Colleges Ontario

(Toronto, January 19, 2007) -- New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham has appointed Seneca College President Dr. Rick Miner as co-chair of the province’s Commission on Post-Secondary Education.

The Commission is mandated to review the entirety of the province’s post-secondary system, including public and private universities and colleges. A significant focus of the review will be on making recommendations to ensure that as many students as possible will have access to a quality post-secondary education that is co-ordinated and relevant.

“It is a great honour for a college president to be asked to chair a commission that will consider an entire post-secondary system,” says Dr. Miner. “This shows that Seneca and our provincial college system are nationally recognized as leaders.”

Dr. Miner will serve as the Commission’s Anglophone Chair, with Jacques L’Ecuyer serving as the Francophone Chair.

“I am especially pleased that two distinguished individuals in the field will co-chair the process with the goal of improving the future of post-secondary education in our province,” Graham says. “An educated workforce will be vital in putting our province on the road to selfsufficiency.” In addition to receiving written submissions, a series of consultative meetings will be held across the province starting in March, with a report to be delivered in the summer to Premier Graham and Ed Doherty, provincial Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour.

“Across the country, provincial governments are recognizing the contribution post-secondary education makes to our society and the health of our economy,” Dr. Miner says. “This commission will build on that national dialogue, and I look forward to listening to new views and ideas that will benefit New Brunswick and ultimately Canada.”

Dr. Miner began as Seneca College President in August 2001 after serving as Vice-President, University of New Brunswick (UNB) for seven years. Prior to his term at UNB, he was at Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia where he served as Director of the Canada/China Language and Cultural Program from 1989 to 1993, Dean of Commerce from 1982 to 1987, and MBA Director from 1978 to 1981. Dr. Miner has also held faculty positions with the University of New Brunswick, the University of Toronto and Saint Mary’s University.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Gettysburg College, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Utah, and a Doctorate in Management from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Miner is past chair of the Committee of Presidents of Ontario Colleges and serves on its executive committee. He is also on the board of the Ontario Innovation Trust, Polytechnics Canada, and the Toronto Regional Research Alliance. He is a member of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He is also actively involved with the Toronto Financial Services Alliance and the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance.

Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology is the largest college in Canada with more than 100,000 full and part-time students on campuses across the Greater Toronto Area. Seneca provides internationally and nationally recognized career education and training key to graduate success in the global economy. Every Seneca diploma, certificate and applied degree program is developed to a high academic standard, in consultation with industry, integrated with information technology, combined with technical and transferable skills, and reinforced by opportunities for ongoing education and re-training.

For more information, please contact:
Seneca College Media Relations
416-491-5050 ext. 2354
www.seneca.ca