Senior administrators at North Island College will review the parking situation at the Courtenay campus and make recommendations to the board of governors at their Sept. 28 meeting. Until then, students will have to pay to park their vehicle.
On Friday, Sept. 1, Island Health reversed its decision to implement pay parking at the new hospital adjacent to NIC.
“Frankly, I think we were all surprised,” college president John Bowman said Tuesday, of the previous Friday’s announcement. “The timing was awkward for the college. We need a bit of time to review the factors that contributed to the decision-making around pay parking. Obviously the fact that the hospital was going to have pay parking was a serious consideration for us. If that’s not going to occur, we need to spend some time reflecting on our own situation…It’s ultimately the board of governors’ decision. We have a few weeks to consider all of the information, and put together some thoughts for the board to base re-consideration of paid parking.”
Bowman admits that implementing pay parking is “probably the least popular thing the college has ever done.”
Revenue from paid parking has mostly been used to defray maintenance costs of parking lots.
Factors to be considered in the review include:
•long-term best interests of the college, students, employees and the community;
•impacts on students, college employees and community members;
•NIC’s Pay Parking Principles;
•College revenue and related expenditures; in 2017/18 and future budgets;
•The college’s environmental sustainability goals;
•Ministry of Advanced Education facilities and financial-related policies.
In other NIC news, enrolment has slightly increased — as has the number of international students, which for the first time exceeds 100.
“Overall we’re in a pretty healthy situation enrolment-wise,” Bowman said.
He is also encouraged by the elimination of adult basic education tuition fees.
“We think it will significantly bolster our enrolment numbers in adult upgrading. It’s good for students, good for the community. Adult basic education and adult upgrading courses feed our other programs.”
“What it really does is welcome students,” added Lisa Domae, vice-president, learning and students.
A new program — Discover the Joy of Lifelong Learning — is geared for students 55 and older wishing to return to school.