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KAMLOOPS – Following a comprehensive community nomination process, a new name has now been selected for the University College of the Cariboo when it becomes a special-purpose university next year, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.
The institution will now be named Thompson Rivers University. The name was selected from 171 different suggestions received from over 400 people.
“From the start, the vision for a new special-purpose university has been driven by the people of the Thompson-Cariboo, and that’s why it was so important that the community help name it,” Campbell said. “Thompson Rivers University stood out as the choice that best reflects the heritage, geography and character of the region and also best captured the spirit of the other suggestions.”
On March 19, 2004, the Premier announced that the University College of the Cariboo would become a special-purpose university, and invited members of the community to submit name suggestions to the UCC Board of Governors. The board formed a 17-member naming committee with broad representation from the many communities the institution serves, faculty, staff, students and alumni. Their criteria for choosing a name included what the university’s mandate would be; where it would be located; whether the name would stand the test of time; and how it would be understood internationally.
In August, the board submitted a shortlist of six names to government for consideration, and also provided the full list of 171 suggestions from the community for the Minister’s information. Along with Thompson Rivers, the shortlisted names included University of Kamloops; Southern Interior University; Rivers University, Sage University and Cordaval University.
“The level of community participation proves how excited the region is about its new university,” said Shirley Bond, Minister of Advanced Education. “A university needs to be engaged with its community and region, and the administration at UCC has laid a great foundation for this new institution to achieve that.“
“A lot of effort and creativity went into establishing British Columbia’s newest university and I’m pleased we have chosen a name that reflects the characteristics of the Thompson Valleys,” said Kamloops MLA Claude Richmond. “This institution is vital to the growth of our city and the development of the Interior.”
“It was very important to people that the name reflect the uniqueness of the region and the University’s regional mandate,” said Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger. “Just like each of our communities, Thompson Rivers University is one of a kind and it is important to reflect that distinction.”
The new special purpose university will offer undergraduate programs a variety of disciplines, as well as masters degrees in applied and professional fields. It will continue pursuing an applied research program, and offering career and vocational training to meet the needs of the region it serves. Its amalgamation with the Open University and Open College will also make Thompson Rivers University a centre of excellence for distance and online learning opportunities.
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For information on AchieveBC, visit http://www.achievebc.ca.
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