Alarmed by the prospect of sizable funding cuts in education, a frustrated group of post secondary students is organizing a March 27 presentation to the Selkirk College Board of Governors in Castlegar.
The cuts involve second year programs including all sciences and fine arts.Anyone sympathetic to their cause is welcome to show their support by showing up in the Pit at 4:30 p.m.The Selkirk College Students' Union – Canadian Federation of Students, Local 4 has issued a press release spelling out its opposition to program cuts as a solution to budget shortfalls.
The Selkirk students say that by axing courses, forcing lower enrollment, the college will be negatively influencing its own future."Many first-year science students have been heard to say that they would never have come to Selkirk if they had known that they would only be able to complete one year of study,” science student Arielle Roberts is quoted in the press release.
The students are adamant that there must be a better solution to the funding crisis than cutting courses, and subsequently, enrollment.The students look to the top, challenging provincial finance minister Kevin Falcon to keep a promise, which they quote, that "the province will work with universities, colleges and other institutions to help ensure the front line programs are not affected."