Selkirk College President Maggie Matear recently spoke to the Nelson Star about the decision to shut down college’s fine arts campus. Matear explained that the programs were ultimately too expensive to run due to factors such as the small instructor-to-students ratio. “We had a whole building set aside for a maximum of 33 students and we needed 10 staff to support them,” said Matear. “So it becomes very difficult when we are trying to manage an empty wallet and a lot of community priorities.” The college will meet with local arts organizations to discuss the future of the arts programs. As for Selkirk, Matear stated that the college is focused on programs that meet the needs of local communities and industry and reflect life in the Kootenays.
