Volume 9, Number 3

Minter planted
roots at UCFV

Like the master gardener he is, Brian
Minter helped nurture the University
College of the Fraser Valley through
some of its biggest growth years, and
watched as it blossomed into a
comprehensive, degree-granting
institution. ene

Chilliwack’s Minter, proprietor of
Country Garden and Minter Gardens
among other endeavours, finished his
term as chair of the UCFV Board this past
summer, and was honoured at a special
ceremony at the Chilliwack campus on
September 27.

Gardening allusions abounded as
various UCFV people paid tributes to
Minter’s contribution to the
university-college.

Minter was appointed to the Board in
1987, and became its chair in 1990, as the
then-Fraser Valley College began a big
push to become a university-college and
offer third- and fourth-year programming.

He’s witnessed many high points
during his tenure, and some low ones as
well, and leaves many unfinished tasks
for his successor, Mission’s Noel Hall,
and the rest of the UCFV community to
pursue.

“The number one highlight has to have
been the people,” says Minter. “There
was a real learning curve when I came
into the job but I had the opportunity to
spend a great deal of time with PreSident
Peter Jones, the management team, the
faculty and staff. They were patient
teachers of Board members, willing to
take you into their confidence and share
their aspirations and goals.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
of the FRASER VALLEY

October 5, 1994

Virginia Cooke and lan Fenwick want to keep Brian Minter involved in post-secondary
politics, and at his goodbye reception they presented a pilot phone-in radio show which
would see Minter dispensing advice to beleagured college boards as he currently does for
the province’s gardeners. Sample problems: Collegium Doldrums, Publicus Stigmatus,
bugs and moles in the board room. Minter and President Peter Jones were amused.

“Then there’s the many faculty and
staff who have received national
recognition for their work, and the
students who have honoured us with their
many successes and inspirational spirit in
difficult times.”

Another major highlight was when the
college was successful in its bid for
university-college status in July of 1991.

“Tt was a long fight to become a
university-college, with so many ups and
downs — it was in our grasp and slipped
away SO many times for political
reasons,” he recalls. “Another big
highlight was finally getting capital
funding for much-needed building
projects in Chilliwack, Mission, and
Abbotsford.”

There were several other highlights.

“When I first came to the college the
province was coming out of a severe

recession and the college had had to cut

back radically in the regional centres.
Going back and establishing an improved
presence in Agassiz, Hope, and Mission
was really important,” Minter recalls.

He also enjoyed going through an
institutional evaluation that resulted in the
college’s first mission statement and a
strategic plan; helping to establish
community councils in all UCFV
communities; watching as UCFV’s sports
teams brought home national medals
despite having no gym or fields to call
their own; and monitoring the
development of new diploma and degree
programs.

“Graduation ceremonies were also a
real highlight for me, seeing people from
all walks of life being able to get a
diploma or degree that they might not

Please see Minter, page 2