Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 11, 1995, Winnipeg, Manitoba Inside Story Joe free press Concord professor Jerry Ross with students enrolled in Palliser project an mba level program tailored by local its school in the real world real relevant and real Quick by Aldo Santin education reporter Jeff Henry slips into his University class1 at the Triec there is no there Are two video monitors and a in addition to his five classmates in the he has another 35 fellow their faces Are up on the video one of the things that Drew me to this program is its an excellent forum to hear business leaders from around the said a business development manager with Manitoba Telephone its quite if we to have German Chancellor Helmut Kohl do a presenta Tion any that can be arranged Henry and his classmates have agreed to pay each to participate in a interactive video mba program offered by Queens University of promoting the University of Western in is also promoting a National executive mba program it will offer on a video teleconferencing basis Here later this across some Northend business people gather two nights a week for management courses they cant find anywhere in you dont have a lot of time to spend in a classroom said Ron human resources director for pal Liser working people need course material that is much More its got to be real real Quick and real Koslowsky is one of the key players in a bold sex one that could Lead to the creation of the country first private Palliser it has been the dream of Koslowskyj Art to set up an institution that provides management personnel with the relevant life Long learning educators Are always talking concept the Palliser University probably is never go ing to be a formal Koslowsky its a we realize theres real value in go ing Back to school after youve been in the work place a but weve said we dont want our people going to a University we want to ingrain in our people that its Good to move around and see what others Are developing this mindset that youre never finished fifty of Palliser senior staff Are taking the six which they designed including financial organization of team problem and Quality staff from nine other area manufacturing firms have also enrolled in the Palliser has contracted with Concord College mennonite pos secondary institution Affili ated with the u of w to provide the classroom space and instructors most of them Are professors from the University of de who coordinates the Palliser project for Concord said the programs Are at an mba adding there is a big demand for such an Ken Gigotti Winnipeg free press its where Henry right and Olaf participate in Queens dissatisfied firms set their own course corporate u Manitoba business dissatisfied with the provinces University have turned elsewhere to meet their one group has taken advantage of one of Ontario unique University the other group has devised its own Palliser University a series of 18hour workshops costing classes offered two nights a week and saturday mornings at Concord nine Northend manufacturers Are participating this More Are lined up for next topics include financial organizational team problem Quality Queens National executive mba a two year mba program offered to working costing classes offered via interactive connecting two classes of 40 students in eight More Canadian cities to be offered next with Long Range plans to go classes held in Winnipeg every other Friday and saturday at a downtown its teleconferencing theres a Market for this in Buller theres a concern in Industry that univer sity education is too they want some thing that was like yesterdays not something fictional from general the Queens program also provides local Busi Ness people with the reality of the workplace that they cant find at the u of is current or proposed mba Ron director of Queens National executive mba said there Are plans to take the program hooking up with Stu dents in Hong Britain and when we offered the program we thought we might attract 35 or 40 people but we got 79 peo Tite said during an interview from his King we had to split the group up into Henry said the Queens program outclasses anything offered anywhere in the including the heavily promoted full fee mba pro Gram that the u of m expects to introduce later this when you have classmates living and working in Moncton and it gives a different perspective than the one youd get in a classroom in Henry Jerry associate Dean of the faculty of management at the u of said he Doest con Sider either program a threat to the University or its new my a Gray said the u of is new full fee mba one of Only two that Are being offered in is aimed at local business people who Are prepared to give up a years Sal Ary to take an intensive course that specializes in general advanced management tuition is Gray said some of the Palliser workshops Are of University or mba Quality but not All of adding that int what Palliser wanted theres no exams in these theres no theres no grading of its a program put together based on what their needs Are and designed for their particular Organiza Koslowsky said one of the key differences be tween the Palliser programs and the u of m pro Grams is that theirs is Winnipeg free press Jjo january 1995 Byj vying for scholars dollars alternative programming challenges universities by Aldo Santin education reporter the University domination of pos secondary education is being increasingly eroded by other groups that offer alternative ways to reach different kinds of As universities reinvent themselves for the 21st Many business people say the institutions must become More accessible to people other than High school concept of higher learning is being said businesswoman Evelyn fall Short for groups of Manitoba notably a Northend furniture manufacturer the current University business programs fall far Short of whats really needed in today business Treyve found viable program alternatives that could quickly become the Norm if Manitoba universities cannot move to address their Palliser one of North americas leading furniture has put together its own mba Quality programs and offers them to its own and to other firms in the in some Manitoba business people who want an mba have paid each to enrol in the country first National program Ever offered on a live video by Queens University of a similar program run out of the University of Western Ontario in is also set to according to the business these programs show that if the universities fail to reach out in innovative potential students will reach out for something no Campus there Are More examples a Winnipeg businessman received approval from the province to set up his own vocational school to teach courses in computer multimedia despite a tuition fee of there is a Long waiting list of students to take courses not taught at University or Community Albertas Athabasca University Doest have a but offers 350 credit six undergraduate degrees and two graduate programs through All its degree courses Are accepted at other it has enrolled students scattered across the continuing education divisions of All three Manitoba universities offer no degree courses to the general Public at a full Cost subsidized by tax the courses Are full and cover a wide Range of from the study of traditional classics to business related the University of Manitoba continuing education division is proposing a new Bachelor of general this would elevate its programming to the equal of other University the tuition storming be Ivory Lowers Manitoba universities Are under siege like never faced with dwindling dollars and accused of losing touch with the in this six part reporter Aldo Santin examines the mounting pressure for dramatic parts saturday the manness Challenge sunday students at risk monday plan 2000 at u of m yesterday Small schools defended today business report card tomorrow Cros Canada View is All around a1 fees could also be set on a full Cost recovery recognition of the threat posed by such alternatives is slow in coming among traditional at a recent Manitoba for academics dismissed the increasing role played by their continuing education David Vic president academic at the University of said such alternative programming could one Day threaten traditional especially if Ottawa proposal for tuition Reform becomes under such a students would be directly Given government subsidies that Are now channelled through and they will then pick which institution they choose to spend it to his May look very tempting to potential alternative providers of higher who May be Able to convincingly demonstrate that they can deliver equivalent Cor discipline programs More efficiently and More economically than we can without massive infusions of Public Gagnan told conference what would then become of our which is in effect what we and hence of the University As we know in a totally free Market system private degree i remind you that it was Only five or six years ago that some such proposal was tabled before the government of Ontario by a private consortium who were quite prepared to offer a University degree that would consist Only of foreign languages that were useful in business transactions and a few other Core leaving All the rest of to teach Canadian Academia woos business Community by Aldo Santin education reporter Manitoba University Community is about to begin a delicate courting dance with the business As the province drives towards a balanced budget and Ottawa redirects funds directly to students in the form of universities believe they will have to turn increasingly to the private individuals and replace the government but Many people fear that too great a Reliance on the business sector could distort the University traditional do you want the universities to subsidize training costs for business or do you want them to develop an educated population said Joe an economics professor at Brandon business tells you what the Money is for and makes sure their priorities Are As a consequence you get monies generated that Are not High on the University priority it distorts the direction that the University wants to go annual donations Are now a Small component of the University at the u of All donations last year totalled per cent of the operating at donations of slightly More than million amounted to per cent of the operating and at the u of donations of were per cent of the operating Dennis president of Brandon said funds from private sources will be increasingly used to help financially strapped students and As a in the form of to attract the brightest Anderson said the drop in funding could be As High As 25 per cent of operating budgets Over five i think the corporations and foundations will Rise to the recognize the importance of universities being Able to provide opportunities to academically Strong people who for financial reasons Are barred from Anderson the three universities have stepped up their donation and Are making them key components As they develop Lon term strategic at the u of a key component of plan 2000 is to attract the Best students and to accomplish the plan proposes luring students and faculty with enhanced scholarships and research the plan Calls for increasing the value of its total endowment funds million to million and tripling the annual donations that Arent tied to any project or ;