June 16, 2009
Media contact: Anne Russell
Cell: 604-798-3709
Office: 604-795-2826
anne.russell@ufv.ca
UFV honours Rob Nicklom for leadership during drive for university
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| Rob Nicklom (centre) with UFV president Skip Bassford and UFV chancellor Brian Minter. |
When former UFV Board Chair Rob Nicklom and his wife Orla first considered moving back to his hometown of Chilliwack with their young family in 1979, the fact that there was a college here was a real draw. The young accountant was then living in London, Ontario, a great example of a “university town”.
“I really like the vibrancy that a university brings to a community,” says Nicklom. “I knew that having a college in the
Fraser Valley, even though it was in its infancy back then, would bring a whole new level of culture and activity to our communities.”
Nicklom didn’t know at the time that he would end up serving a seven-year term on the UFV Board, including six as the board chair, and that he would play an important role in achieving university status for the institution. It is for his leadership during a crucial period in UFV’s history that the university is recognizing him with an honorary Doctor of Letters degree at its annual convocation ceremonies.
Nicklom maintained a peripheral relationship with the university college before becoming formally involved in 1998. He taught a few business courses there, attended some events, helped students out through a Rotary project, and served on the university college’s Chilliwack community council. During that time it went from being a two-year college to a four-year degree-granting university college.
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Rob Nicklom |
His real initiation into the world of UCFV came when Skip Bassford became its fourth president in 1998. “Not long after Skip arrived, he started a strategic planning process, and I was invited to take part in a weekend-long session with other community members to provide our input.”
When the Liberal government came to power, this led to a complete changeover of appointed Board of Governors members in the spring of 2002.
“We were all new so there was no continuity, and most of the new members didn’t have a lot of familiarity or involvement with UCFV,” he recalls. “I had a bit more of a connection to the place than the others, and was motivated to take a leadership role because of my past involvement. I agreed to serve as chair, woefully underestimating the
time commitment involved.”
Not that he’s complaining. Community service is important to Nicklom.
“I think it’s important, when you live and work in a community like this, where it’s small enough that you can have a real impact, that you get involved. For me, getting involved with what has now become UFV was at the top of my list, because the Fraser Valley communities would be very different places if we didn’t have what started as the college
and became the university.
"So many people were able to stay in their community, get an education, and stick around here to work afterward. The opportunity that has been given to our kids is huge. Then there’s the boost that UFV provides to the arts, athletics, and the intellectual climate. The Fraser Valley has become a really vibrant place to live in large part because of UFV.”
Nicklom recalls that the Board and UCFV as a whole had three main objectives when he took the helm. “We wanted to achieve university status for UCFV. The time had definitely come. We had served our apprenticeship. We wanted to acquire land on the former CFB Chilliwack for a new campus. That was an opportunity we didn’t want to overlook.
And we wanted to improve UCFV’s profile in all of our communities.”
Seven years later, Nicklom is delighted that UFV has achieved university status. UFV has successfully acquired part of the CFB Chilliwack lands, now known as the Canada Education Park, opened a Trades and Technology Centre there, and has plans for much more on the new campus. And he now feels a very strong level of awareness and support for UFV in all of its communities. Over the course of his term as board chair, Nicklom learned a lot about patience, as he waited for decisions about the Canada Education Park deal, capital building projects, and of course, university status.
“Big decisions take lots of time and lots of nurturing. Buildings, land deals, major changes -- none of it happens overnight!” Nicklom also became fully immersed in UFV culture.
“I was aware that there was something special about this place before, but my experience as board chair really embedded the belief that there’s something special about the way people interact at UFV. There are just a lot of nice people working together for a great cause. With the historically amicable relations among management, the union, staff,
the board, and the community, we are the envy of most other college and university boards.
“This didn’t happen by accident, and I hope it continues. As we move into the university era we’ll have to pay attention to the vibrancy of this place and ensure that we continue to nurture the culture that makes it work so well. Becoming a university in name shouldn’t mean a sea change, but rather an evolution that honours and respects what has come before.”
His personal highlight during his time as Board Chair was greeting his daughter Erika as she crossed the stage to receive her bachelor’s degree in 2004.
“Convocation was always a great experience for me. Every graduate has a compelling story, and I really get a sense of the impact that UFV has on its communities when I saw all the proud families gathered from my vantage point on the stage. You can’t help but come away from an event like that feeling good!”
As for the honorary degree that he received at UFV's recent convocation, Nicklom says he was speechless when UFV president Skip Bassford called to tell him about it.
“I don’t go looking for recognition, but receiving this honour is very gratifying and humbling.”
