us , ▁and ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁this ▁lo bb y ▁created ▁some ▁t ensions ▁between ▁degree - program ▁fac ulty , ▁largely ▁based ▁at ▁North ▁Kel own a , ▁and ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁institution . ▁Some ▁fac ulty ▁fav oured ▁splitting ▁the ▁institution ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁university ▁and ▁a ▁new ▁community ▁college . ▁ ▁Although ▁O UC ' s ▁initial ▁progress ▁had ▁been ▁ham per ed ▁by ▁not ▁having ▁a ▁research ▁mand ate , ▁and ▁del ays ▁in ▁obtain ing ▁recognition ▁from ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁Univers ities ▁and ▁Colleg es ▁of ▁Canada ▁( AU CC ) ▁and ▁Natural ▁Sciences ▁and ▁Engineering ▁Research ▁Council ▁( NS ER C ), ▁O UC ▁fac ulty ▁had ▁rapidly ▁developed ▁a ▁solid ▁reputation ▁in ▁the ▁research ▁community . ▁External ▁research ▁fund ing , ▁for ▁example , ▁at ▁O UC ▁grew ▁from ▁less ▁than ▁$ 1 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 – 2 0 0 3 ▁to ▁$ 6 . 8 ▁million ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 – 2 0 0 5 . ▁▁ ▁O UC ▁research ▁fund ing ▁greatly ▁out st ri pped ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁university ▁colleg es ▁in ▁British ▁Columbia ▁( Car ib oo ▁University ▁College ▁( now ▁Thompson ▁R ivers ▁University ), ▁Mal asp ina ▁University ▁College ▁( now ▁V ancouver ▁Island ▁University ), ▁K w ant len ▁University ▁College ▁( now ▁ ▁K w ant len ▁Poly techn ic ▁University , ▁and ▁University ▁College ▁of ▁the ▁F ras er ▁Valley ) ▁( now ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁F ras er