The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
When this year's crop of high school seniors were born, their parents imagined one day having to send them hundreds of kilometres away to attend university. But thanks to technology, they'll be able to begin their post-secondary studies right at home. Campus Manitoba is a distance education program based in the former armoury that, despite operating since 1989, is still a secret for a number residents. "There's always room for improvement as far as getting the word out," said coordinator Valoree Munro. Campus Manitoba is akin to four post-secondary institutes in one, offering courses from the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Brandon University and Winnipeg's Red River College. Students may only complete their first year of university at the school, but some second and third-year courses are offered as well. Enrollment currently stands at 26 students who, for whatever reasons, preferred to study in Flin Flon this year. "A lot of them aren't ready to go on campus," said Munro. "They want to keep their jobs or they don't want to leave the community right away." The cost savings are also appealing. Munro estimates that students save at least $7,000 a year by not having to relocate to a university city. "Depending on lifestyle, it could be more money," she said. And Munro sees another benefit. Since on-campus classes often contain dozens of students, the pupils may not have much interaction with their professors. That's not the case at Campus Manitoba. "Our classes, at most, would have between 12 and 14 students," noted Munro. "There's more one-on-one time with the instructors and direct contact with instructors." The central teaching aid at Campus Manitoba a television screen at the front of the single classroom on which an Internet connection is displayed. Professors use the connection to deliver their lectures to the students, who can hear but not see their instructor. Any slides or pictures that the instructor wishes to show students are viewed on the screen. Through the use of a keyboard or hands-free microphone, students can ask their instructors questions about the course material. Any tests are mailed to Munro, who distributes them to the students. Campus Manitoba centres are located throughout the province, including sites in The Pas, Thompson, Swan River, Dauphin and Gimli. Known as FYDE (First Year Distance Education) until early 1998, Campus Manitoba was launched in Flin Flon in 1989. The program was based at Hapnot Collegiate until space became available in the armoury in 1996.
