More than 500 people, mostly students, gathered at Kings Square in Saint John Monday to speak out against a report's recommendations for their university.

The New Brunswick Commission on Post-Secondary Education report, released Friday morning in Fredericton, recommends merging the University of New Brunswick Saint John with two New Brunswick community colleges to form a polytechnic institution.

Students and staff at the school have feared and opposed such a move, saying they don't want the university's arts curriculums to suffer.

Protesters on Monday listened to music and speakers before they marched down King Street and up Water Street to the office of New Brunswick's minister of post-secondary education.

Dozens of signs and many hand-made shirts displayed the message that the University of New Brunswick's Saint John campus is worth saving.

Gweneviere Haddie, a student at the university, said she's passionate about getting her education in Saint John.

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"We choose to go to this campus. We don't choose to go to Fredericton, Moncton or elsewhere. This is where we want to be."

Spirits were high as the crowd made its way to the office of Post-secondary Education Minister Ed Doherty.

Doherty spoke to the protesters outside the building.

The province is still looking for input from students, but changes to the system are required, he said.

"The report is, the emphasis is based on students and student need, as I said before, and I suggest you look carefully at some of these issues addressed in the report," he said to the crowd.

Report author in conflict of interest: professor
The report is just the beginning of the consultation process, Doherty said.

The government will be reviewing the report and its recommendations over the coming months, he said.

Meanwhile, an economist at the Saint John campus claims a co-author of the report is in a conflict of interest.

Professor Rob Moir said Dr. Rick Miner, co-chair of the commission examining the future of post-secondary education in New Brunswick, also sits on the board of Polytechnics Canada, and that's not appropriate.

"Polytechnics Canada, their mandate is to be a broad-based forum for more and more polytechnics in Canada," Moir said. "If Dr. Miner is on the board of the very group that's meant to increase the number of these across Canada, that might be symptomatic of a government that's decided already what sort of things they'd like to hear."

The government report on higher education should not be influenced by any interest group, Moir said.

[quote name='z2']More than 500 people, mostly students, gathered at Kings Square in Saint John Monday to speak out against a report's recommendations for their university.

The New Brunswick Commission on Post-Secondary Education report, released Friday morning in Fredericton, recommends merging the University of New Brunswick Saint John with two New Brunswick community colleges to form a polytechnic institution.

Students and staff at the school have feared and opposed such a move, saying they don't want the university's arts curriculums to suffer.

Protesters on Monday listened to music and speakers before they marched down King Street and up Water Street to the office of New Brunswick's minister of post-secondary education.

Dozens of signs and many hand-made shirts displayed the message that the University of New Brunswick's Saint John campus is worth saving.

Gweneviere Haddie, a student at the university, said she's passionate about getting her education in Saint John.

Continue Article

"We choose to go to this campus. We don't choose to go to Fredericton, Moncton or elsewhere. This is where we want to be."

Spirits were high as the crowd made its way to the office of Post-secondary Education Minister Ed Doherty.

Doherty spoke to the protesters outside the building.

The province is still looking for input from students, but changes to the system are required, he said.

"The report is, the emphasis is based on students and student need, as I said before, and I suggest you look carefully at some of these issues addressed in the report," he said to the crowd.

Report author in conflict of interest: professor
The report is just the beginning of the consultation process, Doherty said.

The government will be reviewing the report and its recommendations over the coming months, he said.

Meanwhile, an economist at the Saint John campus claims a co-author of the report is in a conflict of interest.

Professor Rob Moir said Dr. Rick Miner, co-chair of the commission examining the future of post-secondary education in New Brunswick, also sits on the board of Polytechnics Canada, and that's not appropriate.

"Polytechnics Canada, their mandate is to be a broad-based forum for more and more polytechnics in Canada," Moir said. "If Dr. Miner is on the board of the very group that's meant to increase the number of these across Canada, that might be symptomatic of a government that's decided already what sort of things they'd like to hear."

The government report on higher education should not be influenced by any interest group, Moir said.[/QUOTE]
"conflict of interest"

不知道能不能揪住这个不放，让这个提案作废？？？