Hi Justin, I am writing to provide you with some of the details of the Pacific Leaders Graduate Fellowship Program as per your request.

As was indicated in the letter you received, the program has been suspended for a period of time as we review how best to attract students into the program and ensure the program benefits have the desired outcomes for both the students and for the government. We do expect that the program will resume.  Some participants in the fellowship program have already been placed in positions and all current participants in the program will continue as planned. The review only effects the intake originally scheduled for 2009.

The goal of the fellowship program is to attract top-quality graduate students to careers in the BC Public Service while also supporting research that is of value to the provincial government. The calibre of applicants, their research and subsequent performance as employees of the BC Public Service are all factors that will define the success of the program.

The decision to review the program was made by the Deputy Ministers’ Committee on the Public Service which oversees the strategic direction on the public service initiative.  The decision was a result of feedback provided by all of our partner institutions that indicated there were a number of improvements that should be made to the program and that to date all of the scholarships available had not been awarded. In light of this feedback the committee opted to suspend new intake into the program while we reviewed how best to deliver the program to meet the desired goals.

This reflects the obligation of the government to ensure all programs are being delivered as effectively as possible, which is all the more important during challenging economic and fiscal times.

You asked about the role of StudentAid BC in the program. StudentAid BC administers the fellowship program on behalf of the BC Public Service. The StudentAid BC budget has no direct impact on the program.

Funding for the fellowship program comes from a corporate fund contributed to by all government ministries. The cost of the program in 2007 was $342,221 and in 2008 was $434,908. This fund provides for the scholarship amounts; once students are placed into positions their salaries are paid for by the sponsoring ministry. While 40 scholarships had been available, there were 15 fellowships awarded in 2007/08 and 10 in 2008/09 based on an evaluation of the applications submitted and their suitability for the program.

Thank you for your questions about the program, I hope that this note has helped to clarify some points.

Kim Henderson
Head, Workforce Planning and Leadership Secretariat

________________________________

From: Justin Longo [mailto:jlongo@uvic.ca]
Sent: Wed 18/03/2009 8:16 AM
To: Fraser-Ramirez, Karla Maria ALMD:EX
Subject: Questions re Pacific Leaders Graduate Fellowship Program

Hi Karla Maria -

I received a letter from Victoria Thibeau, Executive Director StudentAid BC yesterday (dated March 10 2009) that followed up on the phone call I received on March 10, officially advising me that the Pacific Leaders Graduate Fellowship Program had been terminated.

Ms. Thibeau noted that I could contact you if I had any questions. I will follow up today by telephone, but wanted to advise you in advance and provide the questions I have in advance. My questions relate to the second paragraph in Ms. Thibeau’s letter:

“The Pacific Leaders Graduate Fellowship program is facing a change in direction. A decision has been made to suspend the program for a year. In light of the economic challenges that the province is facing, the program will be under review to ensure the investment the province is making is generating the expected results.”

The specific questions I have are:

* “a change in direction” implies the program still exists. Does it? Do the other components of the program (Loan Forgiveness, Scholarships for Public Servants, Scholarships for Children of Public Servants) still exist?
* “A decision has been made” raises the question of whether this was a Ministerial decision, or divisional. Was the decision made by Ms. Thibeau, the Deputy Minister, or Minister? Ultimately, the Minister is responsible for the decision, but the answer should identify some of the rationale for the decision. * What were the performance measures (“expected results”) for the program that are now being used to measure program success?
* Would the program review be taking place even if the “economic challenges that the Province is facing  did not exist?
* How much was the StudentAid BC budget increased / decreased in the 2009/2010 Budget? * How much did the fellowship program cost in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?
* How many fellowships were awarded in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?
* Were members of the 2007/2008 class placed in career positions in the BC public service? Are 2008/2009 awardees going to be placed?
* Were the costs of career placement and their ongoing salary costs paid by the StudentAid BC program, or by the departments in which the fellows were placed?

I may have more questions, but that’s a start. Please also note that the answers will be posted to http://pacificleaders.wordpress.com

Thanks.

Best regards,

Justin Longo
Ph.D. Candidate
University of Victoria
—— End of Forwarded Message

The Pacific Leaders Graduate Fellowship program is facing a change in direction. A decision has been made to suspend the program for a year. In light of the economic challenges that the province is facing, the program will be under review to ensure the investment the province is making is generating the expected results.

This raises a number of questions, which I will ask the division by telephone when they return my call:

• “a change in direction” implies the program still exists. Does it? Do the other components of the program (Loan Forgiveness, Scholarships for Public Servants, Scholarships for Children of Public Servants) still exist?
• “A decision has been made” raises the question of whether this was a Ministerial decision, or divisional. Ultimately, the Minister is responsible for the decision, but the answer should identify some of the rationale for the decision.
• What were the performance measures (“expected results”) for the program that are now being used to measure program success?
• Would the program review be taking place even if the “economic challenges that the Province is facing” did not exist?
• How much was the StudentAid BC budget increased in the 2009/2010 Budget?
• How much did the fellowship program cost in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?
• How many fellowships were awarded in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?
• Were members of the 2007/2008 class placed in career positions in the BC public service? Are 2008/2009 awardees going to be placed?
• Were the costs of career placement and their ongoing salary costs paid by the StudentAid BC program, or by the departments in which the fellows were placed?

I may have more questions, but that’s a start.

____

Follow-up:

I received an emailed response to these questions on April 4 from Kim Henderson, Head, Workforce Planning and Leadership Secretariat. Matching up the above questions to the responses:

• “a change in direction” implies the program still exists. Does it? Do the other components of the program (Loan Forgiveness, Scholarships for Public Servants, Scholarships for Children of Public Servants) still exist?

We do expect that the program will resume.

• “A decision has been made” raises the question of whether this was a Ministerial decision, or divisional. Ultimately, the Minister is responsible for the decision, but the answer should identify some of the rationale for the decision.

The decision to review the program was made by the Deputy Ministers’ Committee on the Public Service which oversees the strategic direction on the public service initiative.  The decision was a result of feedback provided by all of our partner institutions that indicated there were a number of improvements that should be made to the program and that to date all of the scholarships available had not been awarded. In light of this feedback the committee opted to suspend new intake into the program while we reviewed how best to deliver the program to meet the desired goals.

• What were the performance measures (“expected results”) for the program that are now being used to measure program success?

the program has been suspended for a period of time as we review how best to attract students into the program and ensure the program benefits have the desired outcomes for both the students and for the government.

The goal of the fellowship program is to attract top-quality graduate students to careers in the BC Public Service while also supporting research that is of value to the provincial government. The calibre of applicants, their research and subsequent performance as employees of the BC Public Service are all factors that will define the success of the program.

• Would the program review be taking place even if the “economic challenges that the Province is facing” did not exist?

This reflects the obligation of the government to ensure all programs are being delivered as effectively as possible, which is all the more important during challenging economic and fiscal times.

• How much was the StudentAid BC budget increased in the 2009/2010 Budget?

StudentAid BC administers the fellowship program on behalf of the BC Public Service. The StudentAid BC budget has no direct impact on the program.

• How much did the fellowship program cost in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?

The cost of the program in 2007 was $342,221 and in 2008 was $434,908.

n.b.: the program cost per fellowship was @$22,814 in 2007 and @$43,491 in 2008.

• How many fellowships were awarded in 2007/2008? 2008/2009?

While 40 scholarships had been available, there were 15 fellowships awarded in 2007/08 and 10 in 2008/09 based on an evaluation of the applications submitted and their suitability for the program.

• Were members of the 2007/2008 class placed in career positions in the BC public service? Are 2008/2009 awardees going to be placed?

Some participants in the fellowship program have already been placed in positions and all current participants in the program will continue as planned. The review only effects the intake originally scheduled for 2009. Funding for the fellowship program comes from a corporate fund contributed to by all government ministries.

• Were the costs of career placement and their ongoing salary costs paid by the StudentAid BC program, or by the departments in which the fellows were placed?

This fund (see above) provides for the scholarship amounts; once students are placed into positions their salaries are paid for by the sponsoring ministry.

Next month will mark the secondary anniversary of the release of Campus 2020: Thinking Ahead – an ambitious plan that was supposed to “help shape the future of post-secondary education” in British Columbia. But many of the 52 recommendation in that plan, which was authored by former attorney general Geoff Plant, are languishing. And, recently, in an interview on Public Eye, Sean Holman spoke to Advanced Education and Labour Development Minister Murray Coell about some of them.

For Immediate Release
March 19, 2009

CAMPBELL GOV’T ABANDONS RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP GRANTS

VICTORIA— New Democrat advanced education critic Rob Fleming is surprised that the Campbell government is halting a popular research grant program that matched skills shortages in the civil service to graduate students looking for financial assistance.

“This is just one more example of Gordon Campbell’s short attention span,” said Fleming. “He made a big deal of announcing this program less than two years ago, and it’s already on the chopping block.”

Sue Lang, one of the students who applied for a grant is also shocked by the news that the program, which was heavily promoted in universities last fall, is being cancelled.

“This is a slap in the face to graduate students and to institutions,” said Lang. “The least the Campbell government could have done is respected this last round of applications.”

“Students and institutions are unable to make long-term plans because of Gordon Campbell’s flavour-of-the-month style of government,” said Fleming. “The bottom line is the skills shortage in the civil service has not been solved since October, nor has the need for more support for research and graduate studies. It simply doesn’t make sense to cancel this program.”

Lang agrees. “If this government has half a billion dollars to spend on Vancouver convention centre cost-overruns it can afford to invest in research that will improve the lives of British Columbians.”

A petition has been started to re-instate the cancelled grant program. It can be found here: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/pacific-leaders-graduate-student-fellowships.html

—30—

The letter sent to Sue Lang informing her of the cancellation of the program is attached. Affected students are available for interview upon request.

I just spoke with my contact at the Ministry, and apparently work placements for this ministry/division are still moving ahead. As he put it, there’s already been an investment in us and at least some people are keen to see it through.

As they should be. It’s a good thing that the civil service knows how to ignore ministers.

He spoke glowingly about the government’s grants and loan programs, but – unless I missed it – didn’t mention the Pacific Leaders program being cut.

As mentioned elsewhere, the funding for StudentAid BC was increased in the 2009/2010 budget by $500K – the Minister just made a choice to cancel one program so he could announce others.

More policy-making by ribbon-cutting.

The BC Budget was delivered on February 17 2009. There is no mention in the budget documents of the Pacific Leaders program. The estimates do show that the budget for StudentAid BC (the agency that oversees the program) was increased by $500,000 in fiscal year 2009/2010.

An online petition to the Minister of Advanced Education is available. If you agree that the Minister should consider reinstating the program, please sign the petition.

If you disagree and think this was a good decision, please leave a comment here.