Media Advisory | May 8, 2009
B.C. universities and colleges mark new Aboriginal business education accord at UBC
Business deans from universities and colleges across B.C. have gathered at the University of British Columbia to mark a new era of cooperation aimed at increasing Aboriginal participation in business education.
The Ch’nook Business Education Accord, comprised of 22 post-secondary institutions in B.C., will be signed at 12 p.m. today at the UBC Longhouse.
Established by the UBC First Nations House of Learning and the Sauder School of Business, the Ch’nook Aboriginal Business Education program works with a circle of advocates and supporters to raise Aboriginal awareness and interest in post-secondary business education.
This accord will see deans of university and college business programs working with the Ch’nook Aboriginal Advisory Council to pursue this mandate province-wide.
Research by the BC Ministry of Advanced Education has identified business as one of the areas where there is a critical need for greater First Nations participation in post-secondary education.
“The success of Ch’nook requires a team of people working to attract, facilitate, and support Aboriginal students engaged in business education,” says Daniel F. Muzyka, dean of the Sauder School of Business at UBC.
“Working with like-minded partners, we have made a clear commitment to deliver the province-wide scale of operations needed for this to occur.”
The agreement comes at the end of the Ch’nook Aboriginal Business Education Week. A graduation event this week marked the completion of the third annual Ch’nook Advanced Management Program, which brings together students from all corners of the province in workshops that focus on business essentials, entrepreneurship and Aboriginal business leadership. The celebration was hosted by Muzyka and Chief Sophie Pierre, chief commissioner of the BC Treaty Commission. The keynote speaker was Grand Chief Ed John of the First Nations Summit and the First Nations Leadership Council.
Other activities during the week included a gathering of the Ch’nook Scholars, Aboriginal students engaged in full-time business studies who also provide mentorship and advice to Aboriginal high school students in the “Ch’nook Cousins” program.
Ch’nook Aboriginal Advisory Council
- Jo-Ann Archibald
- P. Jerry Asp
- Richard George
- Grand Chief Ed John
- Bertha Joseph
- Brian Payer
- Chief Sophie Pierre
- Judith Sayers
- Matt Vickers
- Chief David Walkem
- Ruth Williams
British Columbia deans of business
- British Columbia Institute of Technology
- Camosun College
- Capilano College
- College of New Caledonia
- College of the Rockies
- Kwantlen Polytechnic
- University Langara College
- North Island College
- Northern Lights College
- Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
- Northwest Community College
- Okanagan College
- Selkirk College
- Simon Fraser University
- Thompson Rivers University
- Trinity Western University
- University of British Columbia
- University of the Fraser Valley
- University of Northern British Columbia
- University of Victoria Vancouver Community
- College Vancouver Island University
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