Don Avison
Sector Transformation in BC Higher Education
In November 2025, British Columbia’s Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, the Honourable Jessie Sunner, appointed DJ (Don) Avison KC to conduct a sustainability review of the province’s post-secondary system. Avison has previously served as deputy minister of Education and Advanced Education, as president of British Columbia’sResearch UniversitiesCouncil and, more recently, as chair of the board of governors of Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
The mandate of the sustainability review was extensive. It called for an examination of the structure of the postsecondary system with a view towards the reduction of duplication, including the potential for the consolidation of some institutions. The review was also tasked with exploring whether there were ways to deliver programs more effectively and efficiently. Lastly, the review was to include recommendations on how best to address the system’s short and longer term financial challenges.
The final report of the sustainability review has not yet been released publicly. At this session, Avison will describe the extensive consultation process, the key issues facing British Columbia’s post- secondary system and some of the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, including whether the system is appropriately positioned to make effective use of emerging technologies.
Biography
D.J. Avison, KC is the past CEO and Executive Director of the Law Society of British Columbia and has held senior public service roles across Canada, including Deputy Minister of Justice for the Northwest Territories and Deputy Minister of Education/Advanced Education in B.C. He led the University Presidents’ Council and its successor, the Research Universities Council of B.C. He has received numerous honours, including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, the BC Net Lifetime Achievement Award and recognition from the First Nations Education Steering Committee for his contributions to First Nations Education. He was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of Thompson Rivers University and received a Leadership Award from Life Sciences in British Columbia. Don has served on several boards, including the Foundation for the Centre of Disease Control, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, the Centre for Drug Research and Development and the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission.