| University Canada West | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Tentanda Via Est (The way must be tried) |
| Established | 2005 |
| Type | Private |
| Chancellor | John Winter[1] |
| President | Dr. Verna Magee Shepherd |
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Green and Red |
| Affiliations | AAC&U, IAU |
| Website | UCan.ca |
University Canada West (UCW or UCAN) is a private for-profit educational institution[2] in British Columbia, Canada. University Canada West was established by David Strong, a former president of University of Victoria. Dr. Verna Magee Shepherd, a former vice-president of British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), is currently the acting president of the university. It was previously operated by LearningWise Education Inc but has since been sold to the Eminata Group, which is based in Vancouver.[3][4][5] The Eminata group also owns CDI College.
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UCAN offers Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts and MBA degrees. University Canada West offers entrance requirements for students with a GPA of 65% or higher,[6] and can accept credit for previous studies and work experience in the Degree Completion and MBA programs. (In comparison, major BC universities' GPA requirements are: 75% for UBC,[7] 70%-80% for UVic,[8] and 75-90% for SFU.[9]) The academic year was originally organized into four ten-week terms, but changed to five eight-week terms in September 2009. Students are able to complete four courses of 40 contact hours each in a term. Degree Completion and MBA programs can be completed on campus or online.[10] University Canada West is listed in the British Columbia Credit Transfer system,[11] but it is only listed as a "recipient," and not as a "sender," of transferable university credits. When the Victoria campus went out of business in 2011, students reported that UCW credits would be not be transferred or transferred on a case by case basis.[12] This was controversial because allegedly students were told when they paid for classes that credits were transferable even though the BC transfer website says they are not.[12]
The university follows a system of five terms in a year, by which students can finish their degree in as little as two years.
Currently, Canada has no national Educational accreditation system.[13] Instead, the British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, is responsible for higher education in British Columbia. In addition to fulfilling the provincial charter, a university’s membership with the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) can be considered the de facto accreditation for Canadian universities, but University Canada West is a for-profit university; and therefore, it does not qualify for AUCC membership.[14][15]
The University Canada West MBA is not accredited by any of the three biggest business school accreditation bodies.[16] The three major accrediting bodies in there are the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which accredits research universities, the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which accredits universities and colleges, and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE),all of which also accredit schools outside the US.
The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC), a unit of the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada (CMEC),[17] identifies University Canada West on their “list of recognized and authorized postsecondary institutions” that (CICIC) claims to be “the only authoritative list of all postsecondary institutions (including ACCC's and AUCC's member institutions) in one web site that are recognized by the competent jurisdictional authorities.”[18]
University Canada West is a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities,[19] and it has been approved by the British Columbia Education Quality Assurance program[20] as well as the Degree Quality Assessment Board of British Columbia.[21]
In addition the affiliated UCW Academies, which are non-degree professional training programs, are accredited by the Private Career Training Institutions Agency of British Columbia.[22]
Tuition for a full undergraduate degree program at UCAN is higher than similar programs at public universities due to the fact that it is not publicly subsidized. According to the Student Aid BC website, 30 per cent of UCW students defaulted on their government-backed loans in 2009. That compares with a default rate of 3.7% at the University of British Columbia and 4.7% at the University of Victoria.[12]
As the first private, for-profit university in British Columbia there is continuing controversy concerning the educational standards and governance that University Canada West would have to adhere to and whether it would down-grade other universities in Canada and British Columbia.[24] In addition, there is continuing controversy regarding the business aspect of the school. For instance, the school has been sold twice in the last 5 years, is reportedly losing money, and recently closed down a campus.[25][25][26][27]
In 2004, before University Canada West was established, the Canadian Association of Teachers (CAUT) released an issue of the CAUT Bulletin which featured viewpoints of considerable dismay towards the prospect of University Canada West. Norma Wieland, president of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C., was quoted saying "A university should offer a wide range of instructional programs backed up by an extensive research mandate, from the information that has been made available to date, David Strong's institution is nowhere close to meeting that goal."[24] The same 2004 article also featured Cindy Oliver, president of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C., stating, "The B.C. government's emphasis on allowing the expansion of private universities is a failed vision," and "What we need in B.C. is for the government to commit to high-quality, affordable post-secondary education so that average and low-income students and their families are not disadvantaged. These private universities are notoriously expensive and certainly do not address the access problems for students."[27] Robert Clift, executive director of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations(CUFA/BC), said, "The fundamental problem here is that it is impossible for the general public to know what they are getting with this institution. The public universities operate in an atmosphere of openness and accountability, but Strong has been able to conceal the details of his plans and yet still get government approval." The article reported that earlier in the year Strong was asked about the details of "the internal quality control process for degree programs and how academic governance would be structured," and Strong avoided the question by replying "the information soon would be made available on the UCW web site."[27] In the article, Clift continued remarking, "At this point, it looks like faculty at University Canada West will have no formal authority in academic decision-making. There will be an advisory body, but it appears the final decisions about academic programs will be made by the corporate board of governors...Even though enrollment at these private institutions will be tiny compared to the total enrollment at public degree-granting institutions they have the capacity to generate a lot of ill will for everybody if things go wrong."[24]
In 2009, Vancouver Sun reported that University Canada West has been losing $300,000 per month and was sold by David Strong to Eminata Group, who owns small colleges in Vancouver.[5][26]
In March 2011, the University shut down its Victoria, BC campus for "business reasons". Students were informed by email that they could continue their studies online or transfer to the Vancouver campus.[12]
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