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It is timely that Sean Ollech (letter, Aug. 21) highlights the lack of student support at CNC.
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It is timely that Sean Ollech (letter, Aug. 21) highlights the lack of student support at CNC. The faculty association agrees, but our solution is not to hire more tutors; rather it is to ensure that underprepared students are given every opportunity to succeed.

The college reports that just under 50 per cent of students are now international.

These students need increased student services, particularly for those students who lack fundamental skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English.

But the college has chosen to eliminate, downsize or threaten the jobs of its faculty who work in student counselling, disability support, and in its learning assistance centres.

The beauty of community colleges is that they were designed to serve students' needs; we used to say, "Start here, go anywhere!" Class sizes are small compared to universities where students seldom see more than a tutor or teaching assistant.

College faculty keep regular office hours and help students with their studies.

We believe that we now have a college board of governors that may take seriously the concerns about student services and other issues we have raised with consecutive administrations and college boards since 2001.

We now have an opportunity to convince the college board that CNC has to return to its mandate as the comprehensive community college for north central B.C.

Our members' only interest is in teaching students and we look forward to the day when students' access to education and student success are once again priorities for the administration at CNC.

Bill Deutch, President

Faculty Association of CNC

Prince George