Initiative Trust . Community Business Loans Program . Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust . Land use planning . Nechako-Kitimaat Development Fund Society . Regional economic and rural development . BC-Alcan Northern Development Fund . Economic development policy . Mountain pine beetle . Columbia Basin Trust

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The Deputy Ministers 1. Don Fast, Deputy Minister of Science and Universities Don Fast has held several Fast led trade missions and negotiated several senior posts in the BC, working agreements with the government of Saskatchewan and federal China. governments. He sat as an ex-officio member of the BC He was the Deputy Minister Innovation Council (BCIC), a crown agency of of the Ministry of Small the provincial government. The BCIC is Business, Technology and dedicated to ―develop entrepreneurial talent and Economic Development commercialize technology through start-up between 2006 and 2010. He briefly served under companies and partnerships between industry Minister Chong when she headed up that and academia. Ministry. Fast holds a Master of Science degree from Fast has promoted the Trade, Investment and York University and is a licensed professional Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) and key engineer. international trade agreements. His salary will be $211,931.00 per year.

2. Philip Steenkamp, Deputy Minister of Regional Economic and Skills Development Dr. Steenkamp has been a . Ontario Deputy Minister of Training, Colleges high-ranking career and Universities and Deputy Minister of bureaucrat for many years. Education from 2006 to 2008. Steenkamp is the most . Chief Negotiator for treaties on Vancouver recent Deputy Minister of Island and in northern British Columbia under Advanced Education and the NDP, Deputy Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Labour Market and then Deputy Minister of the Treaty Development—from April Negotiations Office. to October 2010. . History professor at Queen's University for two Steenkamp’s salary will be $260,000.00 per years. Steenkamp then went to the University of year. Victoria, where he taught African and South According to various biographies, his list of African history. While at the University of appointments and educational background Victoria, Steenkamp co-edited a book with include: Rodney Dobell called Public Management in a Borderless Economy. . President and CEO of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games. . Steenkamp attended the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa, graduating with a BA in . Deputy Minister of Strategic Policy and Social History and English. At Queen's University in Development in the Premier’s Office. Kingston, Ontario, he earned his MA and PhD in . BC Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and African history with a focus on migrant labour the Arts. and economic development.

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Did you know: The former Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development Robin Ciceri left government last year to become president of the Research Universities’ Council of BC. RUCBC acts as the principle lobbying organization for BC’s four research universities – UBC, SFU, UVic and UNBC.

Observations The cabinet shuffle has caused quite a stir in This may also explain the government’s six- post-secondary circles, including among CUPE month moratorium on new degree programs. Did members in some colleges and universities. Both the province want to ensure that any new college provincial faculty groups have noted the programs cater to the needs of businesses and significance of dividing advanced education into government in regional and local economies? two ministries. Charting this new course may wreak havoc with Post Secondary Reactions BC’s smooth-running credit transfer system. Canadian Federation of Students BC Robert Clift, executive director of the Chairperson Nimmi Takkar said, ―Historically, Confederation of University Faculty students have moved seamlessly between Associations of British Columbia, called the colleges and universities in BC using a move a ―major shakeup‖ for post-secondary renowned credit transfer system. This new education. framework must demonstrate that it will Federation of Post-Secondary Educators strengthen student mobility." President Cindy Oliver said, ―Post-secondary Conclusion education is a collaborative field but, to get the most out of that collaboration, you need to have If the government intends to turn back the clock, a single Minister responsible for the entire many students from low-and middle-income system. Our concern is that dividing those families will have a more difficult time responsibilities between two Ministers may well financing their post-secondary education. The detract from the kind of collaboration that we ability to transfer credits from colleges to think is necessary and possible.‖ universities allows BC students to live close to home for the first two years – a much a more By separating universities and colleges, the affordable option for those residing in many premier appears to be telling universities to parts of rural BC. concentrate on research and academic programs and colleges to focus on vocational and industry Above all, if this change signals a radical training. restructuring of the post-secondary system, the question we should all be asking is: Why During his cabinet announcement, the Premier weren’t all the stakeholders, including CUPE said the change would add "new momentum to members in this sector, consulted? our excellent college system to assist with regional job creation."

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