Headlines/Oct. 28, 1992

_UCAC update: good governance and green initiative

Green policy and governance were two
of the issues brought to the table at the
second meeting this year of the
University College Advisory Council.

(For you newcomers, UCAC is the
council that makes recommendations to
the Board on program and policy issues,
sort of like a university senate, but with
less power. Several subcommittees
report to UCAC. There are vacancies on
UCAC for support staff representativs
for the business office and the library.
Contact Hazel Lockhart at 4521 if
you're interested in serving on UCAC
and attending the monthly meetings.)

Virginia Cooke is serving as UCAC
chair this year.

UCAC has been asked to consider
implementing a “green policy”,
addressing several environmental
concerns, by President Peter Jones.

UCAC member Anne Russell
reported on the proposal by Arni
Fullerton, the consultant who guided the
planning process for new additions to
the Chilliwack and Abbotsford
campuses, about his suggestion that
UCFV work towards becoming a
“green” institution. She reported that by
“green” Fullerton means ideas that look
at developments from a wholistic
perspective, incorporating ecological,
social, and economic considerations.

Fullerton contends that:
¢ This period of facilities and

program growth gives UCFV the
opportunity to incorporate “green”
ideas and practices into physical
facilities, operating functions,
transportation, purchasing, and
educational programs.

¢ That UCFV could be a leader in
implementing green ideas in B.C.
and the Fraser Valley, and that as an
educational institution, we have a
responsibility to set an example for
our communities, and should take a
leadership role.

¢ That adhering to green principles
would ultimately be cost-efficient.
In terms of facilities, he noted that
capital costs may be higher initially,
but using, for example, solar or soil
energy sources where possible
would save money in the long run.

¢ That introducing a sustainable
studies program would ensure that
there were people (students and
instructors) on campus who had a
keen interest in monitoring green
initiatives, and that the university
college could be their lab.

¢ That the current provincial
government is philosophically
interested in being environmentally
and socially responsible, and has no
choice but to be fiscally
responsible.

¢ That corporations and other private
funding sources are interested in
being involved in green projects.

Some of Fullerton’s concrete
suggestions are:

¢ To assemble a group of people to
work on green initiatives and make
recommendations to the university
college

¢ To dedicate 1% of the capital
budget to green facilities
development, such as innovative
and efficient energy sources, and
shower facilities and bike racks for
people who want to bike to work,
etc. This could be “leveraged”
through private funding.

UCAC considered putting together a
“green” task force to consider what
could be done to make us a more
“green” institution, keeping in mind that
Erling Close is already chairing the Go

- Green task force, which is looking at

ways to reduce the number of single
occupant vehicles coming to UCFV.

UCFV community members who
have suggestions about how to improve
our environmental practices and/or
who would like to sit on or even chair
such a task force, are invited to contact
UCAC chair Virginia Cooke at local
4293.

Governance

The way in which colleges, including
university colleges, should be governed
is currently the subject of discussion by
the provincial government, the
Advanced Education Council of B.C.,
and the College and Institute Educators
Association.

UCAC has been asked by President

Peter Jones and FSA president Cheryl
Dahl to spark discussion of governance
issues, such as how boards should be
appointed/elected, and the role of
academic councils such as UCAC.

Jones, Virginia Cooke, Patrick
O’Brien and/or Ian McAskill are
forming a subcommittee on the topic
and recruiting new members.

New committee on
Fraser university.

The future of post-secondary
education in the Fraser Valley was
thrown a new curve recently when the
provincial government announced a new
12-member committee to make
recommendations on the subject.

The committee replaces the Fraser
Valley University advisory committee
and the Fraser Valley Industrial Training
Institute advisory committee.

Committee members are: Mohammed
Alam; Bob Brown, former Dean of Arts
at SFU; Shell Harvey, assistant deputy
minister of universities, colleges and
institutes; Frank Jonasen, executive
director of the B.C. EADS; Gerry
Kilcup, vice-president of education at
Kwantlen College; Roslyn Kunin of
EIC; Duncan McPerson; Sandra
McElroy of IWA Canada; Margaret
Neylan of BCIT; Dave Robertson;
Nancy Jean Turner, of UVic, and Brahm
Wiesman, former director of the UBC
school of community and regional