responsible for managing the academic operation of the university, including recommending appointments, calling meetings of faculties, and establishing committees. Faculties and schools UFV's academic activity is organized into "faculties", and "schools". Currently, the university has seven faculties and three schools. The College of Arts houses the two largest faculties (Humanities and Social Sciences) with sixteen departments, followed by the Faculty of Applied and Technical Studies, while the Faculty of Science has four departments, and the Faculty of Health Sciences has five programs. Research UFV is home to ten research centres and institutes; additionally, the Chilliwack Campus is the site of the new BC Centre of Excellence for Agriculture. Much of the research conducted at UFV, in particular through the activities of centres such as the Centre for Food and Farmland Innovation and the South Asian Studies Institute, focuses on issues of regional concern. There are three Canada Research Chairs at UFV: Lenore Newman holds the Canada Research Chair in Food Security and the Environment; Keith Thor Carlson holds the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous and Community Engaged History; Cindy Jardine holds the Canada Research Chair in Health and Community. Additionally, Irwin Cohen holds an RCMP Senior Research Chair in Crime Reduction. UFV is designated a Special Purpose, Teaching University under the University Act, with a mandate to focus on regional undergraduate education. However, faculty members are also actively engaged in research, and UFV places major emphasis on providing research opportunities for undergraduate students and training in research skills. Students have opportunities to apply for grants and lead research projects, to co-author papers with professors, and to present papers at international conferences. UFV also promotes and recognizes student research through its Undergraduate Research Excellence Award program. Enrollment In 2009/2010, the UFV individual student count (including Continuing Studies) was 15,446, including approximately 13,000 mainly undergraduate students. UFV's region has a rapidly expanding population that totaled 257,031 in 2006. Enrollment continues to grow. UFV exceeded the Ministry of Higher Education and Labour Market Development's funded target for 2009/10 of 6,859 student spaces by 104%. Funding Operating funding for UFV has increased by $19.8 million, from $33.5 million in 2001/02 to $53.3 million in 2010/11 – a 59.1 per cent increase. Programs UFV offers master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations across a wide range of programs in fine arts, humanities, science, social sciences, applied communication, business, nursing, as well as