Quest University may branch out into continuing education programs in the near future.
Canada's first private, non-denominational university is contemplating the initiative as a way to better serve the community, Quest educational consultant Luce Melancon wrote in an email to The Chief. To gauge residents' interest in non-credit programs, the not-for-profit university set up an online survey - www.surveymonkey.com/s/QuestContinuingEd.
"We already have 285 respondents; they are as interested in weekend classes as they are in weekday classes," Melancon said.
The questionnaire will determine the viability of the program, she noted. Once that's been determined, the survey will help establish not only the type of offerings the community desires, but also its format.
"There are many opportunities throughout the survey to add comments," Melancon said. "Those comments are key to revealing nuances in the responses and to helping us enlist the appropriate instructors."
The survey is the first of its kind for Quest. It was designed after school officials interviewed 60 key community members, including stakeholders from a variety of Sea to Sky organizations and demographics - from young mothers to sporting and health groups.
For the past three years, Quest has offered a non-credit program during the summer. Renew Your Quest runs for a week. The initiative's enrolment has doubled since its start. It's attracted academics from all over North America, local residents and parents of Quest students.
"For this coming summer, we have added a second week of the program," Melancon said.
Squamish's Capilano University campus also provides continuing studies and executive education courses.
