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By Frank Stirk
TRINITY Western University is poised to start work on
creating a new satellite campus in downtown Richmond, which could begin
admitting students by the fall of 2010.
The new facility would be part of a massive $1 billion
retail, office and condominium redevelopment of the properties bordered by
No. 3 Road, Minoru Boulevard, Firbridge Way and Ackroyd Road. What the
city’s Planning and Development Department has called “a very
important component” of the plan is a four-storey building at Minoru
and Firbridge, which would be shared by Trinity and a new community centre.
An unnamed philanthropist has gifted the
building’s two top floors, comprising 2,079 square metres (22,378
square feet), to the university for 25 years, rent-free.
At a two-hour public hearing of Richmond City Council
October 20, councillors voted unanimously to grant the rezoning required
before construction could begin.
“A few concerns were raised that [the developer]
promised to address . . . But other than that, it’s pretty well a
done deal,” said Steve Moore, senior associate pastor of Richmond
Pentecostal Church, who was at the meeting.
“This is a terrific opportunity . . . to take the
essence of Trinity into a new setting and a new market, but yet carry out
the ministry and mission of Trinity as a Christian university,” said
TWU president Jonathan Raymond.
“The Richmond campus will start out in this
location,” he added. “We envision that over time, the
university will purchase other property and expand out . . . We see Trinity
over several years developing as a downtown campus in multiple
sites.”
Mars’ Hill, the
university’s student newspaper, reported that business development
director Andry Tjahyana has been appointed the Richmond campus’
executive director.
TWU will have to cover the costs of equipping the two
floors, hiring faculty and marketing its courses – all of which it
hopes to pay for with a special fundraising campaign.
Communications professor Bill Strom conceded that
faculty members are “concerned that we don’t forget” the
needs of the Langley campus. “We’re growing, and that’s
energy, and that’s time – and that’s taking away from
Langley a little bit. But it’s also building our area of
influence.”
Raymond said he is confident the Richmond campus will
offer thousands of older individuals the opportunity to complete university
degrees. Further, he noted, “there are strong ties between Richmond
and Asia, and we think [the new campus] will attract students
internationally as well.”
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That would be a significant boost to TWU’s
overall enrollment figures. Reflecting the reality of Canada’s aging
population, its first-year undergraduate enrollment has slipped from a peak
of 2,507 students in 2003 to 2,015 this year.
Also, said Raymond, “I anticipate that it will be
a venue for ACTS Seminaries, as well as for . . . churches in the Richmond
area, to benefit by seminar curriculum – including lay
people.”
“I’m very thrilled,” said Ray
Woodard, who was pastor of Towers Baptist Church in Richmond for 18 years.
“With the massive movement of individuals to urban centres, to put
the ACTS Seminaries in the middle of an urban situation close to the
airport, on mass transit . . . is just outstanding.”
Woodard shares Raymond’s confidence that the
Richmond campus will be welcomed. “There are a large number of adults
that want to continue their education, particularly in a changing global
market, as well as [receive] good, sound teaching in order to offer an
answer for their faith.”
“A lot of the reason why adults like myself
don’t continue in education is . . . the short amount of time that we
have outside of our jobs and families,” said Moore. “To have
something right down the street would be a great opportunity that you
wouldn’t want to turn down.”
Dan Unrau, senior pastor of Fraserview Mennonite
Brethren, said that, given the economic hard times many in his church are
facing, “we wouldn’t have a large group that would go –
but we would certainly have some.” He is hopeful the new campus will
open doors for sharing the gospel.
“We need to find multiple ways of having neutral
conversations that are able to hint at the real question,” said
Unrau. “The mere fact that there’s a Christian higher-education
institution being planted in this place creates a conversation.”
November 2008
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