A review panel has given a vote of confidence to the Administrative Studies Program.

      The review committee chaired by interim vice-president academic David Morrison endorsed the program and suggested ways to strengthen it.

      "I'm fortunate to be able to come forward with such a positive conclusion," Morrison told Senate March 10. "Our message to the community is that the review committee believes very strongly that this is an important program" for Trent. "We hope these recommendations help it come out from under the cloud it has been under for some time."

      When he initiated the review, Morrison said "we were open to all options including dismantling the program." Instead, the committee found a committed and enthusiastic faculty and recommended strengthening the program.

      The program has become increasingly popular at Trent. Enrolment increased five per cent last year and nine per cent this year, said Senator and program faculty member Peter Lapp.

      This wasn't always so. For its first 20 years, Morrison said, the program was "under-enrolled relative to its resources." In recent years, however, enrolment has risen reflecting broader student interest in practical courses. The February statistics from the Ontario Universities Applications Centre show a 7.1-per-cent increase this year in applications for business administration courses.

      "I think it's clear in the age we live in that many students want more applied and technical courses alongside the more theoretical studies," said Morrison. "I think that factor weighed heavily with us. This is a program that is now clearly in demand."

      In its seven-page report to Senate, the committee said Administrative Studies should strengthen its interdisciplinary links with faculty and with local alumni involved in businesses. It should underline its distinctive nature -- that it is especially effective in preparing graduates for careers in small business and not-for-profit agencies and offers an alternative, generalist approach to management and policy issues -- when it recruits. It should add two cross-appointed tenure-track faculty and stabilize its secretarial support.

      Morrison said he's launched a search for a new director. George Nader continues as acting director to June 30.