BCICS, now just over a year old, has made a very good beginning. Twenty research projects have been, or are nearing completion. Our list of published research will be growing quickly. Nearly thirty students, most of them involved in graduate studies, have received training as they have worked within the Institute; six have been of them from the Faculty of Law, meaning that they will have a heightened understanding of co-operatives as they pursue their careers....we have helped triple the number of lawyers in the province with a deep and informed interest in co-operatives!
We have developed an excellent web site that receives about fifty "hits" a day from elsewhere in Canada and from many countries around the world. We have welcomed two distinguished co-operative leaders to campus. We have begun development of the Galleria which, if we can secure the funding to make it the resource we know it can be, will provide a remarkably attractive, effective way for people to explore the BC movement.
We have been collaborating with the Faculty of Continuing Studies in the development of four courses in co-operative studies; three other courses will be offered on campus in traditional ways during the academic year 2001-2002. We are completing a major study documenting the extent and possibilities of the co-operative sector within the province; in it we will also be identifying the challenges and the limitations confronting it. We have reached out to communities throughout British Columbia building relationships with co-operative organisations and leaders that we will sustain to the limits our financial and human resources.
BCICS is deeply indebted to UVic, the Ministry of Advanced Education, and especially the Ministry of Community Development, Co-operatives and Volunteers for the financial support and good advice it has received over the last year and, before that, as the idea of the Institute was being developed.
We are pleased to announce that support from the Credit Union Central of British Columbia, Federated Co-operatives and The Co-operatives Insurance group will make it possible for us to continue operations at least through the academic year 2004-2005. That support will enable us to maintain an office (with a part-time secretary), the essential parts of our computing activities, our fellowship programmes and some of the research activities we have begun. Like other parts of the University, we will be co-ordinating applications for research funding from academic and other sources. We will be working to expand the teaching on co-operative subjects within the University and, particularly, encouraging students to pursue co-operative studies. We will be deepening our relationships with other post-secondary institutions throughout the province.
While this support will enable us to do many things, it will leave many others frustratingly near but beyond our financial capacities. If you or your organisation believes in what we are trying to accomplish, if you would like to sponsor more student involvement, assist in further research, help purchase books for our library, sponsor speakers so we might all learn from others, expand our capacity to develop an even stronger web site, please contact us. We would be delighted to talk with you or to make a presentation to any individual or whatever group you think might be interested in what we do. Given that we now have an infrastructure in place, any additional funds are a good investment because they will go directly and entirely to the projects and activities in which you have the most interest.
