Report Released On Future Of Post-Secondary Education

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
2007AE0026-000500
April 23, 2007

Ministry of Advanced Education

VICTORIA – Geoff Plant, QC, special adviser to the Premier and Advanced Education Minister for Campus 2020: Thinking Ahead, has submitted his final report to the provincial government on the future of B.C.’s post-secondary education system.

The report, entitled Access and Excellence: The Campus 2020 Plan for British Columbia’s Post-Secondary Education System, makes 52 recommendations to government on how to build on the strengths of British Columbia’s existing system of higher education.“I want to thank Geoff Plant and his entire team for doing an excellent job on this report and providing us with a set of thoughtful recommendations that will help shape B.C.’s learning landscape as we move towards 2020,” said Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell. “We will be reviewing the report and recommendations over the coming months.”

The final Campus 2020 report is the result of five months of consultation, with visits to 18 communities across the province and more than 200 written or electronic submissions. About 900 people took part in regional sessions and 160 representatives from post-secondary institutions and agencies, government, business, student, Aboriginal, multi-cultural, community, and labour groups participated in a provincial symposium.

“The consultation process that led to my report generated spirited and fresh discussions about the critically important role of post-secondary education in B.C.,” said Plant. “My recommendations will directly help government map creative, innovative policies for the future.”

The Campus 2020 consultations follow up on the largest expansion of B.C.’s post-secondary system in more than 40 years, including the creation of thousands of new spaces in colleges and universities across the province and millions to fund research.

A copy of the report is available online at www.aved.gov.bc.ca/campus2020.

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Corinna Filion
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