Telelearning NCE receives completion funding

The Telelearning Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE) has received a $915,000 grant extension to allow for the completion of several research projects and wind down the administrative centre at Simon Fraser Univ. Projects across the country will receive $850,000 with the balance used to close the NCE down, extending the life of Telelearning to the end of September. The Network has also abandoned plans to restructure and become a self-sustaining organization. Last fall, it appointed Peter Guest - turnaround specialist and mentor from the Toronto-based consulting firm Osborne Group – as interim CEO to explore future options (R$, October 10/01). Guest came to the conclusion the NCE did not possess the necessary assets to reconstitute Telelearning as a private company. He will leave the NCE and implement plans to start a mining exploration company. Telelearning failed to secure a second round of seven-year funding. It officially ran out of money March 31/02….