UNB students, staff go to council with merge concerns

About a dozen faculty and students from theUniversity of New Brunswick Saint John made a surprise appearance at Monday night's council meeting to express concern over a report that may recommend their school merge with a community college.

Thereport, on post-secondary education in New Brunswick, is expected to be released Friday.

The group, which did not have a presentation on the meeting's agenda,said their fears were fanned by a quote in the francophone press by Jacques L'Écuyer, co-chair of the New Brunswick Commission on Post-Secondary Education.

L'Écuyer suggested the commission was considering recommending that the university cater its programs to energy-related fields to complement the city's coming energy boom, with the refurbishment of the Point Lepreau generating station and a proposed second Irving Oil refinery.

He said the Saint John campus could conform to the structure of Quebec polytechnic schools.

Council told the groupthatmemberssupport the university, but Mayor Norm McFarlane left it at that, and cut off discussion.

McFarlane said council will wait until the report is released to say anything further.

"Out of due respect, the first person that's got to get that report is the premier of the province," McFarlane said. "He commissioned it, he has to get it, he has to read it. I assured [Premier Shawn Graham on Monday]that we would not get into a discussion on the merits of what we've heard out there. He has to be the first person to receive that information.

A history professor whoattended the Monday meetingsaid she couldn't understand why discussion was stifled because so much has been discussed in the media.

The mayor said the group from university is welcome to speak to council after the report is released.