To the Editor,
Re: VIU profs need student support, Letters, March 1.
Vancouver Island University professors need the support of all Nanaimo residents.
I agree we need to support the professors in their demands to curtail the dropping of courses at VIU.
We have a little gem of a university here in Nanaimo that all residents should be proud of. The young people of B.C. are our most precious resource, and we need to support their education for a better future for all of us.
The provincial government has reduced the budget for VIU for the past several years resulting in courses being cut and students unable to complete their degree.
This situation does not bode well for the future of this institution, as students will not come if they fear the courses they need will not be available.
The administration is also faced with an unusual situation, in that, trade programs usually offered at community colleges (i.e. hairdressing, small engine repair, etc.) are still being offered here, a legacy from the days when the institution was Malaspina University-College.
Private schools are available offering courses for the trades. I’m not sure they need to be taught in a university setting.
Are these courses going to continue to be offered while university departments are in danger of being cut? A decision needs to be made regarding what it means to be a university.
With a new premier committed to putting families first, educating our young people would be a good place to start.
Connie Livingstone
Nanaimo
