Universities should be accessible to spread hope, address labour shortages

“Universities should look like the communities we live and work in,” writes Vancouver Island University President Dr Deborah Saucier in an editorial for the Vancouver Sun. Saucier writes that universities should be a welcoming space for everyone, and that increasing the accessibility of universities can help those facing barriers to higher education to realize their educational dreams and go on to fill job vacancies. The author notes that more must also be done to decolonize university systems and processes to ensure that they are welcoming to Indigenous students, and highlights how postsecondary institutions are an essential source of hope. “Without hopeful people, we can’t have healthy, thriving communities,” writes Saucier. “We must make sure our doors are open as wide as possible.”