BC's new Deputy Minister of Advanced Education, Moura Quayle, met with members of FPSE's Presidents' Council to initiate an on-going dialogue with faculty members from around the province. "Council members were impressed with her openness and see this meeting as hopefully the first of many regular meetings with the Deputy to share our perspective and concerns about the public post-secondary system," said Cindy Oliver, President of FPSE.

"I have had a number of preliminary meetings with the Deputy prior to her meeting with our President's Council," said Oliver. "In the lead up to the provincial budget in February 2006, FPSE has been urging the government to make a substantial commitment to the public post-secondary education system. Certainly there is a strong economic case to be made for investing more in our public post-secondary education system; with a looming skills shortage, post-secondary education is going to become even more important," Oliver noted. "However, the more fundamental case is that post-secondary education contributes to every person's capacity to participate fully in a democratic society," Oliver added.

"Whether it is better funding and support for Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs or improved per student funding levels across the entire post-secondary system, we are making the case that those commitments need to be evident in the 2006 provincial budget," said Oliver. "We also hope that through regular dialogue between the Deputy and our Council that policy making within the Ministry will reflect the full range of input from instructors in all our public post-secondary institutions. There is a wealth of experience and expertise that faculty can bring to policy making and dialogue with the Deputy will help ensure our voice is being heard," Oliver concluded.