Twelve years ago almost to the day I was in Prince George for my interview at UNBC. Though I have come to appreciate the beauties of this area, when I arrived it was -25C, snowing, and distinctively smelly. I called my husband and said "I don't know." Then I went up to UNBC and that changed everything. At the time I was in contention for jobs at UPEI and the University of Auckland, and in deciding to say 'yes' to UNBC the enthusiasm and community ownership were critical factors.
Were I making the same decision today, however, things would probably be quite different. The job I didn't take at UPEI currently pays $25,000 more per year than the one I have here, and while no one becomes a university professor expecting to get rich, that number is not only significant, it represents a gap that will only continue to grow if the salary structure at UNBC is not fixed.
As the strike goes on, here is what students, parents, and the community should know. The UNBC FA is not asking for a 20 per cent salary increase, or to be paid at a level commensurate with our #2 Macleans ranking. Rather, we are asking that the university bring us to the bottom of the pack of sector norms. If the salary gap continues to grow there is going to be a point of no return and if it isn't fixed now UNBC will be on the road to third-world status among Canadian universities.
To students and parents: whatever settlement is reached, tuition will not be covering it. There is a 2 per cent maximum on hikes, and it seems to be the case that these are imposed regardless of other factors. To taxpayers: this will not cost you one dime more than it currently does. UNBC administration needs to re-prioritize how it spends the money you give them - and we are suggesting that the human infrastructure is more important than the $1.24 million they are spending on the 25th anniversary, the $2 million they spent on a new cafeteria students did not want, and the $800,000 sprinkler system for the lawns.
UNBC is an amazing institution that has been built by the hard work and goodwill of the community of northern BC, and of the faculty, staff and students who shaped its first 25 years. It would be a shame to squander this now.
Kristen Guest
Prince George
