A.

 

PRESIDENT'S REPORT March 25, 1975

Meeting with Minister of Education, Deputy Minister Jack Flemming
and Deputy Minister Andy Soles.

The Executive of the College Faculties Federation met with the above-
named representatives of the Department of Education to discuss a series
of topics previously published in the Mad Hatter.

A detailed synopsis of that meeting was compiled by those attending and
will be distributed and published in the near future. ! will, therefore,
confine my remarks to some general impressions.

The Minister was present for approximately thirty minutes of a meeting
which lasted for close to one and a half hours. During the time she was
present, she participated in the discussions along with the two deputy
ministers.

The three officials present were extremely receptive to the input by the
C.F.F. Indeed, my impression was that they not only welcomed and encouraged
faculty input, but that they would be disappointed if the faculty did not
provide a viewpoint which they could weigh alongside the input generated

by College Councils and College administrators.

My doubts about the need for the C.F.F. were all removed as a result of
this meeting. My remaining concern about the C.F.F. is that it must be-
come a more effective source of input to the Department. That is going

to cost money. At the present time, the C.F.F. Executive operates entirely
on a volunteer, no-time release, no repayment basis.

The British Columbia Association of Colleges (the Association of College
Councils) is in the process of hiring a full-time Executive Secretary

to be paid out of public funds. College Council members travel at public
expense. Moreover, College Council members can call on their own admini-
strators to provide them with research.

The College Administrators are another important source of input for the
Department. The majority of them, especially at the senior levels within
each college, are full-time administrators. They also travel at public
expense and can call on their staff for research.

As already mentioned, the C.F.F. is at a distinct disadvantage since it
consists of volunteer labour with expenses paid completely from membership
dues. The C.F.F. must be strengthened if its voice is to approach the
effectiveness of the B.C.A.C. and the senior administrators of the colleges.
This is not to suggest laying down battle lines with those two groups. Far
from it. But | do suggest that a balanced input from all three groups is
necessary if the Department is to be effectively and adequately informed
about the Community College of B.C. On occasions, these three groups will
no doubt co-operate to develop a common position to the Department as they
have done in the past. But both this type of input and divergent inputs
must be effectively formulated and put forward by the C.F.F.

cont 'di.s2