The two major post-secondary institutions in Prince George confirmed their president status' on Sept. 7.
UNBC announced Dr Daniel Weeks -- appointed as president in 2014 -- has accepted a five-year term that will run through August 2023.
This past spring, the university appointed a committee to review and evaluate Weeks' performance to date and consideration for re-appointment. The 12 member board included the chancellor, board members, a regional First Nations representative, faculty, students and staff. The committee was chaired by UNBC Board of Governors Chair Tracey Wosley.
“Under Dan’s leadership, the University community has been encouraged and empowered to re-think the way we do things, and to strengthen our commitment to Northern B.C. while expanding our reach across Canada and around the world,” Wolsey says. “We are emerging as a globally recognized destination University, and this is due to Dr. Weeks’ determination and the tremendous support from the entire regional community.”
Having witnessed terrific success under @DanielJWeeks1 leadership, #UNBC has renewed the President’s contract with a second five-year term that runs through August 2023. Read more: https://t.co/EkbrPln7tN #ThisIsUNBC #UNBCLeadership #univcan #bcpse pic.twitter.com/fdGnRRZDNi
— UNBC (@UNBC) September 7, 2018
The university says Weeks propelled the school to significant progress in multiple areas including:
- Student recruitment
- Aboriginal relationships
- Academic planning
- Strategic and financial planning
- Donor support
- Engineering
- Research
- Facility improvement and growth
Weeks says UNBC can use the great work already accomplished by the university to plan for their success in years to come.
“We can use the great work done by the University community as a launch pad, to encourage us to think about the kind of University we want to be in 2040, the occasion of our 50th anniversary,” he says. “We are big enough to be a relevant, global, research institution, but small enough to care passionately about our students, a competitive advantage that not many other Universities can claim. It’s an exciting prospect.”
Meanwhile, the College of New Caledonia announced their seventh president, Henry Reiser, will retire at the end of his full-term and fifth year as president in June 2019.
The institutions new Board of Governors Chair, Gil Malfair, says many qualities and contributions from Reiser will be missed.
“President Reiser has fulfilled an ambitious mandate over the past few years," he says. “His leadership has resulted in three consecutive growth budgets and expansions in both programming and infrastructure. Henry’s experience in developing international partnerships has also helped grow the College’s reputation worldwide. But the biggest impact of his leadership has benefited northern BC students in rural and remote locations who now have access to an ever-expanding range of courses delivered by DDI.”
Over the past four years, the college says more than $45 million has been invested into redevelopment at CNC's six campuses as well as new buildings.
Henry Reiser, CNC’s seventh president, announces his plans to retire from the College of New Caledonia at the end of his full-term and fifth year as president in June 2019. https://t.co/TWR7RjxPXP Pictured: Henry Reiser with @GilMalfair CNC Board Chair. #mycnc pic.twitter.com/wxdKn52KCe
— College of New Caledonia (CNC) (@cnc_bc_ca) September 7, 2018
Reiser also helped expand CNC's programs to rural and remote communities using Digital Delivery Instruction which gave the opportunity for classes to be offered in real-time to students in those communities where low enrolment historically turned into the cancellations of many classes.
From the 2016 fiscal year to now, the college says DDI has experienced a 66 per cent increase in its participation, a 95 per cent increase in registrations and a 133 per cent increase in course selection offerings.
Reiser says he will greatly miss the community of CNC and it isn't easy for him to step away.
“My academic career has been extremely rewarding, and retiring wasn’t an easy decision to make, as I’ve truly enjoyed my time at CNC," he says. "I’m grateful for the support I’ve received from employees, students, the Board of Governors, donors, government and private sector partners, and my tremendous leadership team. The past four years have been a collective effort of all employees working toward a strategic direction with primary focus on student success. This is truly what CNC is known for and I’m so proud to be a part of that."
The search for a replacement will be established in the coming months, the college says. The hope is to have a new president in place by September 2019.
