Royal Roads drives West Shore economy

As Canadian universities go, Royal Roads University is small. But it's still a big contributor to the economy of the West Shore, says RRU president Allan Cahoon.

"We have over 400 faculty and staff, so as an economic driver that makes us probably the largest organization operation on the West Shore," Cahoon said.

About 4,600 students, including about 1,000 from outside Canada, have Royal Roads identification cards. Most of them are graduate students already working as professionals. Courses are typically a blended model of online study and two to three weeks of intense study on campus.

Since the campus doesn't have any residences of its own, visiting students -- numbering 350 to 400 at any time -- have to find housing elsewhere in the community. That also contributes to the local economy. (Royal Roads is looking at striking a deal with a local developer, such as at the proposed Colwood Corners centre, to provide student residences.)

"So in a sense the affluent students who are in here, average age 40, are a better kind of economic catalyst than typical undergraduate, poor starving students who are having to work at McDonald's to make things happen," Cahoon said.

During the recession, however, enrollment at Royal Roads is flat. That also is a function of it being a different type of university.
"The challenge is unlike other universities and colleges in which enrollments are up when the economy goes bad," Cahoon said.
"But we're the opposite. Our student population generally are people in the workplace, so when the economy is being challenged, companies aren't paying for them to step away."

Of its $51 million operating budget, $17 million comes from the province, which is less than 30 per cent, Cahoon said. For some remote institutions, the provincial share is 60 to 70 per cent, he added.

Royal Roads also has a business model of 95 per cent expenses to revenue, he said.

"It's much more of a kind of nimble, business focus."
Even so, Royal Roads is far cry from achieving 100 per cent self-sufficiency, as was promised in 1995 when it was founded as a civilian university.

"You haven't heard that from my mouth," Cahoon said.
Royal Roads and the City of Colwood signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month to work on branding Colwood as Canada's first Green Learning City.

Initiatives include applying for $3.5 million from the federal Clean Energy Fund to create a model geo-solar development.