UPEI is calling on the P.E.I. government to shelve plans to allow for the establishment of new degree-granting institutions.
It was learned on Wednesday the province is proposing a new Degree Granting Act in the fall session of the legislature, which gets underway on Friday.
The province says the legislative changes will serve to evolve and enhance the Island’s post-secondary learning system.
Right now, only UPEI can grant degrees.
But Wade MacLauchlan, president of UPEI, is calling on the province not to proceed with the legislation, saying it puts much at risk.
“Your letter cites the experience of New Brunswick and other provinces in approving ‘new’ institutions, claiming that this would take P.E.I. in an ‘innovative direction,’” MacLauchlan writes in a letter to Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allan Campbell.
“Minister Campbell, the experience in other provinces has been closer to fraud than to innovation.”
The Guardian has learned the province has a proposal before it now to create a new, online post secondary institution based in P.E.I.
There is little known about the people behind the new school or what they plan to offer. However, documents obtained by this newspaper say the school cannot compete with existing programs offered at UPEI or Holland College.
“Unless approved by the minister, programs offered by new degree granting institutions must not overlap with programs offered currently by publicly funded institutions located on Prince Edward Island,” says a document entitled Framework for Establishing Degree Granting Institutions.
Campbell said he’s extended an invitation to the president of UPEI to sit down and discuss his concerns but he has no plans to pull the legislation. He said P.E.I. has learned from other provinces and he can assure Islanders that there is nothing fraudulent happening here.
“Minister Campbell, the experience in other provinces has been closer to fraud than to innovation,” - UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan
“We’re the only province in the county that doesn’t have legislation that allows it,” Campbell said in an interview.
“Education is evolving. What we’re looking to do is to ensure we offer as many options as possible to perspective students.”
However, Campbell wouldn’t get into any details about the proposal currently before government.
“To single anybody out at this time — before we have a process in place — wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”
Campbell said he believes the proposed legislation will have a positive impact not just on UPEI but on post secondary education in general.
“It has the potential to offer more options,” he said.
New applications for schools will be vetted though the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.
The president of UPEI is also raising concerns about the amount of consultation that has taken place on the new bill. MacLauchlan said he had four days to formulate a response.
Campbell said he’s extended that consultation by another week.
MacLauchlan said Islanders are proud that UPEI is a strong, competitive and real university.
“It should be a prime objective of government to safeguard and expand upon UPEI’s name and reputation, not to diminish the very idea of a university as if it is an inexpensive tool of economic development or an opportunity to give out favours.”
wthibodeau@theguardian.pe.ca
Mary McKenna, It has been over 40 years! Perhaps it is time to let go of the frustration over the PCW/SDU merger? Is your point "what goes around comes around?"