#unbsjdoc

I'm wrapping up production on a short documentary that will be released this fall, which will hopefully lead to a longer more in-depth version to be produced in the future. Here's what the project is all about.

What the documentary is about (and what it's not)

In September 2007, a commission on post secondary education in New Brunswick released a report which, among other things, suggestted that UNBSJ along with the satellite campus' of Université de Moncton be transformed into a multi campus Polytechnique Institute. The recommendation caused enourmous public reaction across the province.

I had just purchased my first camera at the time and was looking for something to film, so I hit the streets. In just two months, there were several rallies, marches, press conferences and information sessions. Thousands of active citizens made it clear: they did not want to see these university campuses disappear.

Because the 2007 events captured on film took place in Saint John and focused only on the proposed closing of UNBSJ, this documentary will not be an inclusive reflection of the Post Secondary Education Commission's report. I have no footage of the demonstations in Edmunston or Caraquet, nor do I have much knowledge of UdeM and the other suggestions made in the report. Instead, this documentary will focus on UNBSJ itself - looking at some of the follwoing questions which have lingered:

How and when did UNBSJ start?
Is it a feeder college to UNB Fredericton, a satellite campus, a sister campus, or an autonomous institution? What the hell is the difference?
How did the 2007 report effect the institution?
Government did not act on the suggestion to close UNBSJ, so what now?
Does Saint John need a university?
And finally, what can government do to help all NB higher education institutions prosper without competing with each other?

Contribute!

If you have any thoughts on some of the questions asked above please email, tweet or post them to our Facebook page. I'll be tweeting upcoming interviews on our Twitter account, @culturehub. If you have questions for the interviewee, tweet 'em using the hashtag #unbsjdoc

2007 Footage

http://www.culturehub.ca/unbsj/rally_sept17
http://www.culturehub.ca/unbsj/march_sept17
http://www.culturehub.ca/unbsj/delta
http://www.culturehub.ca/unbsj/quadrally
http://www.culturehub.ca/unbsj/value-of-a-university

Update

09/20/11 - First screening of the short version