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© other press >oNEWS

Community Attempts to
Prevent Program Closure

Eileen Velthuis
News Editor

“On Thursday, May 23, various

presentations were made before the Douglas
College Board in an attempt to save the
Habitat Restoration program.

Douglas College recently announced the
possibility that the program would be shut
down. Reasons cited included this year’s

designed to meet current and future
societal needs. The program fills a distinct
and needed niche within the post-
secondary system, the environmental
industry and the community at large."

Mr. McPhee also suggested various
options for generating additional revenue,
increasing the enrolment numbers and
reducing costs in order to keep the pro-
gram up and running. He also mentioned

 

budget shortfall of $3 million, and a
possible $3.5 million next year. Low
enrolment in some of the program’s
courses, and low graduation rates
have also been factors. The Habitat
Restoration program has only been
running for four years, after opening
its doors in 1998.

The program is run exclusively out
of the David Lam campus _ in
Coquitlam. City of Coquitlam
Councilor and Acting Mayor Diane
Thorne spoke on the issue, "It’s like
cancelling a television program after
only two weeks. It’s too soon to
consider closing the program." She
also mentioned that "If we do not
have environmental technicians to
get us to a position of sustainability
we will all be losers down the road.

teaches the skills which we will all

 

need in the future, more than ever.". New Westminster campus

Habitat Restoration students are required
to complete the 30 credits of the program’s
core courses as well as 30 credits of
prerequisite university transfer courses,
and a 3-4 month work experience position.
No other college or university in BC offers
exactly the same applied and technical
training, making the Habitat Restoration
program unique to Douglas. The program
attracts a wide variety of students, from
international students to recent highschool
graduates and people requiring retraining
in their fields, among many others.

A number of the program’s 51 currently
registered students showed up at
the Board meeting with instructors and
program coordinator Michael McPhee, who
stressed that "It’s a relevant program

the possibility of corporate-sponsored
seats as something to take a closer look at.

In a letter to the Douglas College Board,
Tony Matahlija, president of the Coquitlam
River Watershed Society, said that the pro-
gram has "been a tremendous aid to the
environmental movement in Coquitlam."
He continued, "The Habitat Restoration
program has had students monitor the
river, help in its restoration, and also help
streamkeeper groups...Their continued
support is vital to this community, and to
the environment."

Brad Barber of Douglas College’s
communications department said that a
decision on the closure of the program will
not be reached until the board votes on
June 27.