Although your article "B.C. OKs Plan for Private Universities" (Bulletin, May 2002) correctly quotes a letter from Darwyn Coxson, president of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C., regarding the new, private, degree-granting legislation in British Columbia, neither the letter nor the story fully articulates the CUFA/BC position.

CUFA/BC has repeatedly told government there is no need for private, degree-granting institutions in B.C. Unmet demand for degree-level programs could be fulfilled by existing public universities and university colleges if government were to provide the necessary funding to do so. Unfortunately, neither the previous NDP government nor the current Liberal government saw the wisdom of shutting down private, degree-granting institutions in favour of the public option.

The current government decided to go a step further and introduce legislation to specifically allow private, degree-granting institutions to operate in the province. Until this point, private institutions were operating in the province through a loophole that permitted them to grant non-B.C. degrees with nominal oversight.

It is in this context that CUFA/BC commended the government for cleaning up the current mess and committing to a quality assurance process to ensure private institutions are offering students high quality programs. But there remain many details of the quality assurance process to be worked out, and CUFA/BC has volunteered to work with government to ensure the public interest is protected.

Although we would have preferred the government not to take this route, they have done so and CUFA/BC is working to ensure British Columbians are protected from fly-by-night and shoddy programs.

Robert Clift
Executive Director, CUFA/BC