Cape Breton University students frustrated lectures will remain at movie theatre for up to 3 years
CBC
Some post-baccalaureate students at Cape Breton University are frustrated that their classes will remain at the Cineplex location in Sydney, N.S., approximately nine kilometres from the university campus.
University officials say the situation is temporary, but it could take up to three years to get a location built on campus.
This is not welcome news for some.
Amandip Bhooi left her family at home in India to study at CBU and get her post-baccalaureate diploma in business management.
Bhooi looked up photos of the university campus online before moving to Glace Bay, N.S.
She was not expecting to attend her lectures in a movie theatre.
"I had almost packed my bags and I was back to India, trust me, many times," she said.
Three out of four of Bhooi's classes are at the cinema, which adds about 30 minutes to her commute via bus from Glace Bay. She chose the location for its proximity to the university campus.
"Had I known it, I wouldn't have come here," she said.
Bhooi said the theatre environment is not conducive to learning.
She wants to be able to visit the library in between classes, but the bus schedule doesn't leave enough time to commute.
"That's the most difficult part for me because it's a business management course," she said. "Most of the studies are research based. It's really frustrating."
For some students, classes being held at the movie theatre is further evidence that the university doesn't have room for them.
Mansi Shah thinks the university has allowed more international students to enrol than it can adequately serve.
