A group representing faculty associations is asking the New Brunswick government to ban more private universities, but a private institution based in Fredericton is fighting back.

It's the latest controversy generated before the province's commission on post-secondary education, which only began public hearings last week.

New Brunswick has four publicly funded universities and five private ones.

Jack Vanderlinde, who speaks for the group representing faculty at public universities, said students aren't getting value for their money at private institutions.

"When someone does a thing for profit, clearly what you're most interested in is the profit, and not the product," he told the commission Thursday. "If I were a student, I would be really very hesitant to go to a private institution, where, first of all, your fees would be much, much higher than the public universities, and there's absolutely no guarantee at the other end that you'll get anything out."

Vanderlinde's group is asking the commission to take drastic steps to protect students.

"Ideally, they'd shut [private universities] down, but I think that's very difficult to do, and we would be content if they did not create any more."

Private university plans expansion

Private universities are defending their programs, saying their students land good jobs when they graduate. They say the faculty associations are hostile because teachers at private universities are not unionized.

Chris Pilgrim, president of Lansbridge University, an online school based in Fredericton, said Vanderlinde's association has an ulterior motive.

"Its membership is that of unionized professors in New Brunswick," Pilgrim said. "The private institutions in New Brunswick specifically, B.C. and across Canada are non-unionized."

Far from shutting down, Pilgrim said Lansbridge plans to expand and open a campus in Fredericton. 

Post-secondary education critic Margaret-Ann Blaney told the legislature Wednesday she's worried about the future of Mount Allison and St. Thomas University. Blaney accused the Liberals of having a secret plan to merge publicly funded universities.